Riyadh

Base Map Update

The Base Map Update project is a multi-agency spatial data infrastructure for the City of Riyadh. This project is being implemented in a series of phases. Phase I included requirements analysis, system design and pilot system implementation. Specific functions and architecture of the pilot relevant to the Business Process Framework include:

  1. Asynchronous notification on updates and other changes in the participant databases.
  2. Automated change detection for database changes.
  3. Use of web services.

Web Feature Data visualized in Google Earth

Phase 1

The Base Map Update Pilot Project was proposed to the ArRiyadh Development Authority (ADA) to demonstrate that key geographic data resources could be updated and shared across multiple agencies in the city of Riyadh. It was intended to lay the foundations for a larger SDI project, with expanded areas of coverage and expanded agencies and data types. The pilot project was undertaken in order to gain operational experience in distributed data update and information sharing, prior to embarking on the larger SDI initiative for the city.

Galdos Systems delivered the Phase 1 Base Map Update Pilot Project based upon our GeoWeb SDI Framework. The system provides a publication/subscription capability for geographic data that is typically stored and managed using ESRI ArcGIS Server/SDE or Intergraph GeoMedia with either Oracle Spatial or MSSQL databases. The system can also be extended to other platforms as required. Five agencies participated in Phase 1 of the project, including ADA, Saudi Telecom Company, Riyadh Water, Saudi Post, and Riyadh Amana. Each agency provided data for a specific area of Riyadh (Al Rawdah Sub-Municipality), and each worked to provide a common data model.

The project demonstrated that data changes published by any participant could be automatically propagated to any subscriber in the community. For the purposes of the Base Map Pilot Phase 1, the participants decided that all data changes should be propagated to all of the participants. Each participant thus had their own copy of the shared data, and any changes at each site were then propagated to all of the others. Participants also had the ability to send observations on one another’s data, validate those observations for themselves, and share any resulting updates with the other subscribers.

Data Flow in a Peer-to-Peer Network

The solution in the Base Map Update Project required little or no changes to the participant’s databases or client side tools. Each organization operates with minimal direct interaction with the other participants, while still being assured of the most up-to-date data.

The Phase I System was deployed in Vancouver, Canada and demonstrated on several different occasions to ADA and the staff of the other participants.

Phase II

Phase II involves deploying the Phase I pilot system on site in Riyadh to allow the agencies to use the system in as near to operational manner as possible. The intent is to gain experience in this type of information sharing and collaboration, which will be utilized in future SDI development. The agencies will also have the opportunity to use the pilot system during the field testing period, before making the decision whether to move forward towards full operational deployment.

Phase II has been successfully deployed on site in Riyadh, and is undergoing a six month field test at this time.