RFC 13 : SOS support

[Yewondwossen Assefa]

Steve, thanks for feedbacks.

Stephen Woodbridge wrote:
> Assefa,
> 
> While I don't have a vote on this, I am concerned about integrating this 
> with mapserver from the point of view that it did not seem to be a 
> feature that was useful to the community at large. In fact it seemed to 
> be a custom extension that only 1 or 2 people might use, but maybe I 
> don't remember that point all that well.
> 

  I can't really say how many peopole will use it but  the ogc sensor 
initialtives seem to generate a lot of interest.

> Anyway, my concern is that if it is added to the core mapserver, even 
> with #ifdef blocks, think there is some obligation of the developers to 
> build and test these features when things change, additional over head 
> of documentation, training, beta testing, bug fixes, etc. This all adds 
> to the overhead of development and maintenance and slows down the process.
> 

  This is true with all addition to the software. It is not as bad 
though since the additions will not really affect the other compnents of 
mapserver.
  What I can do  is (to be added to the RFC) to build a set of automatic 
tests for ms autotest module. It was done for other ogc developments and 
the structure works well to also do it for the SOS module.
  As for documentation, It is going to be produced as part of this 
project and maintained in the futire as we do it with the other OGC specs.
  Bugs : there are no bugs :) As I mentionned, this development should 
not affect the other part of the mapserver core capabilities. 
Bugs/enhacement would be handled in Bugzilla under a new module.



> After reading the RFC again and looking at the example URL, it is not 
> obvious that this has anything to do directly with serving maps. It 
> looks like it is just using the existing OGC infrastructure in the 
> mapserver code base. Granted mapserver does queries and this looks like 
> it is doing queries, but then so does every database.
> 
> Can the sensor observations be rendered as a layer?
> Will you be able to style them like other layers?
> 

You are right that It is not purely serving maps. But It is a 
complementary service based on location and attributes. This could lead 
to applications doing thematic mapping based on sensor information. 
Services like WFS and WCS are not also pure mapping but more a 
complementary services too although their link to the mapping is more 
direct.


> So I think it should be looked at in terms of the costs versus the 
> benefits to the general community. I thought in the original 
> presentation of the RFC there was an option to build this as a separate 
> project dependent on but separate to mapserver which seems to be a 
> better option from my perspective, but maybe I am not understanding the 
> full scope of the project correctly.
> 
> I do want to say kudos on the RFC, it is very detailed and informative, 
> but I'm just not sure it should be included in mapserver.
> 

  I understand your concerns in general and going through the specs and 
trying to see how things fit was not obvious. But at the end, If I 
simplify it, the SOS implementation is based on geographical and 
attribute components and that kind of fit with Mapserver.


  Best Regards


> Best regards,
>   -Steve W.
> 
> 
> On Feb 23, 2006, at 7:33 PM, Yewondwossen Assefa wrote:
> 
>> Is it possible to get comments and votes on this ?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Yewondwossen Assefa wrote:
>>
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>>   As mentionned a few weeks ago on the list, we were working on  trying
>>> to  have an SOS support in Mpaserver using the same concepts  applied 
>>> for
>>> wms/wfs/wcs.  There is an RFC explaining more on what the intentions
>>> are.  Could you please have a look and give feed backs if possiible.
>>>
>>>  Thanks
>>>
>>>
>>>    http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/development/rfc/ms-rfc-13
>>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>> Assefa Yewondwossen
>> Software Analyst
>>
>> Email: assefa at dmsolutions.ca
>> http://www.dmsolutions.ca/
>>
>> Phone: (613) 565-5056 (ext 14)
>> Fax:   (613) 565-0925
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------


-- 
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Assefa Yewondwossen
Software Analyst

Email: assefa at dmsolutions.ca
http://www.dmsolutions.ca/

Phone: (613) 565-5056 (ext 14)
Fax:   (613) 565-0925
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