GIS%20System%20Architecture%20and%20Design%20%20Some%20Assembly%20Required!

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GISSystem Architecture and DesignSome
Assembly Required!
Parts of this lecture draw upon Dave Peters,
System Design and Configuration Strategies, ESRI
User Conference 2002 For latest version, go to
Peters, D. System Design Strategies, ESRI White
paper August 2005 _at_ http//www.esri.com/library/
whitepapers/pdfs/sysdesig.pdf
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Your Service Environment
Citizen Sam Samantha at home
Freda and Fernando in the field
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Your GIS Components
Consistent interface Increasing capability
Clients
c\ ArcGIS Workstation

ArcMap ArcCatalog ArcToolbox
ArcMap ArcCatalog ArcToolbox
ArcMap ArcCatalog ArcToolbox
ArcServer Services
ArcEngine/ ArcObjects Application Development
Customization
ArcIMS Services
ArcSDE Services
Source ESRI with mods.
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Your Info System Components
LANs
Wireless
Firewalls
Portables, Tablets, Palm/Pockets (Laptops/Tablets/
PDA/Phones)
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System architecture and design involves bringing
these three componets together in a package
which

• minimizes cost
• maximizes performance
• and works reliably and securely

Assembly Required!
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GIS Characteristics

• Detailed, high resolution graphic displays
• Large data files
• Intensive data analysis/computation
• Consequence? Need for
• Powerful workstations
• Powerful servers for data retrieval and batch
  processing
• High capacity networks

These requirements differ significantly from
standard IT environments with which your IT folks
are most familiar.
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Information System Components

• Computer hardware physical machinery, boxes,
  cables, connectors
• software instructions which make hardware
  perform as desired by user
• Operating System to control the basic functions
  of the hardware and networks
• Applications to provide users with desired
  results
• Data and databases to store information required
  by users
• Networks to distribute information between
  different computers and users
• orgware (Costis Toregas) people, procedures
  organizational structures to make all of the
  above function
• 85 of cost of IT?
• 12,000 per annum to keep a PC user functioning.
• like the iceberg under the water

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Information System Organization

• Functional access to information - users view
• Physical computers as nodes on networks -IS view

Access all the information required to carry
out my job
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The Computer Hardware Components

• central processor
• microprocessor (control unit and arithmetic/logic
  unit)
• primary storage -RAM (main memory or simply
  memory)
• secondary storage or simply storage
• disks
• magnetic
• optical
• tapes
• Input/Output Devices (I/O)
• Scanners, printers
• communications devices/
  
  
  network connections

Storage -disks -tapes
Central
cpu
Input devices
Output devices (hardcopy)
Main Memory
Processor
Networks
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• Issues Performance bottlenecks
• CPU performance
• Memory (RAM)
• I/O to disk and/or to network
• Network performance speed and/or load
• Balanced system critical
• Issues Capacity Planning
• peak load versus standard load
• Issues CPU Selection configuration (see next
  slides)
• Servers database, geoprocessing, web, terminal
• Client Workstation, terminal client, browser
  client
• Mobile portable, palm, pocket (laptop, PDA,
  phone)

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Example GIS Server Configurations
Types of servers
GP
GP
Geoprocessing
ArcSDE
Data
DB
Web
Web
Web
Terminal Server
Terminal Server
Terminal (possible)
One server, plus TS
Two servers, plus TS
Dedicated Servers
Multiple Servers -load balancing -redundancy
GP geoprocessing DB database
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Example ArcIMS configurations relative to
security
Least secure
One of many intermediate solutions
Most secure
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Client Configurations
Web server
Terminal Server
Geoproc. Server
Database Server
Servers
GIS Software runs on terminal server Can
hand-off some work to GP server Data stays
on servers Image to Client Low end PC with
special TS software Low network
bandwidth Full GIS functionality (Citrix is
primary vendor)
GISWeb Software runs on web server Can hand-off
some work to GP server Data stays on
servers Image to Client Low end PC with
standard web browser Low network
bandwidth Limited GIS functionality (depends on
GIS Web software)
GIS Software runs on PC Data to PC High end PC
High network bandwidth Full GIS functionality
LAN link
PC Workstation
Terminal Client
Web Browser
LAN link Or VPN
Web Link
VPN Virtual Private Network
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Mobile Client Considerations

• Device type Portable, tablet, or palm
• How much capability is required
• In-field editing, or info look up only?
• Is Connectivity required?
• Wireless data connections slow and expensive,
  relative to in-house
• How keep databases in synch.?

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Software Layers

• HARDWARE
• Operating System manages basic operations of
  the hardware (disk writing, communication links,
  etc)
• Windows, UNIX, legacy (old mainframes still
  around)
• Utilities add additional functionality to OS
• e.g. security and backup are critical functions
• Data Base Software handles and stores
  information to be processed .
• Oracle, SQL-Server, IBMs DB2
• Application Software software to perform
  specific functions desired by user
• E.g. ArcGIS, but it exists within environment of
  multiple other applications
• USER

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Types of Application Systems Operational
Transaction Processing Systems

• finance/accounting track dollars
• general ledger
• accounts payable/receivable
• purchasing
• budgeting
• funds management
• human resources track people
• employee records
• payroll
• benefits
• job classification/career path

• physical assets (space/property) track things
• space inventory
• capital assets
• materials and supplies
• industry specific
• (private sector/university/city)
• sales/student recruiting/econ dev.
• order processing/ registration/utility billing
• manufacturing automation/ instruc. support/road
  maint. sys

The software environment into which GIS must
integrate.
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Software for GIS The Main Vector Players

• ArcGIS--ARC/INFO (ESRI, Inc., Redlands, CA)
• privately owned by Jack Dangermond, a legend in
  the field and former Harvard prof.
• originated commercial GIS and still clear market
  leader with about a third of the market
• Strong in gov., education, utilities and business
  logistics
• MapInfo
• Trying very hard to move from Desktop/Present. to
  Enterprise/Industrial with newer MapX, MapXtreme
  and MapInsight products
• Strong presence in telecom and business,
  especially site selection marketing
• Intergraph (Huntsville, AL)
• origins in proprietary CAD hardware/software
• strong in design and FM (facilities management),
  and running hard to match ESRI in GIS
• UNIX-based MGE (Modular GIS Environment) and
  FRAMME evolved from CAD
• after split with Bentley, courageously committed
  to NT and object technology in 1995 and first
  released new generation GeoMedia product in
  March 1997
• Serious threat to ESRI until ArcInfo 8 released.
• Bentley Systems (Exton, PA)
• Bentley brothers (Barry Ray) originally
  developed the PC-based Micro-Station product
  under contract with Intergraph, but split in 1995
• have very successfully continued to develop and
  sell MicroStation GeoGraphics since then.
• Strong in engineering advertises itself as
  geoengineering
• Autodesks AutoCAD Map
• dominant CAD supplier and worlds 4th largest
  software company

The only two pure GIS companies.
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Software for GIS Remote Sensing/Raster

• origins in remote sensing thus raster oriented
• Some now include vector support, but has proven
  insufficient for them to really compete with
  vector-based GIS
• Convergence of raster and vector GIS software has
  not occurred to the degree expected 5 years ago
• Need one of these products if you are heavy into
  remote sensing, image analysis, or
  orthophotography production
• new satellite data products enhance their utility
  
• Will never compete in the enterprise/management
  market

• ERDAS/Imagine long established leader, purchased
  by Leica Systems of Switzerland in 2001
• ER MAPPER very agressive newcomer originating in
  Australia
• Envi, another relative newcomer, radar
  specialization, now (2000) Kodak owned
• PCI long-term Canadian player
• CARIS another newer Canadian entry
• Genasys II older and fading US player

For links to web sites of all these vendors, go
to http//www.utdallas.edu/briggs/other_gis.htm
l
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Software for GIS other professional/analytical

• Blasts from the Past
• Atlas/GIS
• from Strategic Mapping, Santa Clara, CA
• originator of PC-based mapping in the 1980s
• Failed to make-it in GIS
• purchased by ESRI in 1996
• Discontinued 2001
• GRASS (Rutgers Univ.)
• Classic old-timer
• raster oriented, but some vector routines
• originally developed by US Army Construction
  Engineering Research Lab(CERL)
• army ended dev. support in 1996 but assumed by
  Baylor University.
• IDRSI (Clark Univ)
• one of the pioneering, university developed
  packages,
• limited commercial penetration but still trying
• raster orientation with some vector capabilities
• GDS (Graphic Data Systems, Englewood CO)
• originated as McDonnel Douglas in-house system
• Purchased by Convergent Group and EDS

• Other Commercial Players
• Manifold (CDA International Corp)one of the
  best deals around
• Maptitude (Caliper Corp, MA) another low cost
  one
• CadCorp SIS (Spatial Information System)
• recent entry from UK
• WinGIS (Progis Corp, Austria) European entry
• Smallworld Systems (Englewood, CO)
• first to use OO (in early 1990s) but never broke
  out of its FM utilities base and bought by GE in
  2000

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Software for GIS Niche products(examples)

• Business Targeted
• BusinessMAP (from ESRI) 99 choropleth and pin
  mapping (originally Maplinx)
• Calaritas data supplier iXPRESS integrates
  demographic and geographic software
• Tactician specialist product for market
  analysis, site selection, etc.
• Other Industry Targeted
• TransCAD (from Caliper) specialized GIS for
  transportation
• GIS specialized functions
• Surfer (Golden Software) contour creation
  spatial interpolation
• Blue Marble Geographic Calculator projections,
  conversions, etc.
• Extensions to standard GIS Products
• Add-ons to standard GIS packages to meet niche
  needs
• Remote Sensing, Surveying, Business, Hydrology,
  Civil Engineering etc. extensions for ArcGIS,
  MAPINFO and other standard GIS vendors

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Estimated Market Shares
2003 Sector share Utilities 44 Public
sector 29 Private sector 24 2003 Type
share Software 64 Services 24 Data 8 Hardwa
re 4
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ESRI Product Line-up ArcGIS client products

• ArcReader (adobe acrobat for maps)
  ArcExplorer (spatial data viewer)
• Free viewers for geographic data.
• ArcGIS 9.x Desktop two primary modules (MS
  NT/2000/XP only)
• ArcMap for data display, map production, spatial
  analysis, data editing
• ArcCatalog for data management and preview
• ArcToolbox, for specialized data conversions and
  analyses, available as a window in both
• Available capabilities within these modules are
  tiered
• ArcView viewing, map production, spatial
  analysis, basic editing
• ArcEditor ArcView, plus specialized editing
• ArcInfo ArcView ArcEditor plus special
  analyses and conversions
• Extensions for special apps. Spatial Analyst,
  3D Analyst, Geostatistics, Business Analyst,etc.
• ArcObjects build specialized capabilities within
  ArcMap or ArcCatalog using VB for Applications
• ArcGIS Workstation (for UNIX and MS NT/2000/XP)
• the old command line ArcInfo 7.1
• ArcGIS Engine (MS NT/2000/XP)
• Set of embeddable GIS components (ArcObjects
  software objects) for building custom
  applications
• Runs under Windows, Unix and Linux, with support
  for Java, C, COM and .NET
• Replaces MapObjects which were based upon a
  previous generation of GIS objects
• Notes

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ESRI Product Line-up ArcGIS server products

• SDE (Spatial Database Engine)
• middleware to support spatial data storage in
  standard DBMS
• Supports all major industry databases
• Oracle, SQL-Server, IBM DB2, Ingres
• ArcGIS Server
• Permits the creation of server-based GIS
  services using any ArcGIS capability
• Provides GIS capabilities to a user without a
  desktop GIS system
• inward focususer goes to server
• ArcIMS
• Software to develop Internet server-based mapping
  and basic analysis
• Provides maps to the user without a desktop GIS
  system
• outward focusgives user a map
• ArcGIS Services
• Server based applications built and operated by
  ESRI or its partners and made available on the
  Internet for subscription
• Normally charged on a per transaction basis,
  but can be flat fee
• presumably built using ArcGIS Server

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Decisions/Actions Requiredvis-à-vis Software

• Operating systems for clients and servers
• UNIX or Windows for servers
• Windows for clients
• Interfacing with existing non-GIS application
  systems or databases
• Is it required?
• How accomplish?
• Selection of GIS software appropriate for task
  required

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GIS Software Selection Choices, Choices,
Choices!!

• Council, get off my back! Planner for Plano. Need
  faster, easier, jazzier way of answering
  council member queries.
• Need professional analysis package
• use ArcView 9, since city has extensive ArcInfo
  shapefiles coverages
• Uses ModelBuilder and Python scripts to automate
  most common queries
• Appraisal District needs to accurately maintain
  parcel files
• Replaces current CAD system with ArcEditor for
  accurate topological editing and easier interface
  with GIS files
• Emergency Preparedness Manager for coastal county
  needs application to track potential spread of
  oil spills
• Uses ArcObjects and VB for Applications within
  ArcInfo version of ArcGIS to develop customized
  model
• City Planner wants easier way for citizens to
  know location of city facilities, property
  zoning, roads, etc..
• Developes ArcIMS application on city server which
  includes layers for roads, zoning, parcels,
  schools, other city facilities, etc.. which
  citizens can access from their home PCs using any
  browser

Contd on next slide
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GIS Software Selection Choices, Choices,
Choices!!

• Where is my bus? DART service manager. Want
  application to display real time location of
  buses on touch-screen terminal to passengers
  waiting at transit centers
• Uses ArcServer to develop central application to
  track buses
• Uses internet browser at transit station to query
  ArcServer
• Developer of software to support operations
  within a real estate office, including payroll,
  client tracking, billing, etc.., requires way to
  map location of houses sold by office
• Uses ArcEngine to incorporate mapping
  capabilities within his software system
• Keep the Taxes Coming In. Director of IS for Big
  City. Must tie all my data together--land
  ownership, tax rolls, utility lines, roads, 911
  calls etc.
• Needs enterprise solution.
• ArcSDE with ORACLE data base, accessed with
  ArcExplorer (free), ArcView 9 (for read only
  analysis), ArcEditor 9 (for data maintenance)
  ArcInfo 9 (for specialized analyses) depending on
  a particular employees needs

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Database Choices
ArcSDE
DB
Workstation
Middleware

• ArcSDE supports
• Oracle
• Microsoft SQL Server
• IBMs DBII
• Informix
• Selection often a function of what already exists
  in house for business applications

• Some database vendors have ability to support
  spatial data directly without ArcSDE (e.g. Oracle
  Spatial)
• may conform to ISO standard
• Better security
• May cost less than ArcSDE
• More limited capability (e.g. no geodatabase)

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RAID Options for Backup and Performance

• JBODjust a bunch of disks
• Lowest cost, no protection
• RAID 0 (stripping)
• Maximum performance, no protection
• RAID 1 (mirroring)
• Maximum protection but 50 storage loss
• RAID 3 4 (parity disk)
• Protection, 90 storage, but performance problem
  cos of contention on parity disk
• RAID 1,0 (mirroring striping)
• Protection and performance, but 50 loss
• RAID 5 (parity and striping)
• Maximum space with protection and performance

Composite solutions
(RAID redundant array of independent disks)
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Configurations differ depending on database.
Remember Does not protect against disastrous
destruction! (9/11, tornado, etc.)
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Networking and TelecommunicationsWhat Changed,
beginning in the 1980s?

• speed and capacity dramatically increased
• UTD to Austin
• 1984 9,600 baud (9 dot 6 9.6 kbps)
• 1996 44,736,000 bps (T3--44.7 Mbps)
• transatlantic phone cable
• 1960 125 simultaneous calls
• 1990 1.5 million
• Revolutionary new capabilities arrived
• The Internet
• and then Wireless

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What are the implications?

• permitted dramatically different ways of doing
  things, not just more of the same.
• centralized or dispersed geographic databases
• Accessed by police utility workers in the field
• Thus, dramatically increases options available to
  managers
• necessitates careful analysis of alternatives
• makes decision making more difficult

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The Signal Flip
wireless for mass broadcast,
PAST
cable for individual voice/data
wireless if it moves
Present/FUTURE
cable if it stays in one place
Reason electromagnetic spectrum is a scarce
resource. one fiber can carry the entire
spectrum (TV, radio, satellites, etc.) regulated
by the FCC!
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Types of Networks(wired)

• Last Mile to the house
• 300 baud dial-up early 80s
• 56 kbps dial-up (since mid 1990s)
• ISDN 64-128 kbps (digital)
• DSL 1.5Mb down/64Kb up (6Mb/640K in future)
• cable modem 2 Mbps (load dependent)
• LANs (local area network) within building or
  campus
• 300 baud RS232 (1970s)
• 10MB Ethernet (1980s)
• 100MB Ethernet (mid 1990s)
• 1GB Ethernet (late 1990s)
• WANs (wide area network)
• connects LANs
• shared, public facilities (Internet)
• Dedicated Telco leased lines (fixed bandwidth)
• T1 (24 x 64 Kbps channels 1.54MBps)
• T3 (28 T1 circuits 45MBps requires fiber)
• Dedicated fiber (usually SONET protocol)
• OC1 (base rate) 50 mbps OC12 600 Mbps

POTS Plain Old Telephone System ISDN Integrated
Sevices Digital Network (or Innovations
Subscribers Dont Need) DSL Digital Subscriber
Line Telco Telecommunications provider
(e.g ATT)
baud analog measure of speed bps (bits per
second) digital measure of speed baud bps
unless compression involved
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Types of Communications Channels

• twisted pair wire (now up to 1GB)
• distance/speed trade-off
• 150m. max. for highest speed
• high speed closet to desktop
  (using Level 5 cable)
• low speed home to telco office
• Maximum leased line over copper is T1 (1.4Mbps)
• coaxial cable (up to 200Mbps)
• longer distances (up to 20 miles)
• was fading but cable TV and Internet brought
  revival for last mile applications
• fiber optic (exceeds 100Gbps doubling every 9
  months--twice Moores Law)
• single mode for distances over 1 or 2 miles
• Multi mode within buildings
• install 62.50/125 micron multimode with ST
  connectors to closets

• wireless
• Cellular data 3G services
• Wireless LANs
• (WiFi 802.11b/g)
• radio--mobile data networks (police)
• satellite low orbit --individual links
• satellite geostationary (22,000 miles
  up)--group links
• infrared (1 mile)
• microwave (35 miles line of site)

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LAN/WAN Network Configurations
ISP Internet Services Providers e.g. Netcom,
onramp
Isolated LAN
Internet cloud
Dial-up
MCI
Internet Exchange Carriers
The Last Mile problem high speed
communications into homes from nearest telco
office.
SONET over fiber
CIX
Sprint
T1 from long distance provider (e.g MCI
T1 leased line from local telephone company
(over fiber or copper)
T1s from local telco
T1
Dial-up
LAN
LAN
LAN in Another City
Typically, campus or building is wired with fiber
(multi-mode) between building and to
communications closets, then twisted pair from
closet to office.
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Configuring an Ethernet LAN
Cisco predominates
Router (for campus)
to WAN (T1 leased line?)
PPP protocol
dial-up router
Ethernet Switch (in each building? )
copper (lt150m) or fiber
in closet
copper cable Level 3-5 150m
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Network Challenges

• architecture and standards
• ensuring everything will work together
• capacity suitability availability
• ensuring demand can be met
• does each link have appropriate capacity?
• reliability and redundancy
• ensuring continuous availability
• security providing for
• authentification (who really sent it?)
• confidentiality (is message private?)
• verification (has message been changed?)
• confirmation (has message been received?)

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Putting it Together
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Network Configuration
Citizen Sam Samantha at home
Switch on each floor Hub in each closet
Router
Infrared
Fiber
T1
Terminal Servers Or replicated data base (synch.
nightly) with local Workstations Or ArcIms (for
view only)
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Network Loads
Note --limited capability of WAN
--greater efficiency of database (SDE)
Source Dave Peters, System Design and
Configuration Strategies, ESRI User Conference
2002
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Server Configuration User Loads
Source Dave Peters, System Design and
Configuration Strategies, ESRI User Conference
2002
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Server Selection for ArcSDE
An Intel Xeon 4 CPU 3GHz server with 6GB memory
running 2004 ArcGIS software will support 100
users at SPECrate of 60
Source Dave Peters, System Design and
Configuration Strategies, 2004 p. 7-27
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