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Victoria, BC 09/25/2007

Transformation With Free & Open Source Geospatial Software. Business Process Re-engineering United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Presenter: Dhiren S. Khona Dhiren.S.Khona@usace.army.mil. Victoria, BC 09/25/2007. FOSS4G 2007. Presenter’s Background.

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Victoria, BC 09/25/2007

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  1. Transformation With Free & Open Source Geospatial Software Business Process Re-engineering United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Presenter: Dhiren S. Khona Dhiren.S.Khona@usace.army.mil Victoria, BC 09/25/2007 FOSS4G 2007

  2. Presenter’s Background • Bachelor’s in Science Degree from the Agricultural and Biological Engineering – University of Florida • Specialization in GIS/RS • ARCINFO, AML, Avenue, java programming • Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning and Busi • Focus on Geospatial Statistical Analysis • GIS and Remote Sensing • Previous Experience at Wal-Mart Headquarters – Programmer/Analyst - Informix-SQL/spatial datablade with MapInfo for enterprise geospatial workflows for decision support systems and learning the business process and building criteria and analysis in SQL to support the workflow • Previous Experience at Lockheed Martin – ESRI software development 6000 hours development in ArcObjects • The redeeming fact was that I supported/advocated ESRI software for desktop based GIS • Current Position at Booz Allen Hamilton – Supporting USACE – primarily an advocate for enterprise solutions – spatially enabling the workflow and building open standards based data-model drive spatial databases Filename/RPS Number

  3. Agenda USACE requirements USACE strategy Challenges Where do things work well? What problems did we solve and at what cost? Summary

  4. USACE Geospatial Requirements Filename/RPS Number

  5. STRATEGY Scalability • Scaling hardware/software to extend geospatial analysis and visualization is inexpensive and simple with free and open source geospatial software • Scaling commercial GIS software includes cost of licensing + increase in hardware/software + annual maintenance fees Cost of Ownership Cost Filename/RPS Number

  6. STRATEGY Transparent Data Access Across The Enterprise • Data is stored in native database data type (and not as proprietary binary object) • Available for consumption by every business line of the enterprise • Ex: Engineering, Navigation, Hydrology, Real Estate • Selecting a DBMS that supports open standards (like: OGC) • At USACE, Oracle is the supported enterprise DBMS Filename/RPS Number

  7. STRATEGY Spatially Enabling the Enterprise Data-warehouse • Non spatial data is available to be consumed with spatial data for visualization • Create a policy driven data-model to support the business logic • Include spatial tables in the data-model to relate non-spatial data to a location (point, line or polygon) • For example: Information, collected by Hydrology business unit, about a river is available for use by the Engineering & Construction business unit for building a levee Filename/RPS Number

  8. STRATEGY Keep the Business Logic in the DBMS • Policy driven business rules and logic are created and maintained in SQL within the DBMS • The analytical power of a GIS is created and realized in the DBMS • Advanced toolsets that come with commercial applications can be substituted by customized SQL analysis within the database Filename/RPS Number

  9. STRATEGY Visualization of Geospatial Analysis • Visualization is supported through various software and delivery methods: • Web-browser with MapServer, ESRI, Google Earth, MapInfo, Autodesk-MapGuide etc. Filename/RPS Number

  10. STRATEGY System Architecture • One Database Server + One Web Server – KISS (this is possible due to our chosen products) • Minimizing points of failure • Benefits of a simple proven architecture: • Gives our subject matter experts more time to engage clients in meaningful policy defining discussions • And allows our DBA’s to spend more time fine tuning the data schema & SQL queries Support many products Centrally Managed supporting Open Standards Data is stored in native database data-type ORACLE DBMS WMSWFS Google Earth Google Maps ESRI Bentley Map Server Registered with ARCSDE Filename/RPS Number

  11. STRATEGY Balanced Use of Commercial and Open Source Geospatial • The standard tools that come with Commercial applications are not fully utilized • Provide commercial products to a subset of people that conduct advanced analysis • Find the right balance between Open Source and Commercial geospatial software to maximize the return on investment Filename/RPS Number

  12. Challenges for Adopting Open Source Geospatial Software • Swimming upstream against the flow of mainstream commercial GIS applications • General acceptance and support to use commercial geospatial application (following the herd mentality) • Lack of institutional knowledge to create and implement a strategy for seamless data access across the enterprise • Universities and colleges have access to free ESRI software in America • Training employees Filename/RPS Number

  13. WHERE DO THINGS WORK WELL • We build systems based on the following: • We understand the requirements • We Create business rules to support the requirements • We put policy in place to support the requirements Filename/RPS Number

  14. WHAT PROBLEMS DID WE SOLVE AT WHAT COST? • CorpsMap Project Notebook (CPN) • Comprehensive Evaluation of Project Datums (CEPD) • National Levee Database – Web Reporting Tool (NLD-WRT) • Wetland Regulation and Permitting Program (ORM) Filename/RPS Number

  15. CorpsMap Project Notebook • We have transformed a 10 year old defunct Digital Project Notebook based on MS-Access database to manage information about the location and relevant attributes about a Project • We created and delivered a centrally managed web-based GUI supported by policy with the ability to capture/manage project location and related project information • We were able to spend time on engage the USACE to define a project and fine tune the business rules to classify projects • How we did it – technical solution: • Customizing Oracle Application Express and MapServer Filename/RPS Number

  16. Comprehensive Evaluation of Vertical Datums • We have created a centralized web-based GUI to allow people to provide information related to the vertical datum of a project and facilitate upward reporting to the USACE-HQ and the Congress • How we did it: • Customizing Oracle Application Express and MapServer Filename/RPS Number

  17. National Levee Database Web Reporting Tool • We have created an application to display the information contained in the National Levee Database for upward reporting to the USACE-HQ and the Congress • The web based GUI displays a map of the ‘state’ of levees and other relevant thematic rendering of data contained in the National Levee Database • How we did it: • Customizing Oracle Application Express and MapServer Filename/RPS Number

  18. Summary • We are able to provide a cost effective rapid solutions to re-engineer business process with seamless geospatial integration • Simple architecture allows to be more: • Agile • Nimble • Alert • Responsive • Open source geospatial software provides an unprecedented opportunity to maximize return on investment to deliver open-standards based cutting edge geospatial integrated holistic systems that endure Filename/RPS Number

  19. Q&A • Contact Presenter: • Dhiren S. Khona @ Dhiren.S.Khona@usace.army.mil Filename/RPS Number

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