[Qgis-user] Deployment scenarios of QGIS Server projects?

[lars lingner]

Hello Axel,

thank you for this topic. I can imagine a talk at the upcoming FOSSGIS
[1], at least I'd attend it :)

In the past I had to deal with how to deploy a project to QGis server.
Here is they way I came up with:

At first, the server and all work stations are setup with fixed paths
for a) the QGis project files b) Symbology files (svg, png) c)
pg_service.conf file for database connection

All changes to QGis project files and symbology files at the work
stations are synchronized to the server via the users using ssh connection.

The webserver is setup so that in the URL only the path and file name
needs to change
https://my-qgis.maps/cgi-bin/qgis_mapserv.fcgi?...MAP=/path/to/qgis-file...

The users can deploy the files themselves. Including the risk of
mistakes like missing files, using absolute path instead of relative
ones, using non-local layer sources etc.
This is covered by training the users. Some tasks might be automated in
the future.

With this setup, the user can create a WMS/WFS by its own. But this
services are only used internally.

For including the services in public web applications, MapProxy is used.
Here is a script monitoring changes in the directories and generating
the MapProxy configuration. This part is fully automated and can also be
triggered by the user. Since some tasks might to run a long time (e.g.
setting up or reseeding a cache), you probably want a (super)user be
able to trigger it at a convenient time.

The QGis files and directory are following a name scheme. This was
necessary for generating MapProxy config.

The goal was to let the users create map services without calling a
administrator. Of course there a some special cases, but the majority of
cases can be handled by every user.

Enhancements to this setup could be to using e.g. git repository to
store the QGis files. Tests and signaling would also be very useful.


Best wishes,

Lars

[1] https://www.fossgis-konferenz.de/2018/callforpapers/