YLUPC
MetadataManagement – Yukon Planning Atlas

Metadata Management

Table of Contents

  1. PlanYukon Regional Planning Database Best Practices Wiki
    1. Background
    2. Purpose
    3. Framework
    4. Roles
    5. Acknowledgment
  2. Getting Started as an Administrator
    1. Introduction
    2. Helpful Software
      1. Text editor
      2. Subversion
        1. Troubleshooting
      3. MS4W
        1. Trouble-Shooting
    3. Trac
    4. WinSCP
  3. Data File Management
    1. Valid Spatial Data Sources
      1. Vector Files
      2. Raster Files
      3. Non-local Data
    2. Accepted Data Projection
    3. Data File Naming Conventions
    4. Data File Contents
    5. Data File Storage
    6. Database Architecture
      1. Specifications
      2. Tables
        1. groups
        2. layers
        3. layers_perm
        4. spatial_ref_sys
        5. themes
        6. themes_perm
        7. users
        8. widgets
        9. widgets_perm
    7. Government of Yukon CSW Catalog WMS Service
      1. GetCapabilities
      2. Supported Projections
      3. Native Projection
      4. Layer Names
      5. Scale Ranges
  4. Data Styling
    1. Background on MapServer .map files
    2. Theme Files
    3. Template Files
    4. Layer Files
    5. .Lay Guidelines
      1. Naming
      2. Groups
      3. Layer TYPEs
      4. Metadata
    6. Using Classes
    7. Using Styles
    8. Labeling
      1. Available Fonts
      2. Label Size
      3. Label Scale
      4. Label Force
      5. Label Partials
      6. Label Minfeaturesize
      7. Label Buffer
      8. Label Priority
    9. Symbols
    10. Projection
      1. EPSG Usage
      2. PROJ.4 Usage
    11. Using Scales
      1. MINSCALE and MAXSCALE Deprecated
      2. Atlas Scale Ranges
  5. Metadata Management
    1. Implemented Standards
    2. Layer Metadata
      1. Atlas Keywords
    3. Theme Metadata
    4. Accessing Metadata through the Atlas
    5. Accessing OGC Metadata through the WMS Service
      1. GetCapabilities Request
    6. Management Tools
      1. ArcCatalog?
        1. About
        2. Functionality
        3. Assessment
      2. CatMDEdit
        1. About
        2. Functionality
        3. Assessment
      3. gvSIG
        1. About
        2. Functionality
        3. Assessment
  6. Data Processing Work Flow
    1. Step 1: Preparing the Spatial Data
      1. Guidelines
      2. Getting the Required Tools
      3. Documentation For Command Tools
      4. Useful Commands
        1. Reproject a Vector File
        2. Merge 2 Vector Files
        3. Keep Only Specific Attribute Values
        4. Keep Only Specific Fields
        5. Prep Raster Files
    2. Step 2: Create a .lay file
      1. .lay Templates
        1. Vector File Template
        2. Raster File Template
        3. WMS/OGC Template
      2. Generate .lay Metadata
      3. .lay Guidelines
    3. Step 3: Submit for Publication
    4. Step 4: Publishing a Layer
    5. Step 5: Add Layer to Existing Theme File
    6. Step 6: Verify Layer Processing
    7. Refresh Layer Data
  7. Quality Control
    1. Layer Quality Assurance Checklist
      1. Published Layer QA Checklist Forms
    2. Data Optimization Checklist
    3. Publishing Atlas Data
      1. WMS Mapfile Location
      2. Publish Local Data to WMS
      3. MapServer Required Metadata
      4. WMS GetCapabilities Warnings
      5. GeoConnections Discovery Portal Registration
  8. Recommended Data Management Tools
    1.  MXD2WMS
    2.  FGS
    3.  MapServer for Windows
    4.  QuantumGIS
    5.  uDig

Implemented Standards

  1. The Atlas publishes data through the OGC's Web Map Server (WMS) standard. The WMS standard allows for the sharing of images of the Atlas data through the Internet.
  2. Data maintained by the Yukon Landuse Planning Council, specifically the Planning Boundary and Caribou datasets, will each have an associated valid FGDC XML metadata file.

Layer Metadata

Each map layer (.lay file) must contain the following metadata:

MetadataDescription
ows_abstractdescription of the layer
ows_attribution_onlineresourcedata provider’s URL
ows_attribution_titlehuman-readable name of the data provider
ows_dataurl_formatNon-standardized file format of the data link
ows_dataurl_hrefURL to the layer’s data
ows_group_titlehuman-readable name for the group that layer belongs to
ows_keywordlistcomma-separated list of keywords or keyword phrases to help catalog searching (see the following 'Atlas Keywords' table for possible values)
ows_metadataurl_hrefURL to the layer’s metadata
ows_metadataurl_typestandard to which the metadata complies. Currently only two types are valid: “TC211” which refers to [ISO 19115], and “FGDC” which refers to [FGDC-STD-001-1988]
ows_metadataurl_formatfile format MIME type of the metadata record (e.g. “text/plain”)
ows_srssource data projection, in EPSG code format
ows_titlehuman-readable name for the layer

These metadata items are also described in MapServer's  WMS Server document.

Note: The ows_extent metadata must be specified for raster layers that use tileindexes. (for MapServer versions < 5.4, all rasters layers must have this metadata)

Atlas Keywords

The following keywords can be used in a layer's ows_keywordlist metadata parameter.

KeywordUsage
administrativePolitical boundaries or legal distinctions
alaskaThe U.S. state of Alaska
baseReference map layer
bioclimateEffect of climate on living organisms
cadastreLegal land
caribouThe caribou herd
cityPopulated urban area
claimAn area of staked land
climateMeteorologic factors
cumulative effectsEffects caused by several activities
drainageSystem of water runoff
ecoregionPattern of ecosystems
ecosystemLiving organisms in an area
elevationHeight above or below sea level
first nationAboriginal community
footprintsHuman impact on land
geomorphologyFormation of landforms
guidingAreas where guiding occurs
habitatArea where organism is likely found
home rangeArea where organism is active
huntingAreas where hunting occurs
hydrologyWater in general
indicatorsActing as a sign or indication
imageryRaster image
infrastructureMan-made (roads, utilities, water, sewage)
landscapeLand characteristics
landuseFunctional use of land
locationPositional information (addresses, place names)
migrationMovement of organisms
mineralsNaturally occurring solid
miningExtracting minerals from ground
ogcOpen Geospatial Consortium – shared layers
oil and gasOil and gas industry
outfittingAreas where outfitting occurs
owsOpen Web Service – shared layers
nwtNorthwest Territories
northwest territoriesTerritory in Canada
peelPeel River watershed
placeCity, town, or area
planning regionArea of land divided for planning purposes
politicalLegal distinction of land (boundaries)
protected areaArea of land designated as protected
referenceLayer used solely for background information
riparianRelating to the banks of water courses
roadMan-made paved path for movement
scenariosEffects of development on land
settlementSmall community
subsistenceAreas used to provide income to live (hunting, fishing)
sustainable developmentDevelopment occurring while preserving the environment
thematicNon-base layer
thresholdsPoint that must be exceeded to produce an effect
tourismArea of land used for pleasure
townPopulated area, smaller than a city
terrainSurface features of land
transportationFeatures related to movement of people or goods
trappingAreas where trapping occurs
vgfnVuntut Gwitchin First Nation
waterAny layer containing water (river, lake, drainage)
web map serviceShared layers through the WMS spec
wildernessAreas designated as wilderness
wmsWeb map service – shared layers
yfnYukon First Nation
yukonYukon territory

Theme Metadata

The following metadata must exist in the associated template file, in the /map/templates/ folder.

MetadataDescription
ows_abstractdescription of this WMS service
ows_addresstypeaddress type, which will always be “postal”
ows_citycontact person's city
ows_contactelectronicmailaddresse-mail address of technical contact
ows_contactorganizationorganization name
ows_contactpersonname of technical contact
ows_contactpositiontechnical contact's job title
ows_countrycontact person's country
ows_keywordlistkeywords describing service
ows_onlineresourceURL to WMS instance
ows_postcodecontact person's postalcode
ows_srslist of all possible projections this service will serve the data in
ows_stateorprovincecontact person's state or province
ows_titlehuman-readable name of service

These metadata items are also described in MapServer's  WMS Server document.

Accessing Metadata through the Atlas

  • The layer metadata can currently be accessed in the application by clicking on the layer's name in the Legend.
  • Future versions of the Atlas may display layer and theme metadata when a user clicks on the lower info tabs.

Accessing OGC Metadata through the WMS Service

GetCapabilities Request

The WMS GetCapabilities request can be used to check the response from the Atlas WMS server.

IMPORTANT: all "WARNING:" messages should be removed from the server's GetCapabilities response, to prevent issues with WMS clients.

Management Tools

At the time this document was created, research was performed to try to find a tool to assist in the management of metadata for the atlas' data. “Management” could include 1) creating new valid FGDC/ISO19115 records, or 2) modifying an existing metadata record, or 3) possibly applying metadata templates to a group of data files. The following are a few notes about two very interesting tools to be aware of.

ArcCatalog?

About

Functionality

  • create/edit FGDC or ISO19115 metadata records using wizard
  • automated capture of spatial information (extent, projection)
  • preview spatial data
  • export as XML combines FGDC, ISO and ESRI metadata in one XML file
  • export as HTML combines ESRI and ISO data for display similar to Metadata tab in ArcCatalog?

Assessment

  • works well with ESRI formats
  • step wise record creation with validation ensures compliant metadata are captured

CatMDEdit

About

Functionality

  • import valid metadata (ISO 19115, FGDC, Dublin Core)
  • export metadata to several formats (ISO 19115, FGDC, Dublin Core)
  • validate metadata
  • preview spatial data (shp, dgn, ecw, ficc, GeoTiff, gif, jpg, png)
  • extract automatic metadata from data files (shp, dgn, ecw, ficc, GeoTiff, gif, jpg, png)

Assessment

  • Java causes the interface to be somewhat clunky
  • does not allow for importing/editing of non-valid metadata records (such as an ESRI-created xml file)
  • automatic metadata generation for shapefiles is very useful (for parameters such as bounding box)
  • would require quite a bit of time investment to fully add the Atlas layers into the CatMDEdit repository
  • standalone editor means no other software is required

gvSIG

About

Functionality

  • automatic metadata generation for shapefiles
  • editor is provided for modifying metadata parameters
  • allows for publishing of the metadata on a catalog server (through Geonetwork)

Assessment

  • full GIS package meaning installing is very heavy
  • the metadata functionality is a plugin (or “prototype”) and it requires a very old version of gvSIG
  • a good paper was submitted to FOSS4G2008 titled " Multipurpose Metadata Management in gvSIG"