Data streaming in GIS

By Dawn Wright

Posted on behalf of and authored by Graham Stickler, Senior Director Global Marketing, exactEarth Ltd.

Near-real-time (NRT) tracking of the Cosco Boston vessel using exactEarth automatic identification system geospatial web services within the GeoEvent Processor framework.

We are delighted at exactEarth to see Esri’s efforts to advance the management and use of streaming data feeds into the GIS environment, which traditionally has been dominated by static maps. As a major supplier of near real-time geospatial data for maritime vessels, here at exactEarth we are committed to interoperability of our data with all platforms. And as an Esri Business Partner we were closely involved in the ArcGIS® 10.2 GeoEvent™ Processor for Server beta program, working with Esri to ensure our exactAIS® global ship data can be ingested and processed easily by ArcGIS® 10.2 GeoEvent™ Processor for Server.

Now that ArcGIS® 10.2 GeoEvent™ Processor for Server has been released we have created a pre-configured template that can be directly imported by Esri users and that will automatically connect to our exactAIS Geospatial Web Services™ (GWS). This configuration allows users to directly ingest Satellite AIS data and to make rules and processes to generate alerts, as well as stream and load data into Esri based technologies, including ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS SDKs and ArcGIS for Desktop.

Along with the templates, we are providing sample data for demonstration use that are 96-hours delayed and provide vessel type, flag, latitude/longitude, speed, and course. Only the most important/relevant information is presented to the user’s map such as alerts of vessels coming too close to harbor or encroaching on areas they are prohibited from entering. This information can then be used to rapidly assess and respond to the information being analyzed.

We believe this is an exciting development. Using this approach Esri users can now very quickly and simply request and receive near real-time Ship Tracking information and then configure processes to store data in local ArcGIS Servers or ArcGIS Online, generate alerts on live map interfaces, or even send email or other media alerts. If data are stored in a local ArcGIS for Server database or ArcGIS Online, a user can click on a vessel and see its current information from Esri map viewers such as ArcMap, ArcGIS Online, etc. Using the pre-configured template exactAIS data can now easily be streamed with ArcGIS® 10.2 GeoEvent™ Processor for Server, near real-time vessel tracking is now enabled.

For any Esri user with an interest in the Maritime world we believe such flexible and simple access to a continuous view of the world’s shipping behaviour is a major step forward and fully justifies all the hard work Esri have put in to provide a connection to the streaming data world.

To see the exactEarth pre-configured template for ArcGIS® 10.2 GeoEvent™ Processor for Server in action using exactAIS Geospatial Web Services, check out the web page GWS and ArcGIS® 10.2 GeoEvent™ Processor for Server from Esri.

Dawn Wright

Dawn Wright joined Esri as Chief Scientist in October 2011, after 17 years as a Professor of Geography and Oceanography at Oregon State University. As Esri Chief Scientist, she is responsible for strengthening the scientific foundation for Esri software and services, while representing Esri to the international scientific community. Dawn also remains on the faculty of Oregon State University. Over the past 30 years she has developed and participated in several initiatives around the world to map, analyze, and preserve ocean terrains and ecosystems, and was elected to both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, as well as the American Academy of Arts & Sciences for this work. Aside from GIS, Dawn is very much into road cycling, apricot green tea gummy bears, 18th-century pirates, her puppy Riley, and SpongeBob Squarepants.

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Data streaming in GIS

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