inova gis platform

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INOVA GIS Platform

Keep documentation in one place and up to date

Generate schemas and analyze network with one click

Search your networks using different standard (third party) tools

(web browser, google earth and mobile devices)

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INOVA GIS Platform Overview www.geoinova.com

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INOVA GIS Platform

Contents

INOVA GIS Platform .................................................................................................................... 3

What is INOVA GIS Platform? ................................................................................................. 3

Whom is it for? ....................................................................................................................... 3

Some of our customers are: ................................................................................................ 3

Benefits ................................................................................................................................... 3

Platform Architecture ............................................................................................................. 4

1. Database ............................................................................................................................. 4

2. Middle tier (INOVA GIS Server (IGS)) .................................................................................. 5

Scalability ............................................................................................................................ 5

Long Transactions ............................................................................................................... 5

Versioning, Object Locking .................................................................................................. 6

Project work flow ................................................................................................................ 6

Offline file project synchronization .................................................................................... 7

User Access rights ............................................................................................................... 7

Middle tire application logic ............................................................................................... 7

WMS/WFS MAP Server ....................................................................................................... 7

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) ................................................................................... 7

Linq2SQL custom data model ............................................................................................. 7

3. Presentation, planning and editing (Client) tier ................................................................. 9

TeleCAD-GIS ........................................................................................................................ 9

TCG Map-Optics .................................................................................................................. 9

IPLAN Map ......................................................................................................................... 10

GIS portal ........................................................................................................................... 10

Viewing content using third party software (Google Earth) ............................................. 11

Viewing and editing using mobile devices ........................................................................ 11


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INOVA GIS Platform

What is INOVA GIS Platform?

It’s a centralized Enterprise GIS (Geographical Information System) that enables seamless

data access for any number of different departments within business organization and

beyond.

Data can be accessed for viewing, analyzing, editing… Apart from that, data can be

presented to wider audience with the possibility to control: what type of data and to what

extent it will be presented.

Thanks to the IGS (INOVA GIS Server), platform enables virtually unlimited number of

concurrent users.

The platform is scalable so it can be adjusted to meet the needs of companies that vary in

sizes. This makes it affordable for companies ranging from small to very large. It also allows

gradual expansion of the system over a period of time.

It is open in its nature and as such can be easily integrated with other OSS/BSS

(operation/business support systems).

Whom is it for?

INOVA GIS Platform is made having specifically in mind telecommunications companies that

among their assets have networks of: fiber optic cables, copper cables, coaxial cables and

conduits.

Some of our customers are:

Telekom Srbija, m:tel (Telekom Srpske), Telenor…

Benefits

Any company that utilizes OSP/ISP (cables, conduits, manholes, distribution frames etc.) will

benefit from INOVA GIS Platform because it enables entire network to be documented in

one place. This is, no doubt, much better solution than having documentation scattered

around in different files or even paper documentation, not to mention that analyzing or

updating changes in such documentation is a daunting task.

On the other hand, when you have centralized Enterprise GIS, these actions are not just

faster and easier but they are absolutely accurate. There is no danger that you have missed

to update some document. Update is made in one place only (GIS database) and all


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documentation and reports are generated from that single source. Also, various analyses can

be made over the up-to-date database.

Platform Architecture

Three tier architecture design pattern was applied for INOVA TCG Platform making it a

modular software package with clearly defined:

1. Data tier

2. Middle (Server) tier

3. Presentation and editing (Client) tier

1. Database

Platform is implemented with Oracle 11G Standard Edition.

No additional spatial cartridge is required!

Spatial capabilities are achieved through the use of INOVA GIS Server (IGS).

IGS is described further in text.

Data is stored in Oracle tables making it visible to various third party tools such as Crystal

Reports, ESRI ArcView…


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2. Middle tier (INOVA GIS Server (IGS))

IGS is designed as a cluster of application servers coordinated by load balancing server. All

communication between clients and database goes through IGS.

Features:

Scalability

APP servers can be deployed into a cluster configuration, thus providing scalability by

adding more processors or more memory to cluster units and/or by adding more units to

a cluster configuration. This way it is possible to add required number of application

servers to meet the needs in case of increased demand. Scaling, as well as server update,

is performed live without any interruption to the system, thus reducing the downtime to

a zero.

Redundancy

Full time server availability is of paramount importance. IGS components can be

configured to provide server redundancy in order to insure safe failover in case of failure

caused by power shortage, natural disaster, fire... The downtime is reduced to a zero.

Long Transactions

Communication between a client user and the database is conducted over a long

transaction. A long transaction is a transaction that includes many database (short)

transactions while avoiding locks in the database. Long transactions are a necessity in


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case of editing geographical data by multiple concurrent editors because locking

mechanisms of short transactions (that ensure data consistency) would prevent other

users from simultaneously accessing the data that is edited by another user until such

user completes the task. Since editing of geographical data can take up quite some time

it would significantly restrict other users from accessing the data. On the other hand,

long transactions allow the access to multiple simultaneous users to a same area without

locking while potential conflicts are handled by other means (see the next passage).

Versioning

Since long transactions avoid locks in the database, another method has to be in place in

order to detect and resolve potential conflicts between multiple concurrent client users

and to insure data consistency. This is achieved by implementing versioning and

optimistic concurrency control method.

Besides its main goal, versioning also enables engineers and technicians to create

different design options (versions) and test them against the database before selecting

the final design. Number of versions is not limited. Once the final design is chosen all

others designs (versions) are dropped.

Object Locking

Telecommunications infrastructure objects within GIS database can be locked in order to

prevent users from editing them. Furthermore, locking can be imposed from other

systems. This is especially important in case of integration with other systems because

those systems can prevent changes or removal of the objects that they themselves

depend on, thus ensuring the data consistency across the systems.

Project work flow

Another example of versioning implementation, this time with the goal to achieve the

project workflow:

An engineer or a technician (appointed with user rights to edit) creates a project,

downloads required telecommunications network elements and edits them. Upon

completion of the work he sends the data for audit. Data is sent to the database (version

is created) but they are only visible to the person appointed with user rights to audit. He

can either finally accept the project (commit) at which point the changes become visible

to all other users or he can choose to return the project for further editing. This sending

of project back and forth between the editor and the auditor goes on (effectively

creating version of a version of a version...) until the auditor is satisfied with the results

of editor's work. (Note: single user can play both roles. See: User Access rights).

.


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Offline file project synchronization

IGS enables work in offline mode (another benefit from long transactions). This means

that user can download objects from database than edit them without being connected

to the database. After completion of work user once again connects to the database and

sends in the changes. At this point IGS detects and resolves all conflicts, if they occur,

making sure that the integrity of the database is maintained.

User Access rights

As previously said, users from various departments can access database. These users can

be assigned with different access rights based on:

1. Territory,

2. Type of infrastructure (optics, conduit, route),

3. Type of job (add new, edit existing, delete existing)

4. Type of project (new design, as-built…),

5. Role (edit, audit, admin)

Various combinations are possible.

Middle tire application logic

All application (business) logic is positioned on IGS. This has several advantages. For

example: any change (update) in business logic will immediately affect all client users

regardless of their own update status.

Also, this way IGS is in effect turned into a gate keeper who insures that all data that

goes into database is absolutely correct. Rollback is enabled. If there are any errors

during the process of sending data to database everything goes back to the state it was

in before sending. Message with errors is displayed to user. After resolving errors user

can one again send data to database.

WMS/WFS MAP Server

Data is presented in standard form making it available to third party applications.

INOVA GIS platform can be integrated with any internet mapping server that supports

OGC WMS and WFS standards.

Service-oriented architecture (SOA)

IGS is service oriented

Linq2SQL custom data model

Data model is easily extendable

Cluster architecture has made number of concurrent client users that connect to database

virtually unlimited.


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This is true for users that are viewing database as well as for those who are editing it.

For Telecommunication Company this means that there are no limits in amount of workforce

that can be engaged on database editing while others are viewing that same database.

Limitation is only in number of purchased licenses.


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3. Presentation, planning and editing (Client) tier

Data (infrastructure) stored in the GIS database can be accessed in many different ways.

What tools shall be used depends on the type of user (engeenier, manager...) as well as on

their intention (editing, viewing, presenting, analysing...). Tools can be:

1. TeleCAD-GIS (designing, editing, maintaining, viewing)

2. TCG Map Optics - Custom WEB and Desktop Client User control

3. IPAN Map – web application for planning and analysis

4. Viewing content using Web Browser (data is presented through GIS Portal)

5. Viewing content using third party software (Google Earth)

6. Viewing content using mobile devices

TeleCAD-GIS

TeleCAD-GIS is the main and most comprehensive tool for working with the

telecommunications infrastructure, generating reports and documentation etc. It comes as a

standalone product or as a part of INOVA GIS Platform. TeleCAD-GIS is what clients (mostly

engineers) see while they work with the telecommunications infrastructure including

working with GIS database (find more details in the “TeleCAD-GIS.pdf” document).

TCG Map-Optics

It is a component of TeleCAD-GIS. Nevertheless it is also available as a standalone

application. It is a tool intended for direct viewing, analyzing and downloading of data stored

in GIS database. It has similar functions when used as a standalone application as it does

when used within TeleCAD-GIS.

TCG MAP-Optics is primarily intended for engineers that analyze GIS database existing state

(as-built). This component gives easy to understand view of the GIS infrastructure, enables

better understanding and speeds up decision making process.

It has the Map view and the Schematic Diagram view.

Map view enables fast and easy navigation and spatial awareness while schematic view

enables viewing of selected infrastructure accompanied by a powerful set of analytic tools.

Map and schematic view are dynamically linked meaning that at any given point we can

locate object on the Map by selecting it on the Schema and vice versa. Map component can

be integrated with popular Internet mapping services (OpenStreet, Google Maps, Bing…)

which can be used as an underlying base maps. Other base maps of different type provided

by purchaser can also be used.

Basic functionalities of TCG MAP-Optics are:

Ability to choose between different views: (actual view - depicting the true geolocation of all elements; resolve overlapping mode (automatically generated) – showing cables and node elements side by side making them easily accessible)

TeleCAD-GIS.pdf


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Overview of splicing fiber names and general data quality

Detailed splicing view within node elements

Automatic generation of complex schemas (three different algorithms plus ability to manually organize schemas; saving schemas as an external file (convenient for collaboration between users))

Filtering by various criteria (all the way down to the single fiber)

Tracing the available path (on a fiber level) between two or more arbitrary locations.

Direct access to OTDR trace option (ability to geolocate object or event and present it on a Map accompanied with exact GPS coordinates).

IPLAN Map

It is interactive web application that supports planning and analysis of telecommunications

infrastructure capacity. Spatial analysis enables you to identify and quantify implications and

influence of your decisions. IPLAN Map can be accessed with any standard web browser (no

need for any additional plugins). Whenever you look at the map, you start to turn the image

into information, you evaluate and make decisions. However, more often than not, it is not

that obvious which solution is the best just by looking at the map. There can be

overwhelming quantity of displayed data. Data Analysis Tools enable you to perceive data

quantitatively as well as their relations, showing them on the map, in the tables and various

graphs. Based on these tools, decision you reach has more quality than the one based solely

on observing the map itself.

GIS portal

GIS portal can be accessed with any web browser (no need for any additional plugins). It is

used for viewing data stored in GIS database. This is very valuable to people without

required technical knowledge that is otherwise needed to operate tools such as TeleCAD-

GIS. It is possible to control what type of information will be presented. Information can be

presented internally within a company or publicly over the internet.

Engineers get a quick overview of existing infrastructure throughout the web, workers in the

sale get a quick overview of all the nearest available capacity and management gets a set of

reports implemented through thematic maps.

GIS Portal can be integrated with popular Internet services for maps (Google, Bing, Open

Street ...) which can be used as base maps to view GIS content.

GIS Portal allows searching of all elements of the infrastructure (distribution frames, optical

interconnections, leased cables, etc.) according to different criteria and their position on the

map.

It allows import of additional maps and GIS layers: an administrative division (municipality,

populated areas ...), infrastructure from other domains (water supply network, power

network, gas ...), cadastral maps, etc.

It contains a set of predefined tabular reports as well as reports in the form of thematic

maps. Reports are configurable; no additional programming is needed to add new reports.


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Viewing content using third party software (Google Earth)

GIS data can be published as a KML stream. This makes it possible to view data using Google

Earth application.

All of the objects from the GIS database are presented as defined within Internet map

server. There is no need for additional activities in the form of exporting or the preparation

of objects. The data is distributed in the real time to the Google Earth clients in the KML

format. Conversion between different coordinate systems is performed automatically by

INOVA GIS Server (IGS).

Google Earth application enables remarkable presentation of the infrastructure overlying the

3D terrain. Access to the basic group of the description data is supported.

Viewing and editing using mobile devices

GIS database can be viewed on mobile devices using any standard web browser.

Also, object model is provided for Trimble GPS devices. This way, field workers can assign a

telecommunications infrastructure objects (defined in the model) to a surveyed location or

path during the field survey process itself. This way surveyed paths instantly become cables,

conduits etc. and locations become splice points, ODFs, telephone poles, Manholes etc.

Right there on the field, in an offline mode, infrastructure can be observed, properties can

be edited and new objects can be added.

Process is completed upon the return from the field to the office by exporting surveyed data

to TeleCAD-GIS. TeleCAD-GIS is then used to analyze data, fill in additional information (e.g.

splicing) and update the GIS database.

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