WES Analyst

A combination Map viewer and discovery application that visually fuses data from multiple sources using OGC standards and specifications.  

Overview
 

WES Analyst is a dynamic Web mapping and discovery application that spatially fuses information to provide a Common Operating Picture (COP) and C2 visualization from various disparate data sources and applications. WES Analyst also provides analysts and users with the ability to perform and visualize data collected by WES sensor modules and stored in the WES Geospatial Feature Metabase (GFM). The WES Analyst is tightly integrated into the WES Portal infrastructure, supports most popular OGC specifications and standards and may be deployed within a J2EE portlet environment.

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The following is an overview of the functions supported by WES Analyst:

1. Embedded Web mapping client that supports OGC standards such as Context, WMS, WFS, WCS, SLD, SOS, SAS and SPS.
2. Supports all common Web mapping functions such as Zoom, Pan, History, Print, Gazetteer, display of units, selection of units, Overview and Layer Management.
3. Map annotations.
4. Image preview and analysis.
5. Integrated search and discovery interfaces.
6. Integrated order facilities.
7. Integrated location-based services.
8. Integrated toolbar for performing functions such as measurement.
9. User profile integration and management.
10. Base map generation facilities for building custom base maps (OGC Context Documents) from online sources such as ArcGIS servers, Google, Bing and OGC-related map servers.
11. Tightly integrated into other WES modules and services.
12. Integrated with the WES mobile tracking service for display of sensor tracks.
13. Integrated with WES sensor management system for display and interrogation of sensors and the supporting sub-systems such as the alert service.
14. Tightly integrated into WES Portfolio system for loading and displaying situational views in support of Common Operation Pictures (COP) and the decision making process.

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WES Analyst contains the following integrated components:

• WMS Merge

• WFPS

• Product WMS

• WMS Bridge

• WES Viewer

WMS Merge

WMS Merge enhances the integration of Open Geospatial Consortium Inc. (OGC®) Web Mapping Service (WMS) layers when requested from multiple sources and/or servers. 
 

Overview of WMS Merge

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WMS Merge is a cascading middleware map service that will merge geospatial sources and content into a consolidated picture prior to delivery to a Web Mapping client. WMSMerge features include:

• smart WMS caching for performance enhancements;
• multiple projection and re-projection support; and,
• map layer dimming capabilities.

The service is accessed using an HTTP post request. A composite map in the selected projection is returned as an OGC-enabled WMS image. Any errors that are encountered during the process are returned in XML.

WMS Merge can be used by external clients and applications for the purpose of requesting the composition of maps, using layers from numerous OGC WMS servers. WMS Merge provides performance and functionality enhancements in the following areas:

1. WMS Merge uses a caching facility that significantly enhances the map generating process. This is particularly useful when opening OGC Context documents that are composed of map layers from a variety of sources. WMS Bridge will check and determine if this map has recently been created and, if so, will return the last pre-compiled map image instead of requesting the complete generation of the map image again.
2. Support for multiple projections. WMS Merge will reproject map images on behalf of remote servers that do not support the projection request.
3. Map dimming capability. WMS Merge will dim individual map layers on request. This is useful for enhancing the visibility of features or layers in a compiled map image. 

WFPS 

An OGC® - compliant service bridging Web Feature Services and Web Mapping Services 

Overview

The Web Feature Portrayal Service (WFPS) operates as a bridge between Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) - enabled servers and OGC servers.

Data custodians that use WFS servers can dynamically expose WFS content as a WMS layer using WFPS. Consequently, clients and/or gateways that support the OGC WMS implementation specification can connect to a WFS through the WFPS using the WMS requests and responses.

The OpenGIS Web Feature Service Implementation Specification proposes interfaces for describing data manipulation operations on geographic features using HTTP as the distributed computing platform.

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Data manipulation operations include the ability to:

• Create a new feature instance.
• Delete a feature instance.
• Update a feature instance.
• Get or Query features based on spatial and non-spatial constraints.

A WFS to WMS Bridge

The WFPS basically operates as a WFS to WMS bridge. That is, a client application that supports the OGC WMS implementation specification can make a WMS request to the WFPS. The WFPS will translate the WMS request into the appropriate WFS request and deliver the request to the WFS server. The WFS output Geography Markup Language (GML) is then rendered as a WMS "picture" in the case of a GetMap call or produces an XML response in the case of a GetFeatureInfo or GetCapabilities request.

The WFPS accepts the following WMS request types:

• GetMap - Produce a styled WMS map from the WFS server.
• GetCapabilities - Produce the WFPS capabilities as a WMS response.
• GetFeatureInfo - Depending on the request type provided, the WFPS will return an image, an XML document containing the capabilities, or a document (in XML, HTML, or text format) containing information about a feature at a specified point.

Product WMS

The Product WMS provides a powerful interface for rendering geospatial objects and content contained in either XML or OGC GML.

Overview

Product WMS provides a powerful interface for rendering geospatial objects and content contained in either XML or OGC GML files. Background processing is performed on XML geospatial files and rendered and displayed using the OGC Style Layer Descriptor (SLD). External clients and applications can obtain situational views from Prodcut WMS using a native OGC WMS interface that supports the GetCapabilities, GetMap and GetFeatureInfo.

Product WMS will accept from external real-time operational systems, features and situational awareness information, that is formatted as XML/GML. Examples include environmental data collection systems.

These messages are processed in real-time and stored/cached in the Product WMS database. External applications can then use a standard OGC interface to quickly and efficiently render and display content without having to wait for processing since all Product WMS processing is conducted in the background.

WMS Bridge

WMS Bridge provides standards-based enhanced access for ESRI® ArcIMS® services.

Overview

WMS Bridge provides enhanced Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) - Web Mapping Service (WMS) connectivity to ArcIMS servers configured on a user’s network or on the ESRI Geography Network®.

Diagram of WMS Bridge:

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WMS Bridge has been created as a gateway application that enables portals and WMS-enabled clients to connect directly to ESRI ArcIMS servers without requiring the installation of the ArcIMS WMS add-on. There is no limit to the number of servers connected to the gateway. The gateway is configured as a "middleware" application that can be installed on either Windows® or UNIX platforms.

WMS Bridge supports the WMS GetCapabilities request for publishing ArcIMS content, the WMS GetMap request for combining ArcIMS® layers with other geospatial content, and the GetFeatureInfo call for identifying and reporting on selected ArcIMS layers and features. WMSBridge also supports OGC layer and legend facility for identifying ArcIMS content.

WMS Bridge is a component of Compusult’s Web Enterprise Suite; a set of Internet-based applications and toolkits that support Web mapping, information cataloging, discovery, retrieval and delivery services.

WMS Bridge is also a contributor to the Open Geospatial Consortium Catalogue Services Interoperability initiative.

WES Viewer

A Web Map viewer that visually fuses data from multiple sources using OGC standards and specifications.

Overview

Compusult’s WES Viewer provides clients a common picture of fused Web Mapping data. 
 WES Viewer is a dynamic Web Mapping application that spatially fuses information to provide a Common Operating Picture (COP) and C2 visualization from various disparate data sources and applications. It supports most popular OGC specifications and standards and is fully integrated into the WES Portal infrastructure. The WES Viewer Portlet has a tabular structure and is organized as follows:

• A search and discover tab/wizard is provided to lead users through the process of information discovery and access.
• A search result tab containing a summary search result set.
• A map viewer tab for viewing the current map. The map is detachable from the active Web page.
• A pre-defined map tab for easy access to previously created maps represented as OGC context documents.

WES Viewer is a component of Compusult’s Web Enterprise Suite; a set of Internet-based applications and toolkits that support Web mapping, information cataloging, discovery, retrieval and delivery services.

WES Viewer is also a contributor to the Open Geospatial Consortium Catalogue Services Interoperability initiative.