On the Job: Data Processing Authority Builds One of Germany's Largest Municipal Geodata Warehouses

Intergraph solution heightens security and access to regional geospatial data

KRZN is the data-processing center (figure 1) working for local government authorities in the Niederrhein, Germany, area. KRZN provides computer-based information processing for 8,000 Web and desktop users within the 42 city and county municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The KRZN warehouse will contain cadastral and related data on 725,000 land parcels and 770,000 buildings.

Figure 1. The server room at the KRZN data-processing center.

Capturing and analyzing data in a multivendor environment had become increasingly difficult for KRZN due to the increased demand for data processing, which was spurred by regional development. With geospatial data spread across 500 desktops and workstations in different formats, data exchange had become time-consuming and costly.

"The new system allows us to offer a sustainable, high-quality solution customized to match customers' requirements, thus enhancing our long-standing customer relationships," said Wilfried Funk, GIS coordinator, KRZN. "With the system, public administrative authorities can now quickly and easily access the latest geographic data for planning, administration or disaster management."

Using Intergraph's GeoMedia technology, existing data systems of local and regional governments were converted into a centralized Oracle-based geodata warehouse. This new Web-based system (figures 2 and 3) uses a Linux Apache front-end Web server to administer and provide access to geographic data. Data owners have full access to warehouse data while selective external audiences have access to data sections specific to their needs. The new system provides extra security measures and simplifies administration for KRZN while providing an affordable solution for each municipal administration. Additional benefits are time and cost savings realized by eliminating data format translation for both KRZN and the municipal entities.

Figure 2. KRZN's desktop viewing using the Intergraph system.

Figure 3. KRZN's Web-based GIS viewing.

The KRZN implementation showcases the powerful combination of Intergraph's GeoMedia Web solutions running in a Linux environment, Intergraph reports. The solution addresses the need for an environment secure from viruses and hackers while matching high-performance requirements such as better load balancing and sophisticated programming to designate different individual access rights.