GIS Standards Concepts and

GIS Standards Concepts and
Overview
PlanGraphics, Inc.
www.plangraphics.com
502-223-1501
GIS Standards-Definition
“Formal specifications and rules that

define a consistent and uniform way to
design, develop, and operate
information systems”
GIS Standards-Purpose
To promote information sharing and

efficiency through:
• interoperability and easy access to systems
and data
• Portability of data, software, and
applications
• Maintainability of systems and databases
• Efficient operations supporting efficient
system procurement and se of staff
Why Bother with Standards?
• Basis for open systems and information sharing
• Provides foundation for data consistency and quality
• Eases system management and administration tasks
• Reduces redundancy and duplication in data,
software, and staff resources
• Clarifies and supports consistency of internal
procedures in regards to data maintenance, system
acquisitions and administration, and system access
Main Questions
• IT vs GIS standards-where to draw the line?

• “Standards” vs “guidelines”,
“specifications”, “best practices”, “policies”
• What is the status of formal IT and GIS
standards in NEORSD?
• What categories of standards are priorities
for this project?
Overview of Status in NEORSD
• IT Department: standard software packages for desktop
(email, office automation, Internet browser, graphics, etc.)
• IT Department: standard enterprise software packages for
desktop (database, HR, maintenance management, financial
management, Web server and Web app development)
• IT Department: general operating system, hardware, and

network standards
• IT Department: basic service level and user support
guidelines
• Draft GIS Standards: October, 2002 recommendations from
CH2MHill and PlanGraphics (concentration on data and
metadata)
IT/GIS Standards Pyramid
Information
Products
Custom Application
System Development
Admin. Management
Practices User Software Packages Policies
Data and Metadata Format/Content
System Administration and Security
Network Protocols and Architecture
Hardware and Operating Systems
Physical Network and Infrastructure
Broad Classes of Standards

Independent or “Consensus” Standards: Formal
standards adopted by an independent standards organization

De-facto Standards: Standards adopted by users or the
computing industry because of their popularity or market share (no
formal approval by standards organization)
Standards Organizations
Overview
• Government Organizations
• Independent Standards Bodies
• Industry Consortia and Trade
Associations
• Professional Organizations
• NEORSD-specific standards
Open Geospatial Consortium
OGC is an industry consortium aimed at growing
interoperability for technologies involving spatial information
and location. Develops standards and specifications intended
as foundation for development software and data products.
OpenGISTM includes specifications for:
• Geographic features and coverages
• Geographic feature relationships
• Metadata and data catalogs
• Spatial reference and coordinate systems
• Spatial data exchange
• Web services for GIS
• Geography Mark-up Language (GML) – XML derivative for
geographic data transfer
Role of U.S. Federal Government
Federal government has taken a strong role in
developing spatial information standards to promote
sharing and efficient use of resources
• National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)

Federal initiative and vision for coordination among data suppliers
and users for effective creation, sharing, and use of spatial data
• Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)

Federally mandated Committee responsible for coordinating spatial
information activities and for overseeing the NSDI program
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Federal agency with responsibility for review and approval of all
types of standards, including information technology and GIS
standards; works with the FGDC and other standards
organizations
FGDC Structure (www.fgdc.gov)
Federal Geographic Data Committee NSDI
Coordination Group
Thematic Subcommittees
Archives
Cultural and Demographic

Base Cartographic
Ground Transportation
Clearinghouse
Working Groups
International Boundaries
Water (with IACWD)

Bathymetric
Cadastral
Geodetic
Vegetation
Geologic
Earth Cover
Wetlands
Soils
Facilities
Framework
SIMNRE
Standards
Standards Categories
Physical Network and Computer Architecture
(Technical requirements incorporated into
procurement and system installation specifications)
• cabling type
• electrical interfaces
• hardware and network connections
• couplers and ports
• Internal bus, chip, storage architecture for workstations
and servers
Hardware and Operating Systems
(Technical specifications for system procurement)
• operating systems for servers, desktop computers, and

other computers
• specifications for the computers-minimum requirements
for processor type and speed, memory, mass storage,
etc.;
• specifications and standards for mass storage units
• hardware standards for input and output peripheral
devices
Main Computer Hardware Components
• Central Database Server • Field Computer

• Web Application Server • Small-Format Optical
Scanner
• Department Server
• Large-Format Optical
• Mass Storage Units Scanner
• Network Control Devices • Large-Format Color Plotter
• High-end Desktop • Medium Format Color
Computer Printer
• Low-end Desktop • Page-Size Color Printer
Computer
Network Architecture/ Protocols
(Specifications for network configuration and setting
up network services)
• specifications for LAN configuration and network
protocols
• network directory services
• services and specifications for wide area networks and
wireless communications
• Internet and Web-based communication protocols
• hardware specifications and standards for network
communications devices (e.g., switches, routers)
System Administration and Security
(Policies, practices, and standards-based tools for
monitoring and managing computer systems)
• specifications for security, firewalls

• policies for assignment of access rights
• system and network monitoring tools and procedures
• System back-up and disaster recovery resources and
policies
Central GIS Database Warehouse:
Central administration with access by many users
Central GIS Database

Warehouse
User Attribute Data User
ID
48
43
44 45 46 47
²
² ²
² ²
User
User
Central Database Administration Responsibilities
• Assigning access rights to users and monitoring

access
• Overseeing database update operations and
providing technical help to users performing the
updates
• Running quality assurance checks and posting updates
to GIS database
• Setting up and monitoring database security
• Working with developers to set up database access
applications
• Maintaining and publishing metadata for users
• Regular database back-up
Data and Metadata Format and Content
• file format
• file and directory naming
• data modeling methodology and models
• data types and data schemas
• standard coding and data classification schemes
including acceptable database domain values
• standards for metadata content and format.
• standards for data exchange (e.g. CAD data exchange)
Database Modeling and Design Stages
abcd
Table: abcdcs Table: abcdfed

abcd abcd ID Geometry ID
Table: abcd
ahdgbcd ID
Conceptual Logical Physical

Design Model Design
• start with formal data model (use existing templates where

available)
• Sound decisions on primary and secondary keys
• use modeling tool
• formal process for making and tracking revisions
• model drives physical design
GIS Data Format and Structure
• GIS feature format and spatial relationships

• Graphic structure and integrity
• geographic datum, projection, coordinate system
• positional accuracy and resolution
Important GIS Data Standards
11
10
9 12
25
24 Graphic Structure Data
26 and Integrity Classification
17 16
15 and Domain
Map Projection, Datum,

Coordinate Systems File Format and
Naming
Data Model and

Organization Graphic
Symbology x
Physical Database
Design/ Attribute
Format Metadata
Geospatial Metadata
“Data about the GIS Database”

Provides useful information about the content,
quality, format, an accessibility of a GIS
database to support: a) easy access, b) proper
use, and c) effective GIS maintenance.
Metadata are designed to support
three basic needs of data users:
• Finding what GIS data is
available.
• Determining how to
access or download the
data
• Providing information to
help use the GIS data
effectively 6291
Categories of Metadata
Identification
Names of GIS layers – Summary of Content – Geographic Areas Covered
Data Quality
Accuracy – Completeness – Graphic Quality
Spatial Data Organization
Format of Data (raster, vector)
Spatial Reference
Projection – Datum -- Coordinate system
Entity and Attribute Information
Map Features – Attribute Format – Attribute Domains
Distribution
Distributor – How to Access GIS – Formats for Distribution – Price
Commercial Software Packages
(organization policies guiding software procurement
and use)
• core commercial software packages (e.g., office

automation, database management, GIS, etc.)
• Internet/Web-based support and application
development
• other special-purpose software packages
• basic guidelines governing selection and acquisition of
software to ensure interoperability and compatibility.
• software configuration guidelines
ESRI GIS Software Components:
Software Description 1
• ArcGIS Server: Full GIS capabilities running on a server
for access by thin or thick client workstations on the
network. New in ArcGIS v.9
• ArcGIS Engine: Development environment with tools for
building applications for the desktop or server. Includes
APIs for different programming languages. New in
ArcGIS v.9
• ArcSDE: GIS middleware for spatially enabling RDBMS
(e.g. Oracle, SQLServer) and providing GIS functions
and data administrative tools. ArcSDE used to create an
ESRI Geodatabase
Custom Application Design and Development
• application design and development software (Web-

based and non Web-based)
• standards for the “look-and-feel” of menu-based
interfaces
• standard methodologies and practices for
design/development,
• application documentation
• management of an application catalog
GIS Data Quality, Data Collection, and Update
(Requirements to support consistent data quality and
timely update)
• Graphic and attribute quality (level of conformance with

database specifications)
• Responsibilities and timing for database update
• Standard data geographic data collection guidelines
• Procedures and tools for update, QC, and posting
GIS Database Quality Issues
• File consistency  are files, map layers, and tables
named and organized properly?
• Positional Accuracy  is the map position right?
• Completeness  are any features missed?
• Currentness  is the GIS data it up-to-date?
• Graphic Integrity  is the linework high quality?
• Attribute Accuracy  are there errors in database
values?
Positional Accuracy
Position of feature in GIS compared to actual

position on the ground.
Expressed as an error tolerance (maximum

allowable error): e.g., “within 40 centimeters of
actual ground location”
Positional Accuracy Concept
Graphic Integrity and Quality
• Proper line terminations (overshoots,

undershoots)
• Closure of area features
• Placement of nodes on line features and
boundaries
• Proper correspondence of boundaries
among data layers
• Annotation placement
Attribute Accuracy Checking Concept
Uses automated checks based on domain standards:

• List of valid values (e.g. pipe diameter or codes for pipe material
• Valid ranges for numeric fields (lengths, elevation)
GIS Database Update Issues
• Frequency of changes and update cycle
• Sources
• Technical approach and workflow
• Custom applications to support update
• Responsibility for performing update
• Quality assurance checks
• Posting to central GIS database
• Metadata update
• Tracking update transactions
Frequency of Change and Update
Cycle
• How often do changes occur that need to be
mapped? (e.g. new base map features, new sewer
facilities, etc.)
• How can changes be identified and tracked? (i.e.,
how do we know when changes occur?)
• How often does the GIS database need to be
updated? (daily?, weekly?, monthly?, yearly?)
General Workflow for Update Process
Decide that data Central GIS Data
update is needed Warehouse
Gather/Prepare Access/Check-out
source material data from
or data central warehouse
Perform graphic Load to central

Perform attribute
(map feature) data warehouse
data update
update
Perform final
Perform QC QC validation
Correct errors and checks Correct errors and
QC again QC again
Send to central
GIS data
Warehouse
Data Update and Validation Parameters and
Rules-Examples
• Connectivity Rules: e.g., “can only connect pipe segment
Type A with Type B with Fitting Type C”)
• Graphic Closure Parameters: e.g., Fuzzy tolerance for
closure of polygon features
• Placement Rules: e.g., a) “street centerline placed equi-
distant between road edges” b) position and orientation for
map feature annotation
• Attribute Validation Rules: default and domain values for
specific attribute fields
• Presentation Rules: e.g., a) defines the standard (default)
point symbols, colors, line types, b) scale threshold for
display: “certain features will not display below a certain
scale limit”
Responsibilities and Policies for Update
• Which office should be responsible for update for

specific GIS layers? Centralize in one GIS office or
assign to different offices?
• Clear policies are needed for a) who does update, b)
frequency of update, c) data format and quality
• Central database administrator is responsible for
final QA checking and loading to central GIS
database
• Metadata must be updated too
• Must keep records of update transactions (in
metadata)
Information Product Format

Standards governing the style and appearance of
products generated from applications (e.g., formatted
reports and maps).
• map symbology
• map sheet layout
• standard report format
• CAD drawing submittal format
Standards/Personnel Policies for IT and GIS Staff
• GIS position descriptions

• IT/GIS personnel policies
• Help desk/user support procedures

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GIS Standards Concepts and

“Formal specifications and rules that

To promote information sharing and

• IT vs GIS standards-where to draw the line?

• IT Department: general operating system, hardware, and

• National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)

• Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)

• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Cultural and Demographic

Water (with IACWD)

• operating systems for servers, desktop computers, and

• Central Database Server • Field Computer

• specifications for security, firewalls

Central GIS Database

• Assigning access rights to users and monitoring

Table: abcdcs Table: abcdfed

Conceptual Logical Physical

• start with formal data model (use existing templates where

GIS Data Format and Structure

• GIS feature format and spatial relationships

Map Projection, Datum,

Data Model and

“Data about the GIS Database”

• core commercial software packages (e.g., office

• application design and development software (Web-

• Graphic and attribute quality (level of conformance with

Position of feature in GIS compared to actual

Expressed as an error tolerance (maximum

• Proper line terminations (overshoots,

Uses automated checks based on domain standards:

Perform graphic Load to central

• Which office should be responsible for update for

Information Product Format

Standards/Personnel Policies for IT and GIS Staff

• GIS position descriptions

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