GeoNetwork 4.2.1 exploration notes v2

Submitted by wgrunberg on Wed, 10/07/2009 - 9:22am

GeoNetwork

BUG: what I consider a bug
FEATURE: what I consider a missing feature
TODO: possibilities that need to be explored or decide on

General
- FEATURE: GeoNetwork very map centric. For example, the on-line metadata creation tool has no ISO 19139 template for datasets and the documentation emphasizes map metadata. I guess they want you to use the DublinCore template for everything else ...
Modification
- The GeoNetwork license does not allow changes to the app: "No Derivative Works. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work."
- However, wavers can be requested from the copyright holder OSgeo.org - I have already emailed them to ask about the waver process.
Documentation
- BUG: Both the "Documentation" and "Release notes" short cuts in Window's "All Programs" menu open GAST (GeoNetwork Administration and Survival Tool) which has no documentation at all.
- Help in the primary menu bar links to the 2.4 manual
- geonetwork\web\geonetwork\docs holds a variety of documentation
Metadata Loading
- Genreal
  - TODO: upload metadata through various methods and validate uploaded data
  - TODO: Investigate GeoNetwork templates
- "New metadata" - use Web form to write metadata
  - Offers the following metadata "templates:" Template for Raster data in ISO19139, Template for Vector data in ISO19139 (preferred!) Template for WMS service in ISO19139/119, Template for Dublin Core, Template for FGDC
  - BUG/FEATURE: What about a template for dataset metadata in ISO 19139?
- "Metadata insert" - single metadata or template file upload or copy paste insert through Web form
  - Supports "XML, SLD, WMC..." or MEF file
  - Assume that the default metadata format is ISO 19139
  - Supported transformations: ArcCatalog8_to_ISO19115, Convert_CSW-CITE_test_metadata, ISO19115-to-ISO19139, OGCSLD-to-ISO19139, OGCWMC-to-ISO19139, OGCWxSGetCapabilities-to-ISO19119_ISO19139
  - Optional validation of metadata
- "Batch Import" - similar to "Metadata insert" except one points to a folder where it will read all XML files.
  - Additional configuration is possible by placing and configuring the import-config.xml file in the import directory.
- CSW insert transactions
  - GeoNetwork's sample insert worked with the build-in "CSW ISO test" CSW transaction tool (http://localhost:8080/geonetwork/srv/en/test.csw)
  - TODO: run AZGS' metadata insert Python scripts against GeoNetwork
- MEF format upload
  - "The MEF format that was specifically developed to exchange metadata and data, preview images and basic access privileges between GeoNetwork nodes"
  - The GAST tool is used to import and export MEF files
    - BUG?/TODO: couldn't export my 7 test records - only templates. Perhaps, I have to shut down GeoNetwork first ...
- "Harvesting" - automated through admin interface
  - Assumes global unique record IDs. GeoNetwork generates Universally Unique Identifier (UUID)
  - GeoNetwork apparently resolves duplicate metadata records from various GeoNetwork and CSW repositories.
  - Supported web sources
  - - GeoNetwork node (version 2.1 or above)
      - allows for search filters to synchronize with particular records
      - supports authenticated access
      - can copy GeoNetwork metadata access privileges too!
    - old GeoNetwork 2.0 node
    - WebDAV server
    - CSW 2.0.1 or 2.0.2 catalogue server
      - allows for search filters to synchronize with particular records
      - TODO: supports authenticated access (don't know how)
      - "If the dct:modified element is missing from the GetRecords response the metadata will be always
        harvested."
      - "Any exception during getRecordById operation is discarded and the metadata skipped."
    - OAI-PMH server
    - OGC service using its GetCapabilities document. These include WMS, WFS, WPS and WCS
      services
      - "Every time the harvester runs, it will remove previously harvested information and create new ones.
        GeoNetwork will generate the id for all metadata (both service and datasets). Therefor, for datasets, if
        the metadata is created using a remote XML document (ie. if a MetadataUrl tag is in the GetCapability
        document), the UUID of the document is used."
      - "Thumbnails are generated only for Web Map Service (WMS). The service should also support the
        WGS84 projection"
System Configuration
- Web server
  - Build-in Jetty servlet engine
    - TODO: In Ubuntu and Debian, I did not succeed at exposing Jetty to the network
  - Tomcat 5.5
    - TODO: we should run Geonetowrk from Tomcat on Windows and Linux so that we can more apps. I ran into trouble during my last attempt.
- Database server
  - Build-in McKoi is the default RDBMS
  - TODO: PosgreSQL
  - Also supports Oracle and MySQL
- Networking
  - Geonetwork differentiates between public web access (domain or IP address and port number) and intranet access ("network" and netmask).
  - They suggest having a public Apache server (:80) redirect to Tomcat (:8080) for public access and have the intra net access Tomcat directly.
Search
- General
  - BUG: a, ar, ari, ariz, and arizo do not return any records but arizon does.
  - BUB: arizonas does return records too - so das arizonaz
- Advanced Search
  - TODO: GeoNetwork is very map-centric. The advanced search let's you filter by various map types (digital, interactive, hard-copy, down loadable). I do not know where this information is coming from
Thesaurus
- Allows for locally stored controlled vocabularies for ISO and DC metadata
- Uses the Simple Knowledge Organisation Systems (SKOS) (http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/) format
- Apparently, can import, edit, and export thesaurus entries.