1. MapServer Deployment in Environment Canada
Tom Kralidis
Integrated Environmental Applications Branch
Knowledge Integration Directorate
Environment Canada
09 June 2004

2. Environment Canada Departmental Overview MapServer Implementations
Benefits
Questions

3. Environment Canada Departmental Overview MapServer Implementations
Benefits
Questions

4. Environment Canada Federal Government Department dealing with:
Reporting on Canada’s Environment
Collection and dissemination of Environmental Information
Clean Environment
Nature
Weather and Environmental Predictions
Management, Administration and Policy
Working with other environmental organizations

5. Environment Canada Importance of Decision Making
Reporting, Tracking, Forecasting
Analysis
Importance of Information
Timeliness
Informed
Reliable

6. Environment Canada Large Department Numerous Regional
Offices/Facilities

7. Identification of Data
IM Perspectives in Environment Canada
Integrated
Data = Information
Shareable Data
Useable Data
Identification of Data
Knowledge
EC Moving
Towards
Connectivity
Integrated Discovery, Access, and Use of Environmental Data
Develop an architecture
that allows for any API
2005
Build capacity in ability
for others to share
Applied geospatial area environmental management projects
2004
2nd year – Focus on the architecture that allows any partners to connect
EC commits to two years of levied monies for development of CISE projects/program
2003
1st year – Make environmental information available in four key theme areas
2002
Ask Canadians what they want for environmental decision-making
2001
CISE Task Force formed

8. Environment Canada Abundance of data
Legacy Databases (circa 1800s)
Location-based reports
XML
Spreadsheets
Data exists and maintained (“Good to go”)
Enablement of location-based environmental data

9. EC Implementations Graduating to Information as Web Services
Publishing
Consuming
Departmental Interoperability
Fusion of information across activities
Plug-and-play with complimenting infrastructures
National/Provincial: CGDI, NLWIS, NFIS, LIO, NSDI
International: NSDI, INSPIRE, AUSLIG

10. Canadian Information System for the Environment (CISE)
Answer Canadians' need for integrated environmental information to assist in decision-making
Integrating information from across the country, across jurisdictions, and across issues

11. Canadian Information System for the Environment (CISE)
Theme areas
Air, Water, Climate, Biodiversity
Architecture built upon OGC specifications
Data Visualization
Data Access
Data Discovery
Metadata

12. RésEau Focus on watershed-based pilot projects;
Informing Canadians for enhanced decision-making;
RésEau’s deliverables are aligned with five key areas as identified in the Treasury Board proposal;
Focus Areas
Mapping the sources – open data sources.
Mapping the services – open applications.
Dissemination strategy – information and tools.
Watershed management – Pockwock example of how interoperability leads the development of watershed management solutions.
Engaging youth – water from a youth perspective.

13. Environment Canada Departmental Overview MapServer Implementations
Benefits
Questions

14. EC MapServer Implementations
CISEViewer
Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN)
Ontario Regional Information System for the Environment (ORISE)
Bird Studies Canada
Ecostratification
Water Quality Web
Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Aqua Link (CANAL)

15. CISEViewer
Web Mapping Application to showcase EC data through OGC / CGDI specifications
Uses Chameleon to connect to data via standards-based services
Integrated Environmental Information Holdings
Air
Water
Climate
Biodiversity
Currently internal application
Data QA tool

16. CISEViewer Integration of partner agency online services
NRCan NTDB OGC:WMS
Atlas of Canada OGC:WMS
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Ecostratification OGC:WMS, OGC:WFS)
Canadian Geographical Names Service (OGC:WMS, OGC:WFS)
NIMA World Placename Lookup Service (OGC:WFS)
NRCan Postal Code Lookup Service (OGC:GML)
FGDC ZIP Code Lookup Service (OGC:GML)
NRCan NTS Lookup Service (OGC:GML)

17. CISEViewer

18. CISEViewer
Uses Chameleon extensibility to add new widget functionality
Subject matter/ theme-based information
Air
Water
Climate
Biodiversity

19. EMAN NatureWatch Web Services Enablement
Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network
NatureWatch
Community / Citizen based science monitoring programs
IceWatch
PlantWatch
WormWatch
FrogWatch
Input of Observations using accepted field data collection protocols
WMS
- serve image maps
- GetCapabilities, GetMap, GetFeatureInfo
- GetFeatureInfo will deprecate to WFS

20. EMAN NatureWatch Web Services Enablement
Use of UMN MapServer
Publishing
OGC:WMS (Visualization)
OGC:WFS (Data Access)
Cron job to generate shapefiles of observations using Perl Mapscript
WMS
- serve image maps
- GetCapabilities, GetMap, GetFeatureInfo
- GetFeatureInfo will deprecate to WFS

21. EMAN NatureWatch Web Services Enablement
Small level of effort
Afternoon implementation session
Next steps
Connect directly to database (Port to PostGIS )
Seamless upgrade for MapServer
Need only to update data bindings
WMS
- serve image maps
- GetCapabilities, GetMap, GetFeatureInfo
- GetFeatureInfo will deprecate to WFS

22. EMAN NatureWatch Web Services Enablement
New functionality launched January 2004
“Map of the Week” on GeoConnections Discovery Portal (February 2004)
First EC publicly available OGC:WMS and OGC:WFS
WMS
- serve image maps
- GetCapabilities, GetMap, GetFeatureInfo
- GetFeatureInfo will deprecate to WFS

23. EMAN NatureWatch Web Services Enablement
Integration with partner agency data
through interoperability
Placenames
(CGNS)
WMS
- serve image maps
- GetCapabilities, GetMap, GetFeatureInfo
- GetFeatureInfo will deprecate to WFS
Observations
(NatureWatch)
Basemaps
(Atlas)

24. PYR Water Quality Web Web Services Enablement
Use of UMN MapServer
Publishing
OGC:WMS (Visualization)
OGC:WFS (Data Access)
Consuming
Use of MapSurfer to connect to MapServer based data
Export of OGC Web Map Context Documents
WMS
- serve image maps
- GetCapabilities, GetMap, GetFeatureInfo
- GetFeatureInfo will deprecate to WFS

25. PYR Water Quality Web Web Services Enablement

26. PYR Water Quality Web Web Services Enablement
New functionality launched March 2004
In alignment with departmental Water Quality Services Initiative
WMS
- serve image maps
- GetCapabilities, GetMap, GetFeatureInfo
- GetFeatureInfo will deprecate to WFS

27. ORISE Ontario Regional Information System for the Environment
Decision Support for Ontario environmental information
Multi-jurisdictional
Federal
Provincial

28. ORISE Chameleon Rapid Application Development
Extensibility for domain requirements

29. ORISE
MapServer
Quick deployment of robust OGC services

30. Canadian Bird Portal Partnership Portal Bird Studies Canada
Miistakis Institute
Portal
Access survey data
Breeding bird surveys
Christmas bird counts
Bird banding recoveries
Important bird areas across Canada

31. Canadian Bird Portal Use of MapServer (recent convert!)
Publish to WMS and WFS
Small level of effort
Data already in place
~8-10 s!

32. Environment Canada Departmental Overview MapServer Implementations
Benefits
Questions

33. Benefits Supports Specifications
No charge to acquire (licensing, etc.)
Code Extensibility / Customization
Contribution to main dist
Quicker turnaround time for upgrades to serve direct needs and requirements
e.g. MapServer ODBC “Simple Points” support

34. Benefits Platform independence Easier to use
Enables increased capacity within organization
Higher awareness among developers

35. MapServer Deployment in Environment Canada
Questions
Thanks!
Tom Kralidis
tom.kralidis at ec.gc.ca