ArcGIS for INSPIRE

Overview

INSPIRE is a framework for sharing spatial data to help address pan-European issues in a multinational and multiagency spatial data infrastructure (SDI). ArcGIS provides a powerful and comprehensive solution for an SDI. It now includes capabilities to ensure INSPIRE compliance supporting data, services, and metadata, which are delivered in the new ArcGIS for INSPIRE.

ArcGIS for INSPIRE covers all INSPIRE aspects in one single framework by extending ArcGIS with specific INSPIRE capabilities. This design architecture guarantees the minimum impact on existing solutions and capitalizes on expertise already in place in existing Esri users‘ data and service frameworks.

ArcGIS for INSPIRE helps meet INSPIRE compliance in a timely manner. It extends ArcGIS by providing

• INSPIRE View Service
• INSPIRE Download Service
• INSPIRE Data Model (currently Annex I)
• INSPIRE Discovery Service

What is INSPIRE?

The Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) is a directive passed by the European Commission, the executive body of the EU, to establish a European-wide spatial data infrastructure (SDI). Its goal is for an Internet-accessible infrastructure of technologies and permissions to tie European geospatial information producers and users together into a single geospatial information-sharing community to improve decision making and operations in service of a productive and sustainable Europe.

INSPIRE will be a network of many interoperable SDIs that are created and maintained by EU member states and their agencies. The European Commission established five sets of implementing rules to qualify an SDI as INSPIRE-compliant. These rules govern

• Metadaten
• Data Specifications
• Network Services
• Data and Service Sharing
• Monitoring and Reporting

Key Features

ArcGIS for INSPIRE helps meet compliance in a timely manner by extending existing ArcGIS software.

ArcGIS for INSPIRE supports

• Creating and maintaining INSPIRE-compliant geospatial data and metadata by using ArcGIS Desktop with INSPIRE geodatabase templates and INSPIRE metadata editor.
• Serving INSPIRE-compliant Download and View Services by extending ArcGIS Server with INSPIRE-compliant Web services.
• Extracting, transforming, and loading (ETL) geospatial information from existing databases into INSPIRE data models supported by geodatabase templates ready for INSPIRE data themes.
• Cataloging and indexing INSPIRE-compliant metadata via Esri's open source geoportal technology to serve INSPIRE compliant Discovery Services.
  

>> Demo Film: Publication of a INSPIRE View Service with ArcGIS for INSPIRE

Creating and Publishing INSPIRE Data and Maps

INSPIRE requires the provision of harmonised spatial data via standardised services. ArcGIS for INSPIRE provides a complete solution for this task: from the transformation of data from existing holdings into INSPIRE-compliant data, the efficient storage of this data, to the delivery of this data via INSPIRE View and Download Services.

The harmonisation of source data falling under the INSPIRE Annex Themes can be simplified using ETL-based transformation processes. These also allow both the fusion of adjacent spatial data sets and the integration of quality assurance methodologies. Options to automate the transformation process – especially following updates to the source data – increase the efficiency of this process.

The harmonised data is stored in an Esri Geodatabase compliant with the INSPIRE Annex Themes specifications. This offers optimal conditions for the use and publication of INSPIRE-related data with ArcGIS. Due to the implementation of this as a secondary publication database, existing processes and applications for the production and use of the original source data is not affected; i.e. the primary data and work processes remain unchanged. At the same time, this ensures that the required INSPIRE Quality of Service conditions are met.

The core of ArcGIS for INSPIRE is the INSPIRE Service Extension for ArcGIS Server, used for publication of the INSPIRE Annex-Theme geodatabases. This extends the functionality of ArcGIS Server and seamlessly integrates INSPIRE View and Download Services as additional options to the existing range of service types. The INSPIRE Download Service includes support for both direct, user-defined data access and easy download of pre-processed datasets.

Creating and Publishing INSPIRE Metadata

For all data and services that are published within the INSPIRE process, the creation and publication of related metadata is essential. This can ideally be made on the Esri Geoportal Server, which is another component of ArcGIS for INSPIRE. It allows both to take over the already-generated metadata from ArcCatalog, and to generate new metadata using a web-based editor. The web-based portal finally allows the end user to search and find the requested data and services by using metadata-based queries.

The specific requirements coming with INSPIRE were also implemented in the Esri Geoportal server. Thus the metadata is structured according to the INSPIRE metadata schema, and for the service-based access INSPIRE Discovery Service interface is used.

Esri Geoportal Server is a free open source product, released under the Apache 2.0 license.

Further INSPIRE requirements

In addition to providing data, metadata and services, INSPIRE also regulates further aspects in the construction of a European spatial data infrastructure concerning "data sharing " and "monitoring and reporting". This include access permissions, e-licenses to access services within the meaning of e-commerce as well as the monitoring of services including relating to their performance, availability and capacity.

ArcGIS for INSPIRE provides appropriate solutions also for these tasks, based on the tightly integrated products of sdi.suite by con terra GmbH. More information on this topic can be found at sdi.suite for ArcGIS for INSPIRE.