[mapserver-users] OT: Cataloguing masses of spatial data

[Steve Lime]

We've done something similar here in support of our Data Deli
(deli.dnr.state.mn.us) data distribution application. Our GIS data folks
have developed an Oracle-based data dictionary for storing information
about GIS data and associated products. That information is used to
build what are termed "data resource sites". These sites may or may not
have access to the Oracle repository so instead they use small,
comma-delimeted files stored on a local file system to let applications
know what's available for use. At present ArcView and MapServer
applications make use of this repository data. Specifically I use Perl
(and soon JSP) to build an application (like-LandView) from those
files.

The data dictionary is central to all of this.

Steve

Stephen Lime
Data & Applications Manager

Minnesota DNR
500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-297-2937

>>> "Tyler Mitchell" <TMitchell at lignum.com> 05/22/02 11:50AM >>>
Hi guys and gals,
I'm reorganizing our corporate spatail data and have made up a few
tools to
recursively search through folders for spatial (GDAL/OGR recognized)
datasets.  Then it saves an entry into a comma separated file which I
can
then load into a database.  I hope to be able to use this database
(somehow) for looking up datasets in the future.  I will be building
in
metadata that will link to a file location.

Has anyone else been doing anything like this?  I'd love to get the
discussion going.  It's kinda based on the concept of the WMS
getcapabilities - but with a much broader scope - i.e. not for use in
mapserver per se but as a data management tool that could help users
know
what data is available for use as a layer in mapserver.

Anyway, I'm not explaining my thoughts very well.  But essentially I'm
building a database catalogue of our spatial database and would like to
end
up using it for more than a "manger-level" lookup of what kind of data
we
have in our company.  Doing anything similar?  Any other related
ideas?

Tyler