What is IDE-CHG

The project for construction of IDE-CHG was born several years ago in the framework of the organization’s Technologic Modernization Program. One of the objectives of the Program was to improve knowledge of the reality managed: the hydrographical basin of River Guadalquivir through the implementation of a corporate Geographic Information System (GIS).

As starting point for the program it was established a common platform for all CHG information systems projects based on J2EE. As well there was a bet on free software by establishing its preferential use in case of equality of technical features with the proprietary alternatives.

In parallel, compilation works of geographic information supplied by CHG’s different services were started. This information had to undergo a heavy quality control before being incorporated to the system central repository. It was classified according to the Spanish Core Metadata.

Generally speaking IDE-CHG architecture is composed by the following tools:

First of all the cartographic viewer is a Rich Internet Application (RIA), developed on open source products. It is created with the ICEfaces framework, based on Java Server Faces (JSF), integrating AJAX functionality.

In respect to remote services for access to geospatial data several free applications are used: MapServer, GeoServer and Deegree. These applications allow the implementation of a series of web services that comply with the main OGC protocols concerning interoperability of the geographic information:

• Web Map Service (WMS).
• Web Feature Service (WFS).
• Web Feature Service - Gazetteer (WFS-G).
• Web Coverage Service (WCS).

Finally, GeoNetwork is the tool selected for searching catalogues on metadata stored in the database, complying with International norms ISO 19115 “Geographic Information - Metadata” and ISO 19139 “Geographic information - Metadata - XML schema implementation”.