Regional project coordination using a web based GIS Application
Technical Specifications
Development of this web-based GIS application began during the Fall of 2000 and was
first deployed on the Sacramento County Intranet during the Spring of 2001. The
application is based on the Environmental System Research Institute’s (ESRI) ArcIMS
technology. As illustrated in Figure 3, the system architecture is both multi-tiered
software and hardware, and is implemented on a Compaq Proliant 6500 Server running
the Microsoft Window’s 2000 operating system. The web server is Microsoft Internet
Information Server using the New Atlanta ServletExec servlet engine. The application
itself employs the ESRI HTML Viewer and was programmed using HTML, Javascript,
Active Server Pages (including additional server components), and ArcXML. The
project data was implemented in a SQL Server database and currently incorporates 10
tables, 3 Views, 5 triggers, 1 Data Transformation Service Package, and 2 server side
components. Over ninety percent of the original development was performed by
Sacramento County while the other ten percent was performed through a support contract
by ESRI.
Figure 3 System Architecture Coordination Using SEROW
As a web-based application, SEROW is accessible to anyone with a browser and a
network connection. Users (Engineers, Planners, Developers, Utilities, Governing
Boards, and the Public upon deployment to the Internet), can access project data by two
different methods, spatial searches and tabular searches. To access data via a spatial
search, a user can use navigation tools to zoom and pan to the geographic area of interest,
trigger the rendering of projects, and mouse click on a project to open a new window that
presents a tabular display of project data. To access data via a tabular search, a user can
open the project search screen, illustrated in Figure 4, and define search criteria.
Figure 4 SEROW Project Search Form
The search can be based on parameters such as Project Name, Location, Organizational
Department, Date Range, and Contact. Furthermore, a selection can be limited to only
projects that are overlapping with another project. Once the parameters have been
defined and the search initiated, a list of candidate projects meeting the search criteria
will be presented to the user. With a mouse click on a candidate, the main map window
will zoom to and highlight the selected project, and a new window will also open up with
a tabular presentation of associated project data (including overlapping projects). The
result will appear similar to the screen shots illustrated in Figure 5 and Figure 6.
Figure 6 demonstrates the main interface of the application with a graphical illustration of
several projects. Each of the colored lines you see in the middle of the street right-of-way
represents a different public works project. The type of project correlates with the
legend on the right as a specific type of Transportation, Water Quality, or Water Resources project. If a user desires to view only specific types of projects, they can
select the project types of interest in the query window and refresh the map. One option
is to view only streets that have more than one project planned on them, which are
rendered in the color red.
Figure 5 SEROW Project Tabular Data Presentation
Displayed in Figure 5, there are several overlapping projects, which flags this as a project
that warrants further investigation and coordination. The project selected was an Overlay
project on Don Julio Blvd that was scheduled for completion in August of 2001. The
project listed below it is a Water Resources pipe and drop inlet project scheduled to begin
within eighteen months of the overlay project. This was an opportunity to prevent the
trenching of a new street.
Figure 6 SEROW Project Graphical Presentation
