OpenGeoPortal Developer Survey
January 2013
Summary of Results
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Seven respondents
Majority are using GeoServer with Linux operating system and Apache server with Tomcat
servlet, with some exceptions.
The Boston Public Library is experimenting with OSGeo Web Tile Service Protocol to serve
scanned maps.
Restrictions management seems to be a work in progress at most institutions. Some are only
serving public data at the moment, while others are using Shibboleth and/or a university
authentication server. MIT is storing public and restricted data on separate Geoserver instances.
Stanford is re-developing OGP in Ruby on Rails, in part to make it more compatible with Hydra.
They are hoping to build a hydra head that incorporates GIS data.
Detailed Results
Technology stack:
Institution
OS
Servlet
Server
Software
Web
Mapping
Server
DBMS
Cornell
University
Linux
TBD
Apache
GeoServer
TBD
Stanford
Red Hat Linux
Tomcat
?
GeoServer
Harvard
Linux
Tomcat
Geoserver
Harvard /
Boston Public
Library
Linux
None
Apache
OSGeo Tile
Service
None
MIT
RHEL 5.4
Tomcat 5.5
Apache
2.2.3
Geoserver
2.1.3
Oracle 11.2.0
UW-Madison
Variable OSX+Windows
at present
Tomcat/Jetty
Apache
GeoServer
Postgresql/PostGIS
Yale
Windows XP/
Linux
yes
Apache
Tomcat
have not
instantiated
yet
n/a (uses solr
index)
PostGIS
(PostGres)
Oracle 11g with
ArcSDE 9.3.1
Additional comments on technology stack:
Cornell University: “Our current repository is based on Apache, Tomcat, Java, and MySQL. We still need
to determine what we will use for OGP.”
Stanford University: “We found that the OGP software was problematic and we have decided not to
implement it as is. We conducted a code review and uncovered significant security issues, no clear way
to contribute code fixes, no documentation, and no code tests. Since OGP is really just a jsp wrapper
around openlayers javascript, we made a new project that is a ruby on rails wrapper around the same
openlayers javascript. However, our project has tests, we feel more confident about its security, it has a
clear upgrade path, and it fits into the rest of our technology infrastructure. The code is available here:
https://github.com/sul-dlss/ogp-rails”
Boston Public Library: “OK, so here is the rub. Are you familiar with the OSGeo Web Tile Service
Protocol? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tile_Map_Service . The great thing about it is that if all you
need to serve is a scanned map, it does everything that GeoServer will do -- but it works with any http
server. Apparently, it is not hard to add OSG Tile layers to openlayers, see
http://openlayers.org/dev/examples/tms.html . Therefore, I think that if a layer description submitted
to OGP had a tag that defined what sort of map service is to be used for the preview, and if the renderer
was able to appropriately create a layer for an OSG Tile service, then, potentially a collection such as the
LMC@bpl could make a lot of great maps available without needing to have their own WMS. If this does
not make sense please let me know.”
UW-Madison: “Final configuration has not been set in stone. Current iteration is GeoServer running on
built-in Jetty server on Windows box for data; OGP running in Tomcat on OSX server for interface.”
Server hardware specifications:
Cornell University: “Currently in the process of migrating to a virtual server, details TBD.”
Harvard:
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Dell PowerEdge R410
RedHat ES 6
Xeon CPU - 8 cores
24 GB RAM
SAN storage at central operations (SOC)
UW-Madison: “Subject to change in near-term... right now, I believe we're working with dual dual-core
processors and 8 Gigs of RAM. Hardware is up for replacement cycle over next 1 year.”
Yale: “rackspace cloud server (small specs - just a dev installation): RHEL 6.1/ 512 MB RAM /20GB
storage + windows XP workstation/ 3.25 GB RAM/ 150 DB storage”
Three responding institutions are using Hydra:
Cornell University: “Cornell just recently started using Hydra for a large library project to eventually
replace our public catalog interface.”
Stanford University: “We are some of the primary developers of hydra and we re-developed OGP in rails
in part to make it compatible with our hydra environment. We hope to build a hydra head that
incorporates GIS data.”
Yale: “Yes, we are using Hydra, but not with OGP (yet). Currently we are planning on hydra for images
and digital collections.”
Additional information:
Institution
IT support model
Strategy for managing restrictions
on accessing data
Cornell
University
Currently have one official IT developer who
mostly works on other projects, so we are looking
to bring another developer in for the initial
installation and configuration. And, although I am
not officially IT, I do some programming,
database, UI design, and troubleshooting as well.
We currently avoid the issue by only
hosting open public data. However,
we are increasingly acquiring
restricted datasets that we would like
to serve online to our campus users,
so we will need to work that out
eventually.
Stanford
We previously had a single developer but we now
plan to have two fulltime developers building out
our spatial data infrastructure, migrating our GIS
data to a managed environment, and deploying
geoportal (ogp-rails).
We aren't there yet.
Harvard
The project team consists of 1 developer, 1
metadata cataloger, and 2 GIS Specialists that
georeference scanned maps and ingest data.
Access to restricted data is controlled
by the university authentication server
(PIN).
Harvard /
Boston
Public
Library
The LMC@BPL has two catalogers and several
other employees. For system administration they
depend on the Boston Public Library which is not
particularly interested in running special servlets.
Unknown. Presumed everything they
post would be open to the world.
MIT
I am the only developer involved and work half
time supporting OGP and other GIS needs. The
server, both hardware and VM, is managed by
central IT.
UWMadison
Technical lead + variable number of studenttalent-level developers.
We have one Geoserver instance for
public data and one for restricted
data. Authentication is managed at
the Apache level with Shibboleth.
Planning to implement campus
Shibboleth protocol for campus
single-sign-on authentication at data
server tier - until such time as we
have more public content to
differentiate.
Yale
(just a dev install) 1 systems/developer, 1
metadata librarian
Have not instantiated access
restrictions, however most likely
would use CAS