Distributed Character of Internet GIS – Case of Czech Regional Authorities

KOMARKOVA JITKA, SIMONOVA STANISLAVA, DUSEK VACLAV*
Institute of System engineering and Informatics
*Information Centre
University of Pardubice
Studentska 84, 532 10 Pardubice
CZECH REPUBLIC

Abstract: - Management of territory and its development belong to the tasks of public administration. Today, it is impossible to fulfill this task without using various decision support systems including geographic information systems. With widening of geographic information systems and increasing demands for geographic data Internet geographic information systems have been more and more used. In any case, correct and adequate geographic data are needed for the appropriate usage of geographic information systems in territory management and men’s life. In many cases data even must cross the boundaries of regions. Of course, it is impossible for each public administration authority to keep all the needed data by itself. Some cooperation among public administration bodies and other institutions should be established. In the paper there are described the first results of research in this area which is focused on utilization of Internet geographic information systems in the Czech public administration. One possible way for the Czech regional authorities – distributed system, is proposed and demonstrated on the case of Pardubice Region in a simplified view. The final proposal must respect not only technological aspects but the real situation (e.g. organization of public administration bodies, Central Public Administration Portal and secure reference interface) too. 

Key-Words: - Internet GIS, Regional Authorities, Distributed GIS

1   Introduction
Geographic information has become a necessary part of our lives. It has been used in private sector and public administration for couple of years. Now, it is more and more demanded by the public as well. 
     Unfortunately, professional software tools for using and viewing geographic information are still complicated and expensive. This was one of the reasons why more user friendly and cheaper software tools were sought for so consequently Internet geographic information systems (GIS) were designed [1, 2].

2 Czech Public Administration and Internet GIS
Internet GIS are spreading rapidly not only over Internet. They are increasingly used in intranet environment as a part of institutional information systems too. 
Public administration belongs to the typical users of Internet GIS services because the solution lets public administration bodies easily disseminate geographic information to its employees and the public. In Czech conditions this process have started too although classical GIS were historically introduced later then for example in the USA or EU countries. Introduction of Internet GIS into public administration unambiguously corresponds to its ongoing reform.
2.1	Reform of Czech Public Administration
Breaking of socialistic society in 1989 and its replacement by democratic society was one of the most important reasons for the Czech public administration reform which has been in progress since 1999. In the framework of this reform one level of public administration (district level) was completely canceled and replaced by another level – regional. It happened by the December 31, 2002. New regional authorities have been built since 2001 and they took their responsibilities on January 1, 2003. 
At the same time, this reform was taken as a chance for global reengineering of public administration. It was understood as a chance for easier introduction of information and communication technologies (ICT) into public administration so informatisation has become a fundamental part of the reform [3]. In according to the contemporary demands, GIS and Internet GIS are assumed to be a basic part of regional authorities’ information systems. 
The most significant changes done in the framework of the Czech public administration reform are shown on Fig. 1. Newly established regions are drawn by the bold lines. Canceled districts are drawn by the thin lines. 

Fig. 1 – Reform of the Czech public administration

On the Fig. 1 there is not shown the last change in the framework of the Czech public administration reform: newly founded third level of public administration (the lowest one - municipalities). 

2.2	Internet GIS
Internet GIS put together advantages and a part of functionality of geographic information systems with Internet technologies. Sometimes they are called Web GIS but this name excludes some of the Internet technologies.
Now, Internet GIS can allow wired and wireless access too so sometimes some of the available solutions are called Mobile GIS [2].

2.2.1   Technological Background of Internet GIS
Nowadays, Internet GIS are usually designed with respecting general principles of the client/server architecture. In according to the typical understanding of three-tier architecture next parts of Internet GIS can be recognized:
•	Data management – data servers which are able to provide spatial and non-spatial data.
•	Application logic – application functionality (map server and WWW server in this case).
•	Presentation layer – user interface [4].
This classical division is not the only one accepted in the framework of Internet GIS.  
In more detailed view n-tier client/server architecture can be found in Internet GIS. For example, next four components can be recognized while thinking about the four-tier client/server architecture [2]:
•	Data server – one or more, they provide all the available data.
•	Map server – GIS functionality.
•	Web server with application server – Web server keeps communication; application server can be for example middleware or program that connects Web server and map server.
•	Client – usually a plain program for user’s work, e.g. Web browser or simple viewer.
Respecting of above listed parts can positively influence utilization of Internet GIS services in general and particularly utilization of parallel and distributed computing ideas in Internet GIS.

2.2.2   Distributed Character of Internet GIS
Providing of large amount of data is one of the most significant challenges of contemporary GIS. Data must be served quickly and without long searching. 
One of the possible ways is to use limited online disk space to store selected data units which are most recently requested, and a large tape robot for the offline storage of all the data [5].
Previously described way is not sufficient so GIS were found as a suitable domain for application of parallel and distributed computing. One of the most important reasons was just this large amount of spatial data which is used by GIS users. Another important reason was existence of interoperability standards which are accepted by wide community [6].
Along with contemporary development trends in computer networks, grid computing principles have been introduced into GIS field too [7]. 
Distributed and grid computing can provide one important thing: easy way for putting data from various sources together and their utilization in one place and GIS project. This fact is very important especially in the case of Internet GIS and should be considered in the case of the Czech public administration as well.

3   Internet GIS and Czech Regional Authorities
Central Public Administration Portal has been in testing operation in the Czech Republic. The aim of this portal is to provide the public one gateway to all the electronic services and information offered by the Czech public administration [8]. Services provided by Internet GIS solutions must become a part of this portal, they must be accessible through the portal.
To guarantee access to all the information sources of public administration, including central portal, shared and secure reference interface was introduced. Reference interface is strictly defined by the law Nr. 365/2000 Coll. It is an aggregate of technical, legal and procedural measures which provide a uniform environment for secure access to all the information sources of public administration. Two kinds of interface are proposed [9]:
•	Web application – web interface for existing application; suitable firstly for end users.
•	Web services – interface for exchange information between applications.
It means that principles of web services will be used in reference interface to guarantee access of all to information provided by public administration. Internet GIS in majority cases support web services so they can be easily implemented.

3.1 Proposed Management of Internet GIS
Internet GIS should provide their services in the above given framework and with respecting previously defined components. They should respect the real situation and needs for use all the available data provided by their owners too.  Solution corresponding to the Czech conditions is shown on Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 – Proposed arrangement of Internet GIS in the Czech conditions
The only place where user can query, is the Central Public Administration Portal. Then reference interface is used to find relevant data sources and map servers in this case which provide requested functionality. 
Distribution given on Fig. 2 should follow organization of the Czech public administration as well. Regional level is due to the tasks of regional authorities an optimum level.

3.2 Data storage and querying
Issues of data storage, data querying and seeking for proper data are other significant tasks. 
In accordance with contemporary trends databases and data warehouses are supposed for data storage. Databases are increasingly used in GIS for both spatial and non-spatial data storage. Even databases like Oracle provide a special support for spatial data treatment.
This technical part of information system environment is very important especially in public administration. The reason is simple: information systems must be able to provide quality results even in the situation when query is inaccurately formulated. Queries can be submitted by civil servants, citizens, foreigners, etc. A level of query vagueness is given by user’s knowledge of region and public administration functionality, by his/her education, ICT skills, needs, language abilities, mood, etc. This fact significantly increases requirements which all the information systems of public administration, including Internet GIS, must meet. 
Another difficult task is how to find proper data sources which correspond to the user‘s queries. As it was mentioned, reference interface is in the Czech case responsible for connecting users to appropriate data sources.  As far as reference interface respects principles of web services, it will use metainformation system to connect queries to appropriate data sources [9]. In some cases, idea of intelligent agents can be used. This perspective technology can significantly help with keeping some information sources updated [10].

3.3 Pardubice Region
Pardubice Region belongs to the smallest regions in the Czech Republic. In this preliminary study, there is not provided a deep analysis of all the public administration data sources available in the region. 
Map on the Fig. 3 simplifiedly demonstrates the problem. In the town of Pardubice there are situated representatives of all the public administration bodies in region (mostly regional level). Location of some subordinated offices still follows former districts (in this case it means 4 cities). Organization of revenue authorities does not follow any territorial zoning. Municipalities as the third level of the Czech public administration are shown on Fig. 3 as well. In the case of Pardubice Region there are 17 of them. All these institutions represent data sources which should be available to everyone (of course according to his/her rights) by means of Central Public Administration Portal and reference interface. Spatial data are now either provided by all of them or they are needed to their proper functionality. This situation significantly supports an idea of using distributed solution in Internet GIS in the Czech public administration.

Fig. 3 – Simplified solution proposed demonstrated on Pardubice Region

There are not mentioned many other public administration bodies, institutions, utilities, etc. on Fig. 3 but their location usually follows one of the territory zonings so in this stage of research they are not counted as significant ones.

4   Conclusion
Internet GIS solutions have become a widely used tools for utilization of spatial and non-spatial information. Their expansion is given by the increasing demand for spatial data. Spatial data are demanded not only by the private sector but by the public as well. This fact results even into changing of understanding of GIS: they are now more often understood as a necessary part of information system for everyday usage rather then a special tool suitable only for a few experts.
Character of spatial data (large amounts of data, large files) which are produced by many different institutions makes Internet GIS very suitable domain for application of distributed computing ideas. Distributed placement of data producers and sources goes along with this idea. In this preliminary study Pardubice Region was used as a showcase to demonstrate above mentioned ideas in the real conditions of the Czech public administration.

5   Acknowledgements
This research and paper was created with a kind support of the Grant Agency of Czech Republic, grant Nr. GACR 201/02/P004, and University of Pardubice, internal project Nr. 440010/21

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