Submission of proposals
U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center (TEC)
Download 1.22 Mb.
|
| U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center (TEC)
A00-087 TITLE: Spatial Schema Generation Tools TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems DOD ACQUISITION PROGRAM SUPPORTING THIS PROGRAM: Project Director, Combat Terrain Information Systems OBJECTIVE: Peform applied research that will lead to the development and testing of a specification that defines the necessary information to logically model geospatial information (GI). Develop experimental tools and technology to automate the process of creating physical schema for geospatial database using these enhanced GI data content standards. The final results of this effort should provide GI schema building tools which (accompanied by well-defined specification to model GI) will simplify the process of creating physical database schema that supports various GI domains of importance to the Army. DESCRIPTION: Information communities have (or are in the process of developing) a multitude of domain specific geospatial data content standards (soils, vegetation, transporation, utilities, etc.). These data content standards are often just a domain's dictionary of feature-attribute-domain terms or a classification hierachy. Though these data content standards often have an implied data model associated with each, these are typically high-level conceptual models. These standards, if implemented in geospatial systems by their respective communities, will help support data interoperability between organizations and systems. However, for most GIS users it is not possible to implement these standards by creating a physical spatial database schema for commercial GIS software. The primary reason it is difficult to implement these standards is the lack of specificity on how to model this information in a geospatial database and the lack of robust, easy-to-use tools for the various commerical spatial database technologies. It is possible to create a physical geospatial schema for each of these database technologies without a logical model; however, this task requires considerable interaction between a knowledgeable domain expert and a spatial database administrator (and an extensive modeling effort.) (Often the expertise required for this task are not available.) Also, without a well-defined logical model, the physical models created from these data content standards will vary greatly between various implementations and therefore impede interoperability. What is needed is a well-defined specification for logically modelling GI that supports the most common commercial geospatial database technologies. This specification should serve as a template or framework to alter/enhance domain-specific GI data content standards with the necessary additional information. In additional, software tools will be needed to automate the process of creating physical schema for geospatial database from GI standards (using these enhanced, domain-specific, logical GI models.) SCOPE: The focus of this project will be to perform research which leads to the development of a viable specification to logically model GI and software tools to generate physical database schema from logical GI models. This research involves: 1) examining various existing and emerging GI spatial database technology; (i.e. geospatial database technology based upon CAD engines, relational database engines, newer object-relational spatial database technology, and the few based upon object databases technology); 2) developing a framework (or template) for logically modeling GI; 3) testing this GI model specification by enhancing domain-specific GI data content standards; 4) developing the necessary interface definition to support the straightforward implementation of these logical data models into common commercial GI database schema; 5) prototyping software tools to create physical database schemas (modelled after enhanced data content standards) for commercial GIS/geospatial database technology commonly used by the Army. PHASE I: Perform research, experimentation, and documentation of a specification for logically modeling GI (which includes data structure, semantics, and the development of an IDL model interface definition.) Develop prototype (proof-of-concept) tools to create physical spatial database schemas for commercial spatial database technology from these logical modelled data content standards. PHASE II: Enhance prototype schema tools and GI model specification through user feedback to result in robust specification and easy-to-use tools that can create physical schema for commercial GIS/spatial database technology. These tools should target 3 or more specific commercial GIS/spatial database platforms (e.g., Oracle SC, ESRI ARC/INFO & SDE, Integraph MGE & Geomedia, Autodesk) used by the Army and Army Corps of Engineers for spatial DB systems. PHASE III: Commercialize the software tools (and potential services) for both military and civil application. Currently most GIS users hire an engineering/ support contractor to build their physical GIS database schema for a specific commercial product. (Many times these schemas are proprietary.) The availablity of spatial database schema generation tools, together with a specification for conceptually modeling GI, would be very useful for all GI users (both military and civilian). These simple to use 3rd party tools to generate physical schemas for commercial GIS databases will permit these organizations to save money and allows user control of their spatial databases. (GIS vendors are also interested in the availability of such tools because it helps them sell more products.) REFERENCES: CADD/GIS Center for Facilities, Infrastructure, and Environment (formerly the Tri-Services CADD/GIS Technology Center), "Tri-Services Spatial Data Standards," Release 1.80, February 1999. KEYWORDS: Spatial Database Schema, GIS, Spatial Data Warehouse Download 1.22 Mb. Share with your friends:
|