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Mapping and Geographic Analysis Infrastructure Solutions Mapping and geographic analysis resources are essential ingredients in most decision making information applications. Some who do not use these resources frequently might not use them as a matter of being unfamiliar or find that they are not easily integratable. Increasingly, a key geographic analysis question of today is not which system do I choose but - how do I leverage the various relevant resources? This is a focus of Proximity - putting components together that perform in your environment. The following graphic provides an overview of the mix of components that can go into a "system" design to give you optimal GIS functionality. Perspectives on selecting and integrating these components are reviewed following the graphic. 
MapServers versus Standalone PC/LAN GIS Architectures MapServers are comprised of integrated mapping software and data files which are located on a server and can be accessed and operated with a Web browser. PC/LAN GIS applications may operate on a PC and/or PC operating on a local area network. They must be operated by starting the program on a PC connected to that LAN with GIS access authorization. This enables any user of that GIS to access all files located on that PC and the LAN where access permissions have been established. Comparisons. A MapServer cannot, in general, access data which is locally stored on a PC or PC/LAN. The files must be located on the server or another computer on a LAN associated with the server. This is the primary inherent limitation to a MapServer. In contrast, a PC/LAN GIS application can access files located on the MapServer, if so authorized and configured, but cannot directly execute/operate the MapServer mapping software. The implications of these differences are essentially this: if a group of users are potentially off-LAN and desire to share the same data on a MapServer, without adding their own local data, then the MapServer might be the mapping access solution of choice. Conversely, if this set of users desires to add data from their own PC to the mapping application, the MapServer would not be the mapping access solution of choice. The determination of whether a MapServer of PC/LAN GIS is best for a specific application depends on many factors. Possibly the optimal situation involves both, or the requirements might change over time. For more information on these sessions, please contact us. |
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