1. EXPERIENCES WITH WFS-T IN THE DUERO INFORMATION SYSTEM Editing geometries and tracking changes Javier Fernández Pereira WISE TG Meeting - Madrid, June 7th 2010
Good morning

2. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PROPOSED ARCHITECTURE. ALTERNATIVES SOME RESULTS
Server software
Client software
SOME RESULTS
Editing
User Authentication
Change History
CONCLUSIONS
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

3. MIRAME-IDEDuero http://www.mirame.chduero.es INTRODUCTION
He puesto una secuencia de 6 pantallazos que aparecen cada segundo
The Duero Information system aims to support the development of the new RBMP. Besides, it intends to be basis for the technical work in the River Basin Authority.
It is available through the link
MÍRAME-IDEDuero is a geonode within the Spatial Data Infrastructure, providing the tematic information the CHD is responsible for.
It is also a tool being used for the public participation processes.

4. INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND:
Capabilities already available within the Duero Information System:
Map service (WMS) :
Feature service (WFS):
Get capabilities service:
Catalog service (CSW) :
.es/geonetwork/srv/es/csw
Nomenclator service (WFS-G):
So far the Available services are:
Visualization services
download services
Calagog services and
Nomenclator services
BUT… TO THE DATE, there are no editing capabilities. 4

5. BUT CHANGES NOT REGISTERED
INTRODUCTION
CURRENT SITUATION
ALFANUMERIC DATA
Registered users
Edition capabilities
Change approval workflow
Change history
GEOGRAPHIC DATA
Free access
Online edition not available
Manual Workaround:
BUT CHANGES NOT REGISTERED
Workaround:
Export layer, edit in desktop, insert in DB
Information System: Alphanumeric + Geographic
Allows alphanumeric editing
Registered users
Change approval workflow
Change history
Regarding geographic information
Can’t edit layers in DB
Export layer, edit in desktop, Import layer

6. INTRODUCTION
GOALS
ENHANCE MIRAME IDE-DUERO SO THAT USERS CAN EDIT GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AS NEEDED
GUARANTEE DATA INTEGRITY
User authentication
Change approval workflow
Change history
And OpenSource…
SO,
Due to the requirements to accomplish the current directives: WFD, INSPIRE and coming into force of New Directives: floods, marine strategy, priority substances) there is a need of continuos uploading of data.
With this on view and in agreement with the developmento of WISE as a distributed system.
The objectives for this proyect is, basically /enjéis/
1. Enhance MIRAME IDE-Duero so that users can edit geographic information as needed, in the same way they edit alphanumeric data.
By taking into account that it must be a service that guarantees data integrity including topological relationships between geographic features.
To assure this, only authentified editors can implement changes and every change must be subject to QA/QC, when passing through the validation process.
As an addional requirement for Duero, it is required the service must be implemented with OpenSource Tools, since the tool will be offered to the other River Basin Authorities. 6

7. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PROPOSED ARCHITECTURE. ALTERNATIVES SOME RESULTS
Server software
Client software
SOME RESULTS
Editing
User Authentication
Change History
CONCLUSIONS
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS 7

8. ARCHITECTURE Desktop WFS-T Client server ARCHITECTURE WFS-T WMS
Web Viewer
WMS
MapServer
Web Browser
MIRAME
Web App
SQL
HTTP
Oracle
(+Spatial)
Besides the existing services...
The proposed architecture includes a new service that provides the WFS-T capabilities and a client to edit the data
Others

9. ARCHITECTURE CLIENT SERVER Desktop WFS-T Client server gvSIG Degree
uDIG
ArcGIS Server
SERVER
Degree
GeoServer
We have evaluated several alternatives both in the Client and server sides.
The ones tested are:
We didn´t make the test with ArcGis but compared functionalities…. 9

10. SERVERS - Degree Bonn University, Geography Department
ARCHITECTURE
SERVERS - Degree
Bonn University, Geography Department
OpenSource: GNU LPGL
J2EE technology
Good OGC support although not 100% conformity: WMS, WFS(-T), WCS, CSW, WPS, SOS…
WFS well supported and tested
Unfriendly installation and configuration
Developed by…
With license…
Based on…
Not all tehe WFS-T requests are supported.
WPS: Web processing services
SOS: Sensor observation services (monitoring networks).

11. SERVERS - GeoServer TOPP – The Open Planning Project – GeoTools
ARCHITECTURE
SERVERS - GeoServer
TOPP – The Open Planning Project – GeoTools
OpenSource: GNU LGPL
J2EE technology
GeoServer 1.3
WFS-T compliant – 100% Compliant !
Proposal for versioning (not standard)
Easy configuration (web console)
Supports many storage repositories (Oracle, PostGIS…)
WFS-T atomic transactions
Included in the
And it allows atomic transactions:
An atomic transaction avoids any change in the database in case a transaction is interrupted. It impoves security.

12. SERVER COMPARISON SUMMARY
ARCHITECTURE
SERVER COMPARISON SUMMARY
GeoServer
deegree
Current Release
2.0.1
2.3
Technology
Java
WMS support
WMS 1.1.1
WFS support
WFS
WFS 1.1.0
WFS-T support
WFS-T 1.0.0
OGC compliance
GeoServer 1.3:
WFS(T) (compliant)
WFS (compliant)
GeoServer 1.5.
WCS 1.0 (compliant)
deegree WMS 1.1.2
WMS (compliant)
deegree WMS 2.1.0:
WMS (compliant)
WFS-T compliance
100% compliant
WFS(T) 1.0.0
Partially compliant
Versioning
Own versioning system
Not available
Authentication
ACEGI
IGeoSecurity
Comparing the different alternatives…
The main reason for the selection of GeoServer was the availabitity of the ATOMIC TRANSACTIONS AND THE VERSIONING SYSTEM.

13. CLIENT – gvSIG Generalitat Valenciana OpenSource – GPL Large user base
ARCHITECTURE
CLIENT – gvSIG
Generalitat Valenciana
OpenSource – GPL
Large user base
WFS-T support
Experimental
Unable to make it work
tested with latest stable release, 1.9 Build 1253
Author of WFS-T plugin declared it non-functional
Only read capabiliy implemented

14. CLIENT – uDig Eclipse Based desktop GIS tool OpenSource: LPGL
ARCHITECTURE
CLIENT – uDig
Eclipse Based desktop GIS tool
OpenSource: LPGL
Less commonly used than gvSIG
WFS-T support
Compliant
It works! (uDig 1.2 RC 3)

15. CLIENT – ArcGis Server 9.3 ESRI license needed
ARCHITECTURE
CLIENT – ArcGis Server 9.3
ESRI license needed
“Static” management of WFS service request
WFS-T support
Direct read or with conversion from GML to geodatabase
ArcMap does not have a mechanism for transactional WFS- editing.
Versioning: reconcile and post
ArcMap does not have a mechanism for transactional WFS editing, meaning you must use a third-party client to edit features using WFS
“static” management of WFS service request. WFS are automatically loaded with no choice
WFS-T is not supported at ArcGIS (even with data interoperability extension)

16. CLIENT COMPARISON SUMMARY
ARCHITECTURE
CLIENT COMPARISON SUMMARY
gvSIG
uDig
ArcGis
Tested Release
1.9 build 1253
1.2 RC3
9.3
Technology
Java
Java + Eclipse
Api Flex
WFS-T support
Read only
Full
Editing capabilities
Good
Basic
Even if gvSig appears as the most promising open gis for edition of WFS it has not been possible yet to save the editions and send them to the server, only save editions developed locally, and consequently its use had to be disregarded.
Regarding ArcGis, besides the license issues, it does not present edition capabilities.
Finally, uDig seems to date the only open source client able to develop transactional operations and consequently it was the client implemented.

17. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PROPOSED ARCHITECTURE. ALTERNATIVES
Server software
Client software
SOME RESULTS
Editing
User Authentication
Change History
CONCLUSIONS
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS 17

18. FEATURES - EDITING Workflow
RESULTS
FEATURES - EDITING
Workflow
1. In uDig user connects to WFS-T server (GeoServer)
2. uDIG requests features from server using WFS-T
3. User edits features locally using basic editing capabilities of uDig
4. User clicks on ‘Send Changes’ button
5. User types user and password
6. uDig sends WFS-T requests to GeoServer
7. GeoServer writes modified data in DB
In uDig the user connects to WFS-T server (GeoServer) and logs in. This user has been previously authentified in the server and has edition permissions. Currently this authentification in Geo server is perfectly integrated and synchronized with users in the MIRAME-IDEDUERO system
Connecting via the WFS to the server, the available features for edition are listed.

19. Prototype
Main view in Udig

21. ADD LAYER
Connection to the server via WFS

22. Insert the URL

23. Selecting and adding features for edition: cattle use

25. Editing geometries: add vertex

27. Once edition is finished changes are sent…

28. In that moment the user is required to insert a username and password

29. FEATURES – USER AUTHENTICATION
RESULTS
FEATURES – USER AUTHENTICATION
GeoServer uses its own authentication scheme
File-based: user.properties and service.properties
MIRAME IDE-Duero has a proprietary authentication scheme
Web admin console to manage users and roles
New roles defined in DB for geometry editing
Agent that synchronizes MIRAME IDE-Duero users with geoserver authentication files
Passwords stored using MD5 encription
The file user.properties defines the users
The file service.properties defines the role and service accessed: i.e wfs.Transaction= ROL_EDITOR_GEOSERVER
Anytime the user is connected to GeoServer, the user. Properties file is automatically loaded.

30. FEATURES – CHANGE HISTORY
Changes are visible till validation only through the MIRAME-IDEDuero system. Authorized user can validate changes in the system. 30

31. CHANGE APPROVAL PROCESS
RESULTS
CHANGE APPROVAL PROCESS
EDITION
FINISHED
INTERMEDIATE
TABLE
NEW LAYER
PUBLIC LAYER
DISCARD
QC/QA
PROCESS
NO OK OK
User changes are not immediately applied to public layer
Stored in an intermediate table
Validator user needs to review and approve changes
Then current version is moved to change history
New version is written into public layer
Versioning en Udig: default version (root version created by software editors) and WFS-T version created by wfs editors. Edits made to each version apply only to that version.
Changes are not visible from the beginning. Once changes are sent the original layer is displayed and changes are saved in the historic of geometries.
OLD LAYER
HISTORIC LAYER 31

32. CHANGE HISTORY Supports feature changes
RESULTS
CHANGE HISTORY
OLD LAYER
HISTORIC LAYER
Supports feature changes
Points
Lines
Polygons
Follows GIS Guide Recommendations
Predecesor reference
Limitations
Doesn’t support complex operations (split, merge)

33. GIS GUIDE RECOMMENDATIONS
RESULTS
GIS GUIDE RECOMMENDATIONS
Appendix 9 – Management of Identifiers
Cases specified
New object (ID11);
Object deleted (ID5);
Split (ID4 into ID8 and ID9);
Merge (ID3 and ID2 to ID7);
Geometry change; possible cases:
ID remains the same; small change (change of geometry only) (ID1);
Large geometry change – new (ID6 to ID10).

34. GIS GUIDE RECOMMENDATIONS
RESULTS
GIS GUIDE RECOMMENDATIONS
Appendix 9 – Management of Identifiers
Cases covered by MIRAME IDE-Duero implementation:
New object (ID11);
Object deleted (ID5);
Split (ID4 into ID8 and ID9);
Merge (ID3 and ID2 to ID7);
Geometry change; possible cases:
ID remains the same; small change (change of geometry only) (ID1);
Large geometry change – new (ID6 to ID10). ? ?
The uncertainty is in what a SMALL/LARGE change means.
En en caso de puntos sí está definido (más de 125 metros es large).
In red are signed cases currently covered by MIRAME-IDEDuero implementation.
Further developments will include the visualization of differences between the original version and modifications stored in the historic of geometries

35. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PROPOSED ARCHITECTURE. ALTERNATIVES
Server software
Client software
SOME RESULTS
Editing
User Authentication
Change History
CONCLUSIONS
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS 35

36. CONCLUSIONS Server Component Client Component Integration
GeoServer – good choice
Client Component
gvSIG
currently not feasible (no WFS-T support)
uDIG
basic editing capabilities
WFS-T supported
Integration
User Authentication - EASY
Change History - CHALLENGING

37. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PROPOSED ARCHITECTURE. ALTERNATIVES
Server software
Client software
SOME RESULTS
Editing
User Authentication
Change History
CONCLUSIONS
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS 37

38. FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Implement the rest of cases for management of identifiers
Visualization of differences between original and edited version.

39. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION
Good afternoon 39