Transcript 2004 OSM Atlanta - West Virginia University

Lessons Learned from GIS Application Development
in a State Government Context
Yueming Wu, Ph.D.
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
2006 West Virginia GIS Forum & Workshop
Morgantown, May 18, 2006
Contents
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What is GIS application development?
Why is GIS application development needed?
How is a GIS application developed?
Case study
Lessons
Questions & comments
What is GIS application development?
GIS application development or GIS
customization development is not to rewrite a
proprietary GIS package, but to incorporate
users’ ideas to convert it into a usable and stable
product.
Why is GIS application development needed?
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There are no truly "off-the-shelf" GIS applications
satisfying all organizations due to the variety of
organizational business models. Business intelligent GIS
applications are needed to address the issue.
Casual users, representing the majority in a government
agency, prefer user-friendly and practical GIS applications.
Commercial GIS packages focus on basic and common
GIS functions across industries. Power users need more
complex GIS tools than a commercial GIS package could
offer.
How is a GIS application developed?
Bell D, Morrey I and Pugh J (1992) Software engineering: a programmingp
approach. 2nd edn. Prenctice-Hall, New York
Case study
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Establish requirements (use case)
Specify (requirements)
Design
Implement
Operate and maintain
Case study: establish requirements (use case)
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West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
(WVDEP) has been developing an Enterprise Information
System (EIS), involving a variety of spatial and non-spatial
databases.
Users in the Mining & Reclamation Program were looking
for a convenient way to electronically link GIS data
with data in non spatial databases.
Case study: specify (requirements)
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Composite query:
Electronically link GIS data with data in non-spatial
databases (e.g., ERIS & EQuIS)
Facts:
 Available in-house database applications didn’t offer
such a function
 Most employees lacked advanced GIS skills to take
advantage of GIS packages (e.g., ArcGIS)
Case study: specify (requirements)
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Streamline composite query processes
Provide easy access to GIS data
Provide easy access to non-spatial data
Improve spatial operation efficiency
Case study: design -- application model
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Client-server architecture
Client side
 SQL statements
 API calls
Server side
 Smart geodatabase
 Procedures/triggers/views in databases
 Programs to link spatial & non-spatial databases
Case study: design -- application structure
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A toolbar integrated into ESRI ArcGIS/ArcMap platform
Four groups of functions
 Access GIS data
 Perform composite queries
 Access non spatial data
 Utilities
Case study: implement -- coding
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Programming languages/techniques
Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0, Microsoft ActiveX Data Object
(ADO), Microsoft OLE DB provider, Microsoft Component
Object Module (COM), ESRI ArcObjects library, Oracle
SQL statements, etc.
Products
COM based dlls (dynamic link libraries), each of which
performs a specific task
Case study: implement – application setting
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Toolbar integrated into ESRI ArcGIS/ArcMap platform
ArcMap running via a Citrix metaframe terminal services
architecture
Case study: DMR Information Navigator
Case study: implement – application setting
ERIS/EQuIS/RIMS
Databases
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End Users
DMR Navigator
ArcMap/ArcGIS
Citrix Server
ORACLE
ArcSDE
Geodatabases
Case study: implement – application testing
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Functionality
Performance
Flexibility
Case study: operate and maintain
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Document
Train users
Provide customer services
Upgrade on user feedback
Lessons
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Administrative lessons
Technical lessons
Lessons: administrative lessons
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Interaction with end users
 Understanding users
 From beginning to end
Budget consideration
 Tight budget
 In-house resources
Intra agency collaboration & cooperation
 Across the Mining and Reclamation program
 Across the agency
Inter agency collaboration & operation
 Between WVDEP & the Feds (e.g. DOI-OSM)
 Between WVDEP & universities (e.g. WVU-NRAC)
Lessons: technical lessons
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Application development
 Code as simple & reusable as possible
 User involvement as early as possible
Application testing
 Client side testing
 Server side testing
Application deployment
 Performance
 Deployment model
Application maintenance
 Customer service
 Prompt updates
Questions & comments
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Questions
Comments