Help! My GeoServer Doesn’t Like My App-Schema!

An in depth look at a GeoServer 2.2 workspace that utilizes the app-schema extension

<*> I don't like how this blog post turned out! You can get the "better" formatted version as a PDF here. <*>

Files: 

Formatted Help

Discussion of using the “lax” function in Schema Documents

We’ve recently changed how we are structuring our XSD schemas by adding a “lax” process function element at the end of the sequence.  The ‘lax’ function, or ‘any Element’ function, can be specified by the author of the schema document, and enables additional elements not specified by the schema to be included.

Testing your Web Services using Non-Proprietary GIS Software (uDig)

Validation of XML data interchange documents with normative schemas using free, open-source software (XML Explorer)

One of the objectives of the US Geoscience Information Network (USGIN) is to establish a community of practice for developing, documenting, adopting, and using standard document encoding for data interchange. The technology for encoding schemes is evolving continuously, and current practice is to use XML encoding with data schema defined by XML schema.

We can all agree that search engines like Google have really defined the way that we search for information on the internet. So the question is, why aren't we using Google to search for our geologic datasets? Do we have to do all that formal, structured metadata? What the hell is CSW anyways?

As an experiment, I built a new site: metadata.usgin.org. This site is buit with Node.js, a really cool way to build a web server by running server-side javascript code. Its so easy. Here's my code. So what does it do?

It acts as a proxy server. You ask it for http://metadata.usgin.org/record/a386a4ba-e892-11e0-9e4a-0024e880c1d2, and it reads that file identifier out and issues a CSW GetRecordByID request to a CSW server. The response to that CSW request is an XML document, and nobody (including Google) really cares about that, so the server formats the record as a very simple HTML page.

I am working on transforming FGDC XML metadata records to the USGIN 1.1 version of ISO 19139 metadata and having a hard time finding formal FGDC schema, name spaces, and schema locations. This is what I found so far:

While working on thoroughly understanding CSW & metadata related OGC and ISO standards, I can not but start questioning XML and its use to carry and format data. After all, USGIN's goal is not just to implement interoperable USGIN metadata and data profiles but also to encourage their widespread adoption. The following blog entry "How XML Threatens Big Data" by Michael Driscoll discusses some of the limitations XML poses to dealing with large datasets and ease of use.

Following is a presentation on XML Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) we did at the Geoscience Data Preservation Techniques Workshop, Indiana Geological Survey, Bloomington, IN on July 2009.

Although this presentation was geared towards National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP) metadata, the same tools can be used for other ETL needs.

Files: 

AZGS_to_NGGDPP_ETL_Bloomington_2009_July_v2.pdf