Geoportal Server

From Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP)

<Back to Jan 4, 2012 Program

Geoportal Server: Open Source Software for Data Discovery and More

Time: 4:00-5:30
Location: Dupont Room
Convener: White, Casey, Relph, Neufeld, Parrish via the Web, Li

Key Topics

  • ESRI GIS portal toolkit -> Geoportal Server ( Christine White (ESRI))
    • Highly configurable
    • Built on existing OSS platforms
    • Active development


  • NODC use of Geoportal for Integration/Interoperation, John Relph, NODC, Ken Casey, NODC, Li, Jeff (NODC)
    • Archival work - human and machine interfaces
      • Target access to archives through various software services
      • Need for service integration and organization
    • Geoportal fills this need
    • Machine-to-machine communication via REST URL
      • Applications can construct individual URLs to pull targeted data
        • Metadata selections, but custom coding often needed for unique datasets
      • This lends itself to an agile archive which can conform to many different data/metadata requests
      • Dynamic, metadata created Web Accessible Folders (WAFs)
        • Brief Access Records merged with FGDC XML generates live archive WAF
  • NODC Collections WAF
    • Collection level records, with HTML for Google harvesting
  • Data.gov/Geospatial One-Stop WAFs
    • Immediately downloadable WAF only
  • NODC Geoportal Server Usability Test for first-time users
    • Most use was scientific research
    • Many different countries
    • Spatial search had highest difficulty, free text and web interface tasks were also problematic
    • Indicated that the map locator needs work, as well as text search, default syntax, and ontology services were needed
    • Additional data visualization needed
    • Move for Geoportal to use ISO19115-2 metadata


  • NGDC use of Geoportal David Neufeld (NGDC)
    • Mixed content, WAF centric
      • Common Property Meanings to create shared concepts
        • Simplifies search modifications, custom links to data
    • Improving metadata content
      • Must work with data providers
      • Metadata report card, based on metadata conventions
    • Federated searches
  • Collaborations
    • Information sharing
    • GEO-IDE Wiki
    • Locator services
    • Google code shared repository possible


  • EPA use of Geoportal David Parrish (EPA)
    • Environmental Dataset Gatewaty (EDG)
    • v 1.0 of Geoportal customized for EPA needs
    • Public demand drives division of Air, Water, Waste categories
    • Selection of data by region, type, owner
    • Code for searches available to be imbedded in third party webpages
    • Separation between public and private datasets
    • Automation of data.gov records/inventory/formatting
    • Metrics for data requests, world map of requests by country, metadata
    • Clip N Ship
    • Enhanced metrics, web services, web services and metadata
    • Outreach and sharing of tech

Related Links

http://data.nodc.noaa.gov/geoportal
http://geo-ide.noaa.gov/wiki
https://edg.epa.gov/metadata/catalog/main/home.page