MAPSITE - INTERNET MAP SERVICE OF THE NATIONAL LAND SURVEY OF FINLAND GETS DRESSED IN MODERN TECHNOLOGY

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1 MAPSITE - INTERNET MAP SERVICE OF THE NATIONAL LAND SURVEY OF FINLAND GETS DRESSED IN MODERN TECHNOLOGY Pätynen, V. National Land Survey of Finland, Development Centre, Opastinsilta 12 C, P.O.Box 84, FIN Helsinki, Finland. Fax: veijo.patynen@nls.fi ABSTRACT MapSite of the National Land Survey of Finland was the first national Internet map service in Europe. It was launched in September Since then the service has been a huge success. Until now it has over 330,000 users in all, the number of paying customers is almost 3,000. Due to problems in maintenance of the MapSite, NLS started a developing project in the spring 2001 to produce a new Internet map service to replace the old MapSite. The construction of the new MapSite is based on the utilization of the services of the Information Interface. The Information Interface will be a well-defined, XML-based interface, which allows information to be exported to and imported from other software, web browsers and mobile devices. Information service applications of NLS will be users of the Information Interface as they are created or renewed. Co-operating partners will also be offered the opportunity to make use of the Information Interface. The user interface of the new MapSite is created dynamically in the server using XML-technology, there are no precoded static html-pages. Size of the map window, controlled by Java-applet, is planned to be as large as possible to fit in the browser window. Content of the control frame is created using XML/XSLT-technology in accordance with the phase of function. Map browsing is served by Bentley Publisher via Information Interface. There are 9 different raster map datasets to be viewed in 13 scales (1:1000 1:8 mill.). Desired maps can be searched by place name (800, 000 place names) or by address (18 million addresses). Conventional panning, zoom-in, zoom-out and plotting functions are available. Chargeable services of MapSite enable users to make the queries to original data resources of the NLS. In the first phase access to Cadastral Register, Cadastral Index Map and Real Estate Market Price Register is implemented. Services are based on the use of the Information Interface. Selection criteria of queries can be based on location (point, line, rectangle or polygon) or attribute restrictions. MapSite servers handle queries on-line. Result of the query may be an extract of the register viewed in separate window or vector data overlayed on raster map in the map window. Development version of the new MapSite has already been demonstrated to the customers of the NLS. Acceptance has been very positive. Release of the first phase of the new MapSite will be in the autumn INTRODUCTION The number of Internet users has still increased considerably in recent years. Enabled by technological innovations applications and services in the Internet have become more versatile. Considerable investments directed to create geographic information databases can be exploited efficiently using information services based on the Internet. The technical infrastructure of Finland is highly developed. Finland is also in front row developing new information technology solutions, especially in mobile communications. More than 70 % of Finns have a mobile phone and also over 70 % of Finns have sometimes used the Internet. Internet is used within the activities of almost all Finnish companies. The National Land Survey of Finland (NLS) produces and provides information on and services in real estate, topography and the environment for the needs of the citizens, other customers and the community at large. The NLS is respon- Proceedings of the 21 st International Cartographic Conference (ICC) Durban, South Africa, August 2003 Cartographic Renaissance Hosted by The International Cartographic Association (ICA) ISBN: Produced by: Document Transformation Technologies

2 sible for Finland s cadastral system, registers pertaining to real estate and general mapping assignments. It also promotes the shared use of geographic information. Internet information service of the NLS has been called MapSite. 2. MAPSITE MapSite was the first national Internet map service in Europe. It is developed by the NLS and it was launched in September With MapSite users can browse seamless topographic maps in various scales and also have access to different original databases of the NLS. 2.1 Services MapSite has three service classes: Citizen s MapSite, Professional s MapSite and Ordering Service: Citizen s MapSite (CMS) is free of charge service for all Finnish Internet users but requires registration. Users can access maps in scales from 1:8 million to 1: and some areas also 1: These maps are delivered without coordinate information. CMS users can search maps by place names, address or coordinates. Until now the number of CMS users has been over 330,000 in all. Professional s MapSite (PMS) users pay annual fee or they have a contract for billing afterwards. PMS users can access all maps of MapSite scales up to 1:8000. They have also coordinate information available. Number of PMS users is about By using MapSite s Ordering Service (OS) the user can order data from different databases, browse answers and download answers if needed. Users can send queries to the Real Estate Market Price Register, the Cadastral Index Map, the Cadastral Register and the Geodetic Control Point Register. Pricing is different for each dataset. Number of OS users is about Technology The function of MapSite is based on CGI (Common Gateway Interface) technology. MapSite s user interface is an HTML form made in two phases. First the MapFrontEnd program builds the HTML page without the map data and secondly the GetMap program creates the desired map for that HTML page. All maps used in MapSite are raster images. The maps are stored in a special image file format developed by the NLS. Images are tiled and compressed, thus allowing a rapid access to the images. The Ordering Service has three different kinds of user interfaces: the selection criteria form for each database, WWWpages showing answers and the MapSite to visualize answers. First the user enters selection criteria for data on a form. The user defines areal restriction by giving two corner points of rectangle on Mapsite s maps. The user can also give some attribute restrictions. When the user accepts the order, Ordering Services will send the user s order to the Query Server. The Query Server will check the user s order and it makes a standard EDIFACT-message. The Query Server will move the EDIFACT-message via FTP (File Transport Protocol) to IDIS Service Center. The IDIS Service Center manages orders and billing. The IDIS Service Center will forward the query to the right dataset. The Dataset will send the answer back to the IDIS Service Center which will forward the answer back to the Query Server. The Query Server will put the answer to the user s answer directory where the user can browse and download it. All traffic between user s WWW-browser and Query Server is SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) crypted (1). 2.3 Problems The development of MapSite has been done in stages by several persons using different programming methods. The construction of MapSite application is very complicated. There are large number of servers for different functions with various operating systems. Maintaining of MapSite application is very difficult. Technological methods used are partly out-of-date considering the expanding of the services of the MapSite. 3. DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS OF THE NLS ON INFORMATION SERVICES During the last five years the NLS has concentrated on the renewal of production systems of cadastral registers and topographic database. This work is mainly finished. There are now some developing projects pertaining information services in progress. 3.1 The Information Interface project Information Interface is a technical term, which means both the shield for the data being stored, and a service, which handles the transfer of data through the shield between users and data archives (Figure 1). The Information Interface will be a well-defined, XML-based interface, which allows information to be exported to and imported from other soft-

3 ware, web browsers and mobile devices. This makes it possible to change both the applications and the data storage resources independently if necessary. Figure 1. Information Interface Information service applications of NLS will be users of the Information Interface as they are created or renewed. Cooperating partners will also be offered the opportunity to make use of the Information Interface (2). 3.2 Renewal of the Land Information System of Finland On grounds of the law which came into force January the NLS was nominated as the responsible organization for the administration of the Land Information System (LIS). The cadastre component of the LIS is maintained and updated by the NLS District Survey Offices and the 86 cities (out of 450 municipalities) that are in charge of their own cadastre upon cadastral units in their city plan areas. Cadastre dominated by the NLS will be the primary and legal register for cadastral information. The data transfer between the cadastre dominated by the NLS and municipal systems will happen using XML/GMLprotocol through the Information Interface. Loading of geographical data, maintenance and information service transfer is planned to happen according to a single data transfer specification (3). 3.3 The MapSite II project Due to problems in maintenance of the current MapSite, NLS started a developing project in the spring 2001 to produce a new Internet map service to replace the current MapSite. The construction of the new MapSite will be based on the utilization of the services of the Information Interface. 4. NEW MAPSITE Despite of the success of current MapSite the NLS made a decision that problems of the current application will not be repaired but a totally new service will be developed. New information services which could be seen required in the nearest future could not be implemented on the construction of the old MapSite. The good and acquainted features of the old service should however be preserved. 4.1 Stages of the implementation Due to limited resources of developers of the NLS it was obvious that all services of MapSite can not be renewed at once. Services should be priorised. The continuity of services of the paying customers was considered the most important. Phases of the development of the new MapSite are:! Services of current Ordering Service! Free map browsing service (Citizen s MapSite)! Other new services 4.2 User interface The user interface of the new MapSite consists of the map window and control frame (Figure 2). The map window is planned to be as large as possible to fit in the browser window. It displays desired map in JPEG format. There are 9 different raster map datasets to be displayed in 13 scales (1:1000 1:8 mill.). Desired scale can be chosen using Scale

4 Bar tool or Zoom-in, Zoom-out tools and oriented by clicking on the map, on arrows at the edges of the map or on the little orienteering map. Figure 2. User interface of the new MapSite Content of the control frame is changed in accordance with the phase of function. There are five different main forms for map tools, chargeable services, map search services, info and options for settings. Map tools frame serves necessary tools for controlling the map and objects displayed on it. Chargeable services frame enables the access to original databases of the NLS. The Real Estate Market Price Register, the Cadastral Index Map and the Cadastral Register are available in the first phase. Queries can be made using attribute or areal restrictions. Areal restrictions can be set by point, line, rectangle or polygon. MapSite servers handle queries on-line. Result of the query may be an extract of the register viewed in separate window or vector data overlayed on raster map in the map window (See Figure 2.). There are seven products of cadastral services and one product of real estate market price services available. Maps can be searched by coordinates, place names and addresses. Place name database contains about 800,000 names which are derived from the topographic database (TDB). Addresses are also derived from the TDB, there are about 18 million address points available to be searched. Info frame enables users to check their personal details and current invoicing data. On-line user manuals and price list of services are also available. By using options frame users can set for example the language of the user interface and the colour set of the map. 4.3 The modern technology MapSite is build upon As mentioned above MapSite is based on the utilization of the services of the Information Interface. Construction of the new MapSite is represented on Figure

5 Figure 3. Construction of the new MapSite. Web browser of the new MapSite user should be MS Internet Explorer v 5.0 or Netscape v 6.0 at least. The size of the MapSite application is about 100 kb, so loading time is very short. The graphic user interface of the MapSite is created dynamically in the Information Interface server using XML, XSLT-techniques, there are no pre-coded static htmlpages. WWW-technology used to accomplish MapSite functionality is:! Html (content of the control frame is created dynamically using xml, xslt-technology)! Javascript functions (menus, control of applets, input check, user guide texts)! Java-applets (main map with different layers and orienteering map)! Css-style sheets (colours, fonts, placing) MapSite s WWW-server receives the user s requests, directs them to appropriate services and sends various answers back to the user s web browser. MapSite users are managed using LDAP services. User information is stored in LDAP database. Users can be arranged in user groups and privileges to different applications can be handled. LDAP service will later be expanded to cover all user management of the NLS s applications. The Raster map service can be seen as a part of services of the Information Interface. It is based on Bentley Publisher. Management of different raster map datasets, image indexes, metadata, navigation services and coordinate transformations are handled by Java-servlet. Map Site is the first user of the Information Interface. Information, construction of the application and functional logic are based on XML-resources, which are totally apart and independent from the user interface and layout of the application. They are combined by Apache Cocoon-publishing services of the Information Interface.

6 The service process handles the following functions in the Information Interface:! Control, i.e. receiving questions/messages, delivery of these to the operational applications and relaying messages to users! Data collection, i.e. handling the operational applications which transfer data! Registration, i.e. control of who is allowed to do what, and registration of user transactions! Transformation, i.e. conversion of messages into the desired format! Publishing, i.e. the modification of messages into a proper form for the user! The Metadata service, i.e. use of the product and other metadata vocabularies The Information Interface takes care of:! Managing personal setups of users! Maintaining information for invoicing! Monitoring of operation! Saving the answers of queries and enabling re-use of them The Interface for invoicing and user management is based on XML,XSLT-technology. MapSite user information is managed and the invoicing file for a separate Invoicing system is created using this interface. The management system of the original databases of the NLS is based on Smallworld-GIS technology. The Real Estate Market Price Register, the Cadastral Index Map and the Cadastral Register are stored in the same database and managed by JAKO-application. The size of these registers is about 50 Gb. The service process of the Information Interface requires its own database to store the data that it handles. It is based on Oracle-technology. Place names and address points are also stored in Oracle database. Raster map datasets are converted to itiff-format for fast access. The size of Raster database is about 27 Gb. 4.4 Pricing Pricing of the new MapSite services will be generally similar to the old MapSite. Most noticeable difference is that browsing of all maps is free, it is included in the fee of the maintenance. Preliminary prices of cadastral and real estate market price services are represented in the Table 1. Table 1. Prices of cadastral and real estate market price services Product Price Extract of the Cadastral Register (basic information) 0,70 /unit Extract of the Cadastral Register (full information) 3,36 /unit Owner of the Cadastral Unit 1,10 /unit List of owners of common area 3,36 /list Neighbours of the Cadastral Unit 0,50 History of the Cadastral Unit Free of charge Cadastral information presented on the Map 0,85 /unit Extract of the Real Estate Market Pricel Register 0,97 /sale 4.5 Release of the new MapSite The development version of the new MapSite has already been demonstrated to the customers of the NLS. The acceptance has been very positive. The release of the first phase of the new MapSite will be in the autumn FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS The development and release of the new MapSite will be done in stages. The first phase will offer new services to current paying customers. The old MapSite is obtained parallel with the new service. The development of the new Citizen s MapSite can be started when the functionality of the new technology has been assured. 6. CONCLUSIONS The technology employed in implementation of the Information Interface and the new MapSite is not yet in its final form. The same is true of standards, as these are also under development. The lack of real experience in this field means that the NLS is a pioneer in this area.

7 This kind of construction of components makes it easier to maintain and expand applications, because:! Services can be used in different applications and new user interfaces can be created for them! New functions and services can be added to current application without hazarding functionality of old services! Layout of the application can be changed without changing information service and user interface. Confidence of the possibilities and benefits of this new technology is strong in the NLS. 6. REFERENCES [1] P. Sarkola, MapSite Browsing Topographic Maps and Accessing Spatial Data from Finland, ISPRS Workshop FROM PRODUCER TO USER (1997) [2] T. Myllymäki, On the Way to Open Access to Digital Geographic Information, FIG XXII International Congress (2002) [3] P. Halme, Renewal of the Land Information System In Finland, FIG Working Week (2003)

8 MAPSITE - INTERNET MAP SERVICE OF THE NATIONAL LAND SURVEY OF FINLAND GETS DRESSED IN MODERN TECHNOLOGY Pätynen, V. National Land Survey of Finland, Development Centre, Opastinsilta 12 C, P.O.Box 84, FIN Helsinki, Finland. Fax: , veijo.patynen@nls.fi Biography Mr Veijo Pätynen is a Master of Science (in Engineering). He has worked in the National Land Survey of Finland on developing topographic data system for topographic data management and lately information service systems. He is currently working on modernizing production systems of cartographic products of the NLS and as an orderer of the developing project of the new MapSite. His papers on previous ICA conferences have been: o Budapest 1989: Automatic Digitizing of the Contour Lines of the Finnish Basic Map Series o Barcelona 1995: Map Production Using the National Topographic Data System in Finland o Stockholm 1997: Testing for Completeness and Thematic Accuracy of the National Topographic Data System in Finland