DOI - Executive Workshop on Enterprise
Geospatial Systems - July 14-15, 2004
- Workshop Announcement
- Purpose
- Key Points
- Speaker Highlights
- Breakout Sessions
- Action Items
- Attendee List
Summary:
The DOI Executive Workshop focused on the development of a strategic, integrated DOI-wide approach to the management, discovering, and sharing of geospatial information along with geospatial information technologies, systems and services. The Workshop attempted to leverage existing geospatial information systems, capabilities, and resources of the individual Bureaus, while identifying operational efficiencies, cost savings, and business process improvements that can be attained by pursuing shared, common solutions for those geospatial information processes and requirements that cut across all the Bureaus. The Workshop promoted:
- the sharing, exchange, and "re-use" of geospatial data and information through use of common standards and data architectures;
- the increased value to selected DOI-wide "business lines" (e.g., in finance, law enforcement, facilities management) by "spatially enabling" the major systems that support these business lines.
- a shared, common, DOI-wide information and network infrastructure;
- the ability of DOI Bureaus to contribute their geospatial data and information to broader, Government-wide initiatives, including Geospatial One-Stop/NSDI, Disaster One-Stop, and Recreation One-Stop.
- a data stewardship model shepherded by the EGIM initiative
Key Points from the Executive Workshop
- The current direction of GIS within Interior is massive in scale: in terms of technology, complexity, data storage and access requirements, data management requirements and customer base.
- Current network connectivity and the design of the Interior GIS do not meet the needs of the entire internal customer community.
- Security issues that limit the use of wireless devices need to be resolved, as wireless connectivity is essential for many users such as the fire community.
- GIS Use cases need to be developed by the EGIM team to assist the network staff in understanding user needs and developing the ESN with them in mind.
- Virtually all the Lines of Business (LOB) in the DOI Enterprise Architecture (EA) identified the need for institutionalizing geospatial systems in the LOB GIS data and application survey. Clear data stewardship roles and standards must be implemented and made enforceable to support enterprise development.
Speaker Presentation Highlights
Hord Tipton, Chief Architect, OCIO presentation
EGIM:
- Is an enterprise solution and has a role in enterprise architecture (EA)
- Is building the highway
- Is answering the GIS questions
IT: Self-expression or science? Unify & simplify!
- Example from trust technology profile
Colleen Coggins, Chief Architect, OCIO presentation
- Developing an actionable architecture that supports DOI's "lines of business"
- The DOI is directed to create an integrated and comprehensive departmental process for Enterprise Architecture that maps to the Federal Enterprise Architecture efforts of OMB
- This EA will reduce redundancies in the many uncoordinated EA efforts now underway.
- The EA will be detailed enough to ensure the efficient management of Department IT resources
- The process will evaluate system capabilities for supporting DOI strategic goals, objectives, and lines of business.
- DOI must determine which systems are old and/or costly to maintain; which systems could be consolidated; which systems would benefit from centralized or shared services (application & data).
Dr. Fred C. Collins, IBM presentation - original presentation has animations in it to see these open the PPT file (3.1 MB)
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an approach for building distributed systems that deliver application functionality as services to either end-user applications or other services :
- SOA leverages open standards to represent and interact with software assets as services.
- Individual software assets become building blocks that can be reused in developing other applications; it shifts focus to application assembly rather than implementation details
- SOA is used internally to create new applications out of existing components and externally to integrate with applications outside of the enterprise Model Driven Architecture (MDA):
- MDA is widely regarded as the next great leap in systems and software development enabling companies to manage more complex applications
- MDA aims to bridge the gap between models and code and specifies a way of generating executable code for multiple platforms from one single Platform Independent Model (PIM).
Clint Brown, ESRI presentation
GIS overview, evolution, IT involvement, interoperability
- GIS requires integration: GIS users work with many databases and datasets in many schemas to produce and share results
- GIS is evolving: GIS catalog portals now offer centralized access to distributed information nodes
- Emerging GIS deployments involve SOA as discussed by Colleen Coggins and Fred Collins
- Web services are providing a new GIS architecture
- GIS interoperability requires a schema(EA), stewardship responsibilities, and implementation
- Framework databases need to be multi-purpose and multi-scale
- Geodatabases manage maps and encapsulate models
- Spatially enabling the DOI enterprise starts with modeling (defining) business processes and workflows
Charles Lee, MCI Rep and DOI Network Tiger Team members
- Most of the network infrastructure is built; major expansion is unlikely. The old "build it, they will come" business model is dead. Bandwidth is cheap in the high-rent districts (downtown Manhattan), but gets very expensive in cheaper [less dense] areas because there is little return on investment.
- The "last mile" issue relates to the often very expensive and unfunded connectivity to rural areas and remote DOI field locations.
- WRD district offices, like the one in Idaho, would need higher bandwidth connections to support access to GIS data over the WAN
- Jerky "gitter" you see on live webcast video is due to a 200 msec delay that occurs on the LAN.
- Bandwidth is not the only issue; network latency (delay) is also a major factor.
- Much latency is due to the fact that packets do not travel the network simultaneously; the display either has to wait for slower packets to arrive and then display all packets in order or just skip [throw away] slow packets.
- Household internet penetration: 1st Sweden 78%, 2nd USA 68%, then Australia 67%.
- A new IP addressing scheme is being developed to provide an adequate number of IP address for future increases in demand, including non-Internet uses
Elaine Stout (USGS Telecom person)
- DOI looking to spend $75 Million per year on the network next several years
- Increasing bandwidth for WRD Districts might need to be part of the mix but is not in the immediate plan.
- The ESN is focused on major metro areas (DC/Reston, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, Sioux Falls).
- Other bureaus (e.g. BLM, USBR) probably have most GIS users in medium-sized field offices, like WRD.
Panel : Importance of Geospatial Information to DOI's Business Lines
Fire: John Gephart NIFC/Tom Patterson BLM
Major Uses:
- Provide accurate data, analysis, maps and other information in a timely manner for business areas including incident support, fire planning, fuels management, burned area emergency response, aviation and communication
- Support the goals of the National Fire Plan
- Provide information to the public, media, the President, Congress, and other dignitaries
- Provide emergency response in other areas (Shuttle recovery, 9/11)
- Interagency coordination needed: fire management business areas and geospatial technology need to integrate across 5 fed fire management bureaus (BLM, NPS, FWS, BIA, USFS), with other agencies (OAS, NWS, FEMA), state and local departments
Barriers to effective use:
- Incomplete data sets, lack of data standards, limited data availability, security issues, Internet access (wireless and satellite).
- The Geospatial Task Group (GTG) is addressing these issues and a standard training curriculum.
Recreation: Charlie Grymes DOI
- Uses map-based interface to assist public in finding recreational opportunities
- Needs more consistent and detailed data (campground sites, trails, etc) - higher resolution, consistent directions for public to find sites, easier way to update information, on-line mapping, reservations. Data will come from many sources, not only DOI.
Facilities Management: Steve Maass
- Data standards allow integration of business processes with GIS.
- DOI needs to provide on-line maps to display any facility and overlay related information at multiple scales.
- Link geospatial features to non-spatial features (databases, files, documents)
- GIS supports integrated installation (facility) management - location provides the link
Law Enforcement: Gary VanHorn, Harry McWreath
- Mission: provide guidance and oversight in LE, facilitate the flow of le and security related info and intelligence throughout DOI
- Scope: DOI owns/manages one quarter of the land in the US - single largest landowner. Also protects 70,000 staff, visitors to 505 million acres, 2400 facilities; monuments, dams, reservoirs, national icons; shared responsibility with oil and gas industry (4000 offshore facilities; 33,000 miles pipelines; 55,000 petroleum workers in Gulf of Mexico.
- Currently DOI has some GIS capabilities and has collected data over critical infrastructure and areas. There is no LE enterprise GIS database.
- GIS provides geospatial intelligence and analysis related to criminal activity; another way to look at and analyze facts, discover and track patterns.
- IMARS: Incident Management, Analysis, and Reporting System: has identified GIS requirements and will integrate geospatial intelligence to incident information.
- Functions: Law Enforcement, Homeland Security, Emergency Management
- Priority Issues: Coordination and Planning, Critical Asset Protection, Border Security
- Data types: DOI lands and assets, emergency infrastructure, high hazard infrastructure, base (foundation level) data (TNM), real time (weather), common operating picture, visualization.
Health programs: Steve Guptill
Uses of Geospatial technology
- Intersects and analyzes health threats such as disease and contaminants with the geography and locations of natural phenomenon like drought or floods.
Data needed:
- More accurate and frequent remotely sensed data (global or national coverage)
- Climate data (weather, ocean info, .)
- Contaminant info (presence, pathways vectors)
Challenges:
- Data compatibility, accessibility, quality, timeliness; need for cross discipline collaboration (science and IT).
Panel: Geospatial data accessibility
Vision of Geospatial One-Stop (GOS); www.geodata.gov: Hank Garie, DOI
What can Users Find?
- Data for use in GIS software
- GIS services -mapping, geoprocessing
- Geospatial applications
- Marketplace for planned data acquisitions
- Events, Activities and Information
- Metadata Publishing
- Documentation and Organization
Interoperability and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI): Doug Nebert, FGDC Secretariat
Standardization context
- Defining solutions based on requirements, standard interfaces and content
- encourages market competition
- competition reduces price and stimulates innovation
- enables systems integration of services
- reduces vulnerability of monocultural failure
- Define operability and interoperability requirements
- Functions performed
- Formats supported
- External interfaces
- Includes semantic content
Options for National Standardization:
- Data policies and laws
- National profiles of international standards and specifications:
- Data Content/Exchange Standards
- Geographic Location Gazetteer
- Geodetic Reference Systems
- Feature Type Catalogs
FGDC Standards Working Group:
- Develops standards unique to federal geospatial interests
- Formal proposal, review, balloting, adjudication process for standards relating to data content and common interest
- FGDC participates in ANSI INCITS national standardization body, OpenGIS Consortium, and W3C
NSDI: Geospatial Enterprise: Common data and services interests exist to meet core business area requirements that are related to place
- Initiative to articulate multi-agency geospatial enterprise architecture (BRM, TRM, DRM) across all levels of government beginning in September
- Supports Geospatial One-Stop
- Formalizes service relationships in NSDI
An NSDI Enterprise Architecture Approach
- Conduct educational outreach with focus on terminology agreement
- Mine existing agency/department EA and geospatial application descriptions and link geo staff with EA staff
- Lead FGDC member agencies will evaluate and describe their business processes and the data defined in their mission business lines - a justification framework
- Reference models to be built using platform independent models in a Services-Oriented Architecture
- Interoperability experiments will be run
- Service-Level Agreements built on found linkages
The National Map: providing a map base for the nation: Mark Demulder, USGS - original presentation has animations in it to see these open the PPT file (15.2 MB)
- A seamless, continuously maintained, nationally consistent set of base geographic data - THE NATIONAL MAP; Maintained through partnerships
- A national foundation for science, land and resource management, recreation, policy making, and homeland security
- Available over the Web and the source for revised topographic maps
NSDI Roles
- The National Map -integrated base data
- FGDC - coordination standards, policy
- GOS - discovery and access
Integration with GOS Portal
- The National Map is another "standards-based Portal"- registered with GOS as Catalog Service
- Uses standardized protocol for access: OGC style request with XML/DTD response
- Additional Functionality:
- "national coverage"
- "consistency"
- "maintained data"
- "service interface"
Tim Quinn, OCIO Network Team
Defining a DOI Infrastructure Vision
Moving to Enterprise Approach
- Enterprise approach includes Telecommunications Systems Division, Enterprise Services Center, Governance, ESN and quality and performance based solutions
Telecommunications Systems Division (now):
- Expanded roles, as networks serve as platforms and there is convergence of voice, video, radio and data over IP as new forms of information systems.
- Future rename to Enterprise Infrastructure Division
- Emphasis on engaging the power of Bureaus
DOI Enterprise Services Center (ESC)
- DOI OCIO is subleasing a portion of the existing BIA facility in Herndon, VA
- ESC includes the Interior Network and Security Operations Center (NOSC) and enterprise initiative offices: ESN, Enterprise Messaging, Web Consolidation, and FBNS creating new synergy.
Why Create an Enterprise Services Network?
- Obsolescence of WAN- the NPS estimates that 40% of the WAN is beyond life cycle.
- Savings; now the NPS spends roughly $20 million per year on telecom, with ESN the FY05 savings are $2M and in FY06, savings are projected to be $12M.
- Centralized monitoring eliminates bureau costs for intrusion detection and prevention
What Do We Get?
- Phase 1:standardize gateways, intrusion detection system, DOI Intra/Extranet, stand up the NOSC
- Phase 2:redeployment of Bureau wide area networks to ESN
Network Performance Impacts:
- Increase bandwidth with larger "pipes", reduce latency with higher speed switching equipment, monitor traffic to identify and correct bottlenecks.
- NO FINGER POINTING WE ALL SHARE IN SOLVING THE PERFORMANCE EQUATION.
Dr. Sangtae Kim, NSF Director Division of Shared Cyberinfrastructure
Dr. Kim was formerly the CIO from a large pharmaceutical company
The Past (or how NSF changed the world .)
- Arpanet - NSFNET merged to form the .Inter-Net.NCSA taps the www with the release of MOSAIC, APACHE
The Present (from computer-centric to cyberinfrastructure)
- Scalability no longer a free ride on Moore's Law
- Contrast this with recent past: 32 CPU-hrs in 1997, takes 2 hrs in 2003
- Shift from computer -centric to balance with data
- Emerging awareness of the importance of middleware
The Future (the network of things .)
- NSF "teragrid" backbone being put in place to communicate between global science/research organizations
- The pace of change will accelerate
- "IT Does Not Matter", the focus is shifting to core intelligent operations, not thought of before.
- But middleware does - and architecture does - watch the response to Wal-Mart initiated RFID technology disruption (dispersion of the pack)
- Look for a new network paradigm: wireless, RFID .
- Pending revolution in manufacturing and supply chain
Dave Peters, ESRI Systems Architecture Design group presentation
- GIS users frequently access about 1 Mb of data every 5-10 sec for screen refreshes
- Still at client -server design, T-1 WAN connections aren't fast enough for Internet GIS
- A new design requires requirements, work flow, and system/network load analysis
- Other options include Citrix or Web services (I doubt these are good enough quality or flexible enough for our district users, though)
- His group will be doing a systems architecture analysis for StreamStats (if we get year-end funds), but until DOI settles on what they're doing, it is hard to provide complete answers.
- ARC 9.1 has functionality for regional replicated data.
Major changes in geospatial activities are occurring:
- Point and Click, GUI interfaces used to access functionality; no longer command line
- Web Services becoming available
- Enterprise licensing is available
- NSDI, GOS, and TNM serve as portals for data access
EGIM is working to:
- Develop an institutional framework for collaboration
- Improve efficient/effective use of spatial Information to get our mission/work done
- Combine the efforts of many offices into a coordinated enterprise solution
- Information viewed as a resource
- Improve services to the public
Current EGIM Efforts:
- Establishing within DOI a coordination mechanism for GIS, a baseline of existing GIS use, and development of business cases
- Establishment of a communications plan for GIS
- Prioritize and plan efforts associated with Circular A-16 data efforts
- Define best practices for application development and data migration
- Work towards an extension of the ESRI SmartBUY model
Current Tasks
- Increase collaborative training efforts, expand a training clearinghouse
- Coordinate GIS software deployment efforts
- Develop knowledge base
- Develop DOI help desk
- GIS Database Support; establish guidelines, best practices, models
- Define EA for GIS
Telecom and ESN Infrastructure
- DOI needs a geospatial implementation strategy that optimizes application performance and enables network efficiency.
- Connectivity and bandwidth issues relating to remote sites and large public mapping sites are of special concern and have unique requirements in an already complex architecture.
- The EGIM agreed to take on the responsibility of producing a set of use cases to include the National Map and a cross-cutting representation of other GIS initiatives and coordinate the strategy development with MCI and ESRI.
- A request for comments (RFC) process will be initiated to relate this strategy to DOI OCIO and the GIS community at large.
- An inventory of DOI's interconnection agreements is needed.
Geospatial Data and Infrastructure Requirements - Data Theme Matrix
- Establish data standards and stewards
- Framework data set acquisition and standardized icon and application development for all LOBs. More high resolution and stereo data. Off-shore and border areas were of special concern. See data and applications tables for workshop survey.
- Improved data discovery and publishing tools.
- Development of security policies and infrastructure for DOIs. partners interconnection agreements.
- Amendment of current DOI wireless policy to accommodate current and future technologies.
- Well supported 24/7 web services.
- More bandwidth for large spatial files.
- Optimal balance between desktop and on-line standardized data and applications.
- Standard process to improve public awareness of incident information services and documented or mapped network routes and DOI only access points.
- Clearly defined data access and security based on roles and licensing.
- Standard method and application for auto-extraction of geographic coordinates.
- More field and mobile applications and technology.
- Increase the use of ESRI virtual campus. More classroom training: general, advanced and specialty topics.
- Awareness workshops and outreach to DOI senior management.
Executive Workshop - EGIM Team Action Items
- Develop Use cases
- EA leading display and analysis
- Cross bureau training
- Available virtual campus
- Focus assistance SOPs
- Create a knowledge base and expert links
- Business line training (e.g. GPS for Facilities)
- DOI CPIC (300) process, policy and new system investments must include geospatial components
- Data stewardship
- Delineate "Authoritative" source and robustness/accuracy
- Identify DOI LOB GIS requirements and gaps
- Work with FGDC to remediate data gaps (e.g. Granularity)
- Develop interaction/methods between agencies
- EGIM facilitated workshops
- LOB cross agencies, how to coordinate between them? (e.g. Configure management/interoperability)
- Standards training
- Role based security
- Wireless access and use
- Critical need
- Multiple LOB
- Policy and security development
- Al Rea US Geological Survey
- Alan Wilhelm Office of Surface Mining
- Allen D. Klein Office of Surface Mining
- Amy Lunt Minerals Management Service
- Barb Kett Bureau of Land Management
- Bill Card Office of Surface Mining
- Bill Flynn US Geological Survey
- Bill Leenhouts Fish and Wildlife Service
- Bill Miller US Geological Survey
- Billie Clark Office of Surface Mining
- Bob Bewley Bureau of Land Management
- Bob Haycock National Business Center
- Bob Pierce US Geological Survey
- Brain Burns Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Brian Bradley US Geological Survey
- Bruce Johnson US Geological Survey
- Bruce Rowland Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.
- Bruce Whitesell Bureau of Reclamation
- Carol Saras Bureau of Land Management
- Charles Lee MCI
- Charlie Grymes DOI, Office of Planning & Performance Management
- Cheryl Morris US Geological Survey
- Clint Brown Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.
- Colleen Coggins Department of Interior, OCIO
- Craig D. Skalet US Geological Survey
- Dave Peters Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.
- David Duran National Park Service
- David P. Shearer *Department of Interior, OCIO
- David Wilson Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Deb Green Fish and Wildlife Service
- Del Linenberger Bureau of Land Management
- Dom Nessi *National Park Service
- Don Chambers Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.
- Don Hinrichsen Bureau of Land Management
- Douglas Nebert Federal Geographic Data Committee
- Dr. Fred C. Collins IBM
- Dr. Sangtae Kim National Science Foundation
- Edward A. du Bray US Geological Survey
- Elizabeth Lile US Geological Survey
- Eric Hoff Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Frank D'Erchia US Geological Survey
- Frank Reeder Department of Interior, OCIO
- Gary Deters
- Gary Van Horn DOI, Office of Law Enforcement and Security
- George Dickison National Park Service
- Gill Wake Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Hank Garie US Geological Survey
- Harry McWreath Department of Interior
- Herb Black Minerals Management Service
- Jack E. Roberts National Park Service
- Jim W. Browning Minerals Management Service
- Joe Gregson National Park Service
- John Broderick Bureau of Land Management
- John Gebhard Bureau of Land Management
- John Steffenson Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.
- Joseph Cornellissson Minerals Management Service
- Karen Klima US Geological Survey
- Karen Siderelis *US Geological Survey
- Karl Brown US Geological Survey
- Kenneth J. Boyko US Geological Survey
- Kit Fuller US Geological Survey
- Lance Gridley National Park Service
- Lenny Coats Minerals Management Service
- Leona Paul Bureau of Reclamation
- Leslie Armstrong National Park Service
- Leslie M. Cone Bureau of Land Management
- Linda Tribby DOI, Office of Acquisition and Property Management
- Lorna Schmid US Geological Survey
- Marc Levine US Geological Survey
- Marilyn Myers US Geological Survey
- Mark Ely Fish and Wildlife Service
- Mark Fleury Minerals Management Service
- Mark L. DeMulder US Geological Survey
- Mark Zundel Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Marva Booth Kelley
- Melanie Rhinehart Bureau of Land Management
- Michael J. Roluti Bureau of Reclamation
- Michael M. McGreer Department of Interior, OCIO
- Mike Hutt US Geological Survey
- Mr. Sandy Williamson US Geological Survey
- Nathan Colodney DOI, Office of the Solicitor
- Pamela J. Hajny Bureau of Reclamation
- Paul Wiese US Geological Survey
- Peter Symmes US Geological Survey
- R. J. Thompson US Geological Survey
- Randy Brammer Bureau of Reclamation
- Randy Feuerstein *Bureau of Reclamation
- Raymond Obuch US Geological Survey
- Richard L. Hogan US Geological Survey
- Richard Naito Minerals Management Service
- Robert E. Johnson Minerals Management Service
- Roger Johnson National Park Service
- Ronnie Levine *Bureau of Land Management
- Roy Wingate Bureau of Reclamation
- Scott McEwen US Geological Survey
- Sharyl Mullins Bureau of Land Management
- Sherry Barnett *Department of Interior, OCIO
- Stephen Parsons Office of Surface Mining
- Steve Guptill US Geological Survey
- Steve Maass DOI, Managing Risk & Public Safety
- Steve Matthews Department of Interior, OCIO
- Sue Hawkins National Park Service
- Sue Zirbes Fish and Wildlife Service
- Susan Goodman Bureau of Land Management
- Suzanne Acar Department of Interior
- Tennille Williams National Park Service
- Theresa Ely National Park Service
- Tim Quinn Department of Interior, OCIO
- Tim Smith National Park Service
- Timothy E. Moriarty
- Tom Casadevall US Geological Survey
- Tom DiNardo US Geological Survey
- Tom Patterson Bureau of Land Management
- W. Hord Tipton *Department of Interior, OCIO
- Wes Clain
- William G. Miller US Geological Survey
- William L. Becker Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians
