GIS PRODUCT NEWS harvesting tool automatically retrieves and updates metadata from existing catalogs and databases, then registers them with the metadata catalog. Publishing and Sharing The ArcGIS Server Geoportal extension supports many different metadata profiles and standards. In addition to a custom metadata service based on ArcGIS Server technology, the extension supports Dublin Core, Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) metadata standards. Organizations or SDI initiatives typically create profiles of these standards to capture specific or additional information in resource descriptions that are deemed relevant for the particular SDI initiative. To support two globally relevant SDI initiatives, the ArcGIS Server Geoportal extension includes support for the North American Profile and INSPIRE profile of the ISO metadata standards. The browser-based Web application allows resource publishers to register their resources with a GIS portal and either create the metadata directly or upload existing metadata. The Web application also provides tools for managing published resources. Additionally, resources can be published directly to a GIS portal from ArcCatalog by using the publishing client. Discovering and Using GIS Resources The browser-based Web application created by the portal developers and managed by the portal administrators provides an intuitive experience for resource users to find, preview, and access geospatial resources. Additionally, they can search and access resources directly from ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Explorer with the freely available CSW clients, which integrate seamlessly with these desktop GIS programs. Additionally, to save time and IT resources, users do not have to access or download an entire resource to use it in their projects. By using the clip-zip-ship task, users can draw a polygon around their desired location, select the layers they wish to receive from that location, and choose an output format and projection. The GIS portal, using the ArcGIS Server Data Interoperability extension, runs a geoprocessing task that extracts the required information from the resource and sends the user an e-mail with the location of the extracted data. Conclusion Organizations use the ArcGIS Server Geoportal extension to improve knowledge sharing, reduce 13 duplication of effort, direct people toward the best available data, and improve the overall quality of geospatial data and information. With the ArcGIS Server Geoportal extension, organizations improve the efficiency and effectiveness of geospatial activities within their enterprise and with other organizations. More Information To learn more about the ArcGIS Server Geoportal extension, visit www.esri.com/gisportal. ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs Create Fast, Modern Web Applications A simple way to create cross browser and cross platform Web mapping applications is available via the ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs. These application programming interfaces (APIs) for JavaScript, Flex, and Microsoft Silverlight can be purchased separately from any other ArcGIS software. A low-cost annual subscription allows users to access the ArcGIS API for JavaScript, Flex, or Microsoft Silverlight and deploy it. The subscription also includes access to ArcGIS Online standard, no-cost services. The APIs include support for dynamic and cached map services, common GIS tasks, and drawing graphics and adding pop-up windows. More Information For more information, visit www.esri.com/ mappingapis. Organizations can control record-level metadata access through the use of three types of access control policies. The Unrestricted policy allows all users to access all approved resource descriptions. The Public-Protected policy allows all users to access public documents and only allows members of one specific group to see the protected documents. Finally, the Restricted policy allows all users to access the unrestricted documents, but only specified groups have access to restricted documents. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, particular datasets were made available to first responders for a brief period of time without making these datasets publicly available. The ArcGIS Server Geoportal extension also includes a harvesting tool that allows portal administrators to add and update large volumes of geospatial resources to the metadata catalog. The ArcGIS Explorer 900 Makes It Even Easier to Deliver GIS to Everyone ArcGIS Explorer 900 offers an enhanced user experience and expands how the software can be used to deliver geographic information to a broad audience. ArcGIS Explorer offers an easy way to view, present, and share GIS data. It connects directly to a variety of ready-to-use ArcGIS Online basemaps and layers and enables users to connect to their own map services or add local data. It can also be extended with a user’s own tools to deliver geoprocessing and other capabilities to people who do not necessarily know anything about GIS. It is ideal for delivering GIS to everyone, not just GIS professionals. ArcGIS Explorer includes intuitive, high-performance visualization and presentation tools that let users make information visually compelling. It is engineered to work directly with maps and layers authored using ArcGIS Desktop and published via ArcGIS Server, or shared as layer packages, and makes integration of other data easy. New features in ArcGIS Explorer 900 include • Easier to use, intuitive user experience—A new ribbon-based user experience guides users to the appropriate tools, making ArcGIS Explorer more intuitive to use. • Integrated 2D/3D display—With a single click, users can switch their display mode. • Geographic presentation—Users can create dynamic presentations that integrate GIS and other content, including titles, pop-ups, documents, photos, and videos. ArcGIS Explorer 900 also offers a full-screen display. • ArcGIS sharing—It is now even easier to leverage data from ArcGIS Online, including data published by Esri and other GIS users. • Enhanced data support—ArcGIS Explorer 900 supports the new ArcGIS 9.3.1 layer packages, which encapsulate ArcGIS Desktop cartography, along with data. ArcGIS Explorer 900 also supports layer files and offers improved support for KML/KMZ. In addition, users can change their basemaps on the fly while maintaining their operational layers. ArcGIS Explorer 900 includes intuitive, highperformance visualization and presentation tools that let users make information visually compelling. • Multiple languages—The ArcGIS Explorer help tool, resource center, and user interface can be used in a variety of languages. ArcGIS Explorer also includes a software development kit available for free download, which provides a powerful object model and lets developers create new tools and add-ins. More Information For more information and to download ArcGIS Explorer 900, visit www.esri.com/ arcgisexplorer. Professional ArcGIS® ATP education Custom ArcGIS education & curriculum development GIS Consulting ArcGIS Server OGC News Update The following is an ArcGIS Server news update on Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC)supported standards and how they can be used: The ArcGIS Server implementation of the OGC Web Map Service (WMS) standard includes support for the use of Styled Layer Descriptors (SLD). The implementation of the SLD specification allows a publisher to advertise multiple user-selectable styles when generating a map. Users can also create their own styles in an SLD document and task the ArcGIS Server WMS to generate an image based on a user-defined style. The SLD implementation allows greater client-side control of symbology. Another new feature is the Transactional Web Feature Service (WFS-T), which enables any GIS client that supports WFS-T to carry out transactions against geodatabases using the WFS-T service published by ArcGIS Server. Publishers can also create Web applications that leverage the WFS-T specification, allowing multiple browser-based clients editing access to the Esri geodatabase. Both the SLD and the Web Feature Server (WFS) implementation of ArcGIS Server can leverage the OGC Filter Encoding (FE) specification. The ArcGIS Server implementation of FE allows SLD-based WMS workflows to apply spatial and attribute filter logic to selectively style relevant features. In the context of ArcGIS software’s WFS implementation, FE-based spatial and attribute filters can be used within the queries to request a subset of features from the data store. ArcGIS Server can publish any raster dataset as OGC WMS, WCS, or KML. Web Coverage Service (WCS) is a data service that enables multispectral pixel values from a raster dataset to be returned to Web applications. The ArcGIS WCS implementation returns data in a multitude of formats— GeoTIFF, NITF, HDF, JPEG, JPEG 2000, and PNG. Applications that can connect to WCS services (including ArcGIS and geoprocessing tools) can then perform analysis on the pixel values. ArcGIS Server allows users to share maps and data as OGC KML. Map and image services expose a KML network link using the REST pattern. ArcGIS Server map services can also return the results of geoprocessing, geocoding, and query operations as KML. Some of the Esri-supported OGC specifications include WMS, WFS, WCS, KML, CSW, SLD, and FE. A complete list is available on the www.esri.com/standards Web site. More Information For more information and new podcasts, visit www.esri.com/standards. www.kesslergis.com Bruce Kessler 509-235-5500 Authorized ArcGIS Desktop II/III course San Diego, CA July 6-10, 2009  Competitive pricing  Small class size  Lunch service  Sailboat cruise in San Diego Bay and more Pre-Esri User Conference www.kesslergis.com/uc2009.htm