GIS display of specimen collecting locations
This page is under construction

The GIS display feature enables users to view on a map the collecting locations of the specimens in their query results, so that they may investigate or discover spatial relationships. This map appears in their web browsers, without requiring them to have GIS software on their desktop computers.

User instructions
bulletGo to the test query: fog.shore.mbari.org/samplesDB/queries/Default.asp (internal only)
bulletEnter your constraints and hit Submit.
bulletOn the returns page select Display results on a GIS map, then on the next page View GIS map.
bulletZoom in or out using the + or - magnifying glass icons. Select a point using the i icon, and its sample number, position, waypoint name, and other data is displayed in a table to the right of the map.
bulletIf you are unable to view a fresh query result, click here for browser setting instructions.

System requirements
bulletGeographic display of result sets from web-based queries of the samples database.
bulletWeb interface providing support for (as much as possible) clients of: Internet Explorer or Netscape (PC, Mac or UNIX).
bulletServer platform is WINNT Internet Information Server.
bulletMultiple clients running different queries may access maps simultaneously.
bulletThe interface provided via the local intranet through a standard web browser interface with the potential to extend to the outside internet in the future.

ASP info
The data files are generated by an ASP from result sets of queries of the specimen database. The ASP is \\fog\Inetpub\wwwroot\samplesdb\gis\gis-data.asp. The data files get placed in \\fog\Inetpub\wwwroot\samplesdb\gis_data\ as comma-delimited text files, with a different name for every file so users can be viewing their own maps concurrently.

GIS info
The ArcView Internet Map Server, an extension to ESRI's ArcView that provides a Java client map browser and server which interfaces with internet information server, meets all the requirements and provides some additional functionality that has the potential to make the map quite useful. Internet Mapping Server must be open on the server at all times. The applet is at \\fog\Inetpub\wwwroot\samplesdb\gis_data\montbayapplet.html. Map coverage is the entire globe, and the highest resolution is the EM-300 data of Monterey Bay, for now.

Issues, solutions, bugs, bug fixes

Issues:

  1. Base map data must be provided for entire globe as our scientists may have samples from anywhere.
  2. It is desirable that the server process survive the reboot process and the logon/off sequence (be a service not an interactive application) if possible.
  3. Query results must be maintained with each map session so results don’t change when map is refreshed.
  4. Results may be from an area outside of Monterey Bay or not visible at the default map scale.

Solutions:

  1. Map themes (layers) of multiple resolutions are set to turn on/off based on scale. A low resolution global theme is always on in the background and will be covered where higher resolution data are available.
  2. The session of ArcView running the internet map server extension is installed as a service on fog called ArcIMS. This service runs as user iagadmin and there is not any window visible on the desktop. The service is started/stoped from the control panel. If the setup needs to be configured or tested the service options can be set to allow the application to interact with the desktop.
  3. Samples data base query results are written to a unique file for loading by the map server (which must be cleared from disk periodically). Java client and server are customized so the query results filename is maintained by the applet in a variable called "ResultsFile"
  4. Add new button to zoom to extent of query data. This solution requires modification of the java applet MapCafe and the Avenue scripts in ArcView.

 Bugs:
bulletArcViewIMS will not work on server FOG but works fine on my NT machine "shark".
bulletApplet not reloading each time so the query results displayed in map are stale.
bulletOpening of GIS map window works differently on IE and Netscape

Bug Fixes:
bulletThe problem is a result of several DLLs installed by visual studio which are not backward compatible. Visual Studio service pack 3 fixes the problem.
bulletTo get applet to refresh each time the following meta tag must be added to the html document that sets up the frames for mapCafe.

<Head>
<META http-equiv="Pragma" content="no-cache">
</Head>
bulletThis is the code that works in both browsers: (from Dan Wilkin)
<script Language="JavaScript"><!-- 
// open the Main GIS HTML page in the current window 
window.location = "../../Maps/montbay.html"; 
//--> 
</script>

If the second to last line is "-->" instead of "//-->", the code only works in IE. Strange.

Setup:

  1. Run Arcview.exe (the application)
  2. Install the Internet map server and load the project D:\esri\projects\mapserv.apr (There is a copy of this project as a backup if disaster strikes)
  3. Make sure the modified map café applet is being used. The source and development, respectively, are located on the PC called shark in
        D:\Jbuilder3\myprojects\com\esri
        F:\InetPub\wwwroot\MapCafe\

Installing ArcViewIMS as a service on NT

The reason for installing ArcViewIMS as a service on NT is so the ArcView Internet Map Server will be available from the server regardless of who is logged in (if anybody). The service is managed through the control pannel -> services applet and will survive the logon/off process of whomever is using the system.

1. In ArcView:

  1. Set up the map (with the ArcViewIms extension) and set the map to be served at startup (under the file menu with the project manager window active).
  2. Now from a command window on the server:
    C:\ntreskit\instsrv ArcViewIMS c:\ntreskit\srvany.exe
    -> configure via the Services applet ("Startup..." dialog) of the Control Panel as automatic for the newly created service "ArcViewIMS"
    -> set via the Services applet ("Startup..." dialog) of the Control Panel to the account for the service (user "iagadmin"). DON'T check interact with desktop.

2. Specify the application to start & its parameters:

  1. Run the Registry Editor (REGEDT32.EXE):
    -> under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ArcViewIMS: create a 'Parameters' key
    -> under the above key, create an 'Application' value of type string and specify there the full path of your app executable (including the extension). For example: Application: D:\esri\av_gis30\arcview\bin32\arcview.exe
    -> OPTIONAL: under the above key, create an 'AppParameters' value of type REG_SZ and specify the parameters for your app. For Example:     AppParameters: d:\esri\projects\mapserv.apr
    -> OPTIONAL: under the above key, create an 'AppDirectory' value of type REG_SZ and specify the current directory to use for the app, eg:
        AppDirectory: d:\esri\projects
  2. Now go to the control panel -> services applett and start the arcviewims service
  3. Check in the task manager for an arcview process.
  4. Try and hit the map from a web browser.
  5. The case of all above strings is not important.

Browser info
The client web browsers may be Netscape or Internet Explorer on any platform.

If you are unable to view a fresh query result, set the web browser to update its cache "every time", not the default "once per session".
bulletTo set this in Netscape, go to the menu Edit and choose Preferences -> Advanced -> Cache -> Every time
netscapeGIS.jpg (51333 bytes)
bulletTo set this in Internet Explorer, go to the menu View, and choose
Internet Options -> General -> Temporary Internet Files -> Settings -> Every visit to the page
ieGIS1.jpg (68323 bytes)

»Next: MS Access satellite databases
SamplesDB documentation in frames

Last updated: 10 February 2005 by Jennifer Paduan
Copyright © 1998 MBARI