GeoStor:

The name GeoStor refers to a comprehensive, web-based geodata delivery system. At the core of this system is a massive (two terabyte) Oracle database containing all publicly available geodata for the state of Arkansas. This geographic data is placed in an Oracle Enterprise Spatial Database running on a Sun Microsystems 4500 Enterprise class server and supporting g UltraEnterprise 450s and Windows 2000 servers. The geographic and attribute components of each feature (e.g. "Highway 1") are stored as an object in the database. The data are indexed using a quadtree index that provides fast access. Access to this data from the World Wide Web is accomplished via a variety of peripheral mechanisms.

GeoSurf :

GeoSurf is a Java-based product which allows the user to query and download geodata from GeoStor. The user can query the database with geographic and metadata constraints to find data layers of interest. These layers can then be downloaded to the user's machine. GeoSurf allows the user to specify geographic clip boundaries, projection, and data format (e.g. Arcview Shape, MapInfo, etc.) and packages the data layer as specified. GeoSurf's implementation uses a Java Applet, a collection of Java Servlets and several third-party products. The Java Servlets are running in a Java 2 Enterprise Edition Servlet environment. MapXtreme 3.0 (MapInfo Corporation) is used to provide a visual interface for geographic queries. Data is converted and re-projected using the Feature Manipulation Engine (FME), from Safe Software, which was also used to load much of the data. GeoGateway software (PCI GeoMatics) is used to re-project raster data and was used to load much of the raster data. GeoMedia (Intergraph), ER Mapper (ER-Mapper) and ArcInfo 8 (ESRI) were used to create seamless data sets and manipulate the data before loading.

Online Mapping:

GeoStor System is not an line web mapping system but it's architecture supports a variety of applications. One, the Arkansas Economic Development Atlas, provides communities throughout the state of Arkansas with important economic development information such as available work force, infrastructure and other factors. A second application is the Interoperable GeoObserver (I GO) and a third is the Arkansas Soil Information System (ARK-SIS) For a complete discussion of the GeoStor architecture go to Design and Architecture.

Benefits of GeoStor:

1. get just the part of data that you want, they are not restricted to pre-defined map units (i.e. data is dynamically "clipped" by the selected polygon),

2. select data by many easy-to-use criteria: (a) Township/Range/Section, (b) address and buffersize, (c) point in UTM, lat/lon or SPSC coordinates and buffer size, (d) box drawn on screen (e) place (e.g. city-limits, county, park boundaries and/or (f) theme keyword,

3. when an area is selected all available themes are listed for that area,

4. convert the data to up to 50 + different GIS formats,

5. convert the data to a wide range of datums and projections,

6. obtain a much wider range of data,

7. access seamless statewide DOQQ aerial photography and TM imagery that is contrast balanced,

8. access imagery (including DRG, DOQQ, TM) that has not lost any detail through compression (if desired),

9. access all data via the FGDC NSDI clearinghouse system, and get data that is OGC specification compliant.