GeoServer

Overview

GeoServer is the Java based GIS web server that I am using with PostgreSQL and PostGIS for the Mapping Vietnam project

Home page: http://geoserver.org/

2009 Feb 06 -- I decided to take a crack at installing GeoServer 1.7.2 today.

2011 Oct -- I am working with 2.1.2 now

"GeoServer is a Java-based software server that allows users to view and edit geospatial data. Using open standards set forth by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), GeoServer allows for great flexibility in map creation and data sharing."

The crucial feature is that it allows edits via WFS-T. Mapserver does not.

WFS-T comments: http://weblogs.java.net/blog/2006/01/09/geoserver-wfs-t

Status

At this point I have installed GeoServer 2.1.2 on HuPI.org, using the WAR file and Tomcat 7. It's running on the Oracle Java JRE.

Tomcat shuts down randomly at the moment. Not too worried since I am just testing.

I have looked at the sample data ("Whitefish") that is included. Next step is to get some of my own data loaded.

Setting up GeoServer

I found instructions in the PostGIS book. Page 324- As mentioned above I currently use the WAR file method.

Getting GeoServer going at HupI.org

I removed OpenJDK (which is purported to be suboptimal for use with GeoServer) and installed Oracle JRE 6.

Removing the JDK also removed about 400 pounds of other packages, including Tomcat 6. This is okay really, since Tomcat 7 is the latest release anyway.

I downloaded Tomcat 7 in binary tar.gz form and unpacked it in /usr/local/java. I started it using the script in the bin directory called startup.sh and then went to http://hupi.org:8080/ and voila! There is is. Tres bien!!!

Then I moved the geoserver files into the Tomcat webapps directory and surfed to http://hupi.org:8080/geoserver/ and this too worked.

Change admin password now. Set up password access Default is admin, geoserver. Just edit the security file, no need to restart, takes effect right away.

Next I have to set up my own workspace to serve my PostGIS data.

Connecting GeoServer to PostGIS

Some notes on using WFS-T http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jreyes/2007/08/03/geotools-wfs-t-update-request/

GeoServer has

• workspaces aka namespaces
• stores aka datastores
• layers

These are about organizing the data accessible to GeoServer.

You store data in stores and a store has to be in a workspace. A PostGIS store connects to a database, and the tables therein become accessible as layers (once you publish them)

So you can create a workspace for Oregon and then put all your state-level data into stores that are in the Oregon workspace.

Sample GeoServer site

The Portland TriMet system map is on GeoServer via the OpenGeo stack.

This is from the Portland Trimet site... GeoServer, OpenLayers, TileCache, PostgreSQL, PostGIS, GDAL, Extjs, Freemarker, Solr, Antlr, Balance Ant, Http Client, Tomcat, Apache, and Cent OS are the underlying technologies used on this application. We're indebted to the contributors of these (and many other: eclipse, firefox and firebug to name a few) open source projects for sharing their efforts and expertise.