Antony K Cooper

An initial formal model for spatial data infrastructures

The Commission on Spatial Data Standards of the International Cartographic Association is working to define formal models and technical characteristics of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI). To date, this work has been restricted to the Enterprise and Information Viewpoints from the ISO Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing standard. The Commission has developed models for these two viewpoints. These models describe how the different parts of an SDI fit together in the viewpoints in question. These models should be seen as a contribution towards the overall model of the SDI and its technical characteristics. During the model development process, the roles of the different Actors in an SDI in the Enterprise and Information Viewpoints have also been identified in Use Case diagrams of an SDI. All the models have been developed using the Unified Modeling Language. ✠ This author passed away in September 2007.

A spatial data infrastructure model from the computational viewpoint

The Commission on Geoinformation Infrastructures and Standards of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) is working on defining models of spatial data infrastructures (SDIs). SDI models from the enterprise and information viewpoints of the Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP) have already been presented. Our model from the computational viewpoint identifies the main computational objects of an SDI and their interfaces, which are modelled using Unified Modelling Language (UML) component diagrams. Presented here is the first comprehensive SDI model from the computational viewpoint, which enhances the understanding of the computational objects and their interactions in an SDI. This viewpoint complements the previous two and together, the three viewpoints contribute towards a more holistic interpretation of an SDI, which is independent of specific SDI legislation, technology and implementations. For the computational viewpoint, we identified six computational objects, SDI Registry, SDI Data, SDI Processing, SDI Application, SDI Portrayal and SDI Management, and their provided and required interfaces. We describe the interactions of the computational objects in stakeholder activities and the roles they play in the different processes of SDI development and use, which we identified as Initiation, Creation, Management, Manipulation, Access, Processing, Evaluation and Liaison. Two tables summarise the SDI services that are provided by computational objects for stakeholder activities and SDI processes.

Exploring the Impact of a Spatial Data Infrastructure on Value-Added Resellers and Vice Versa

A spatial data infrastructure (SDI) is an evolving concept for facilitating, coordinating and monitoring the exchange and sharing of geospatial data and services. In earlier work, we developed a formal model for an SDI from the Enterprise, Information and Computational Viewpoints of the Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing. Within the Enterprise Viewpoint, we identified six stakeholders, including a Value-added Reseller (VAR), a stakeholder who adds value to an existing product or group of products, and then makes it available as a new product. A VAR is particularly important because they extend the usefulness of SDI products: high quality and useful VAR products help ensure continued funding by governments of publicly provided data. We engaged with various types of VAR around the world, to understand what encourages or inhibits VARs in an SDI, and the contributions VARs can make to an SDI. The results are described here.

Are Earth Sciences lagging behind in data integration methodologies

This article reflects discussions German and South African Earth scientists, statisticians and risk analysts had on occasion of two bilateral workshops on Data Integration Technologies for Earth System Modelling and Resource Management. The workshops were held in October 2012 at Leipzig, Germany, and April 2013 at Pretoria, South Africa, and were attended by about 70 researchers, practitioners and data managers of both countries. Both events were arranged as part of the South African-German Year of Science 2012/2013. The South African National Research Foundation (NRF, UID 81579) has supported the two workshops as part of the South African–German Year of Science activities 2012/2013 established by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the South African Department of Science and Technology.

Spatial metadata in Africa and the Middle East

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the spatial metadata situation in Africa and the Middle East, through describing the activities in countries and regional bodies across the region, and providing more detail about one or two countries as examples. As a focus on metadata, almost invariably forms a part of the strategy towards developing spatial data infrastructures. It is inevitable that this will reinforce the need to capture and publish spatial metadata in a standardized way. This chapter discusses the survey of spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) in Africa conducted by the National Spatial Information Framework (NSIF) Directorate in South Africa on behalf of the SDI in Africa Initiative. In addition, information has been solicited on their spatial metadata activities from all the member countries of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) in Africa and the Middle East.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN STANDARD FOR THE EXCHANGE OF DIGITAL GEO-REFERENCED INFORMATION

This chapter describes the development of the South African standard for the exchange of digital geo-referenced information, from the establishment of the project team that drafted the first version of the standard, through to the present and the work of the maintenance committee for the standard. A summary of the concepts used in the standard and an outline of the standard are also given. The chapter concludes with a comprehensive list of references to published work related to the standard.

The Academic SDI—Towards Understanding Spatial Data Infrastructures for Research and Education

The demand for geospatial data across different disciplines and organisations has led to the development and implementation of spatial data infrastructures (SDI) and the theory and concepts behind them. An SDI is an evolving concept about facilitating and coordinating the exchange of geospatial data and services between stakeholders from different levels in the spatial data community. Universities and other research organisations typically have well-established libraries and digital catalogues for scientific literature, but catalogues for geospatial data are rare. Geospatial data is widely used in research, but geospatial data produced by researchers is seldom available, accessible and usable, e.g., for purposes of teaching or further research after completion of the project. This chapter describes the experiences of a number of SDI implementations at universities and research institutes. Based on this, the Academic SDI, an SDI for research and education, is defined and its stakeholders are described. The purpose, scope and stakeholders of the Academic SDI are described based on the formal model of an SDI developed by the International Cartographic Association (ICA) Commission on SDIs and Standards (formerly the Commission on Geoinformation Infrastructures and Standards). The results contribute to understanding the state-of-the-art in SDI implementations at universities and research institutes; how the Academic SDI differs from a ‘regular’ SDI; and which role players need to be involved in a successful SDI implementation for research and education.

A Contextual ICA Stakeholder Model Approach for the Namibian Spatial Data Infrastructure (NamSDI)

In 2011, the Namibian parliament presented and promulgated the Namibian Spatial Data Infrastructure (NamSDI) with the aim of promoting the sharing and improved access and use of geospatial data and services across Namibia. Notable SDI models, developed from the enterprise, information and computational viewpoints of the Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP), comprise direct and indirect roles of stakeholders and special cases of each general role in an SDI. Hence, the International Cartographic Association (ICA) model was used to identify the stakeholders in and around NamSDI, which is still at the infancy stage of development. The application of a high-level ICA model proved to be relevant and useful in discriminating and categorizing NamSDI stakeholders according to their roles and vested interests. Some stakeholders, such as official government mapping agencies, assume multiple roles, while others, such as database administrators, are not yet active. In the absence of baseline data and given the infancy status of NamSDI, attributes such as skills, capacity of producers and service providers, were not considered. Modelling NamSDI stakeholders in the context of ICA’s stakeholder model contributed significantly to a better understanding of NamSDI stakeholder types and subtypes and pointed out gaps that may hinder its successful and effective implementation.

Introduction to the AfricaGEO 2018 Conference Special Issue of the South African Journal of Geomatics

Peter MU Schmitz, Antony K Cooper, Sanet Carow, Peter Newmarch, Julian Smit Department of Geography, University of South Africa, Florida, South Africa. schimpmu@unisa.ac.za 2 Fakultät für Vermessung, Informatik und Mathematik, Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany Built Environment, CSIR, Pretoria, South Africa, acooper@csir.co.za Centre for Geoinformation Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa South African Geomatics Council, South Africa Geomatics Division, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Analysing the practical feasibility of FOSSGIS in military operations – A Cholera outbreak use case

Paper presented at the International Conference for Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G 2016 Bonn), Bonn, Germany, 24-26 August 2016