Geodiscovery: An Index Of Geographic Information System (Gis) Web Mapping Services

University of Kansas
posted on 10/13/2005

Geodiscovery is an indexing service for ArcIMS map serivces.

Suggested Uses

The possible uses for Geodiscovery are endless. We have built several search pages that allow the user to identify map services, layers (over 120,000), and even attribute data provided with each layer (over 1.2 million). Users can also spatially query Geodiscovery to find all layers that are within the bounding geography of a particluar place. We have built several custom ArcIMS client applications that allow the user to pull individual layers from multiple map services. This is unique protocal that we have been using for a DOE funded project entitled, Creating a Distributed National Atlas for Carbon Sequestration (NATCARB)--www.natcarb.orgExamples of how this would be used would be real-time accessing and mapping of the National Elevation Dataset from EROS data center and the digital orthophotoquads (aireal photography) of Douglas county. We could also build the framework that would allow other groups the ability to build targeted portals based on map service layers that could be discovered by Geodiscovery.Another application would be providing this database of map services as a web service that could be used directly in desktop software like ESRI's ArcMap or in other portals that want to provide search mechanisms for map services specific to their community (other state governments, federal governments, etc.)

Innovation Details

Detailed Description

Geodiscovery is an indexing service for ArcIMS map serivces. This indexing service identifies servers and map services that are available over the Internet. It provides a similar service to traditional Internet search databases. The key is that it is searching for particular servers that are communicating spatial data with ArcIMS. Currently Geodiscovery has searched over 560 servers, publishing almost 9000 ArcIMS map services, containing over 120,000 Image server GIS layers.

In contrast, all of the other spatial data infrastrucure portals (Geo-Spatial-Onestop, Geography Network, NSDI) are providing a catalog to publisher who have actually published their metadata to the appropriate network. This is great in an ideal world, where everybody publishes all metedata about their datasets, but it does not occur in practice. Geodiscovery is of the opinion that unless the user enables authentication to limit access to the ArcIMS map services then, their service is subject to being indexed.Numerous applications can be built off of this index. Targeted portals, National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), & disaster response are examples of possible outlets for Geodiscovery.

File Number: 2005 FY 01

Web site: http://www.kgs.ku.edu/kgs.html

Other Information: *State of Development* Please inquire

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This innovation currently is not available for online licensing. Please contact Jim Baxendale at University of Kansas for more information.

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