Spatial data infrastructure

Abstract

A spatial data infrastructure (SDI) provides an institution-sanctioned automated means for posting, discovering, evaluating and exchanging geospatial information by participating producers and users of information. SDI extends a geographic information system by ensuring that geospatial data and standards are used to create authoritative datasets and policies that support it. This chapter provides definitions of SDI at different levels and describes the components of SDI. It explains open standards for SDI and the usage of open standards in developing an SDI. The chapter also describes server architecture models for the SDI and Geospatial One-Stop portal by using the real examples. One of the main goals of the Geospatial One-Stop portal is to leverage open standards defined collaboratively by various stakeholders, freely published and enforceable by any vendor or organization.