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Web Based Campus Information, System

Article · January 2002

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 WEB BASED CAMPUS INFORMATION SYSTEM

Arif Çağdaş Aydınoğlu 1, Tahsin Yomralıoğlu 2

Department of Geodesy & Photogrammetry Engineering,

Karadeniz Technical Unıversity, Trabzon, TURKEY
1
www.gislab.ktu.edu.tr arifcagdas@ktu.edu.tr 2tahsin@ktu.edu.tr

The Campus Information System for Karadeniz Technical University collects

university’s various data consisting of education, management components and
topography, land use. “KTUBIS” named as Karadeniz Technical University
Information System provides the sharing of information for the university as a result
of building a database and presenting the data on the Internet. “KTUBIS” is designed
and built with usual GIS phases. Web technologies are examined. A web based
campus information system has been developed with the using of developing web
technologies. “KTUBIS” is browsed over the Internet with the using of ArcIMS
program. By using this system, communication among departments and services
started. This system aims to help the university’s image and services with updated
data and continuously developing interfaces.

1. INTRODUCTION

The use of Geographical Information System (GIS) and the Internet has changed the way
organisations use geographic information. Therefore, GIS is expanding into new industries. Local
governments, businesses, utilities, higher education instituties are some examples of industries that
have started to implement GIS in daily job routines. [Gonzalez, 2001] University is one of these
application areas. They began to comprehend these technologies’ advantages. Web-based programs
are being using in facility management, admission, enrollment, campus image and so on today. The
role of GIS has also been understood in universities recently. GIS has become more than a program
since GIS is a visual and analytical tool and helps the users to understand or visualize this information
in a map form and enables the users to manage these information interactively and analytically. This
contributes to increase the use of GIS. Therefore, a web based GIS system can be built as a decision
making system in universities. It informs and presents data as a result of answering spatial questions.

The Campus Information System (CIS) of a university collects graphic and non-graphic data related to
university and its sub-departments and then transforms this data to a computer platform, store, query,
analyze, present this data to the user with various formats including charts, reports, maps, and web-
based views with the aim of increasing the efficiency and progress of university. Software, hardware,
data, and personal constitute the CIS for a university. It is a Land Information System (LIS) including
topographic data and land use data and a GIS including health services, landscape planning, statistical
data related to education. In addition, The CIS can be used as a decision making tool for a university
mission.

2. GIS ON THE INTERNET

Creating web applications on the Internet has become a current topic recently. GIS systems have been
a platform which is expensive, dependent, and slow. Different approaches depending on web
technologies appeared. Because of large amounts of data and map images, the software and data
locations are important to create the most optimum system architecture. Various system architecture
have appeared on the Internet GIS. Since Internet is an effective solution, departments can use GIS

International Symposium on GIS, September 23-26, 2002, Istanbul-TURKEY

together with web technologies unlock the location compenents of their data in one centralised place
or contributed places such as information departments.

The only text and images could be browsed over the Internet some years ago. HTTP (Hyper Text
Transfer Protocol) and CGI (Common Gateway Interface) programming technologies initiated
preliminary applications. The first internet mapping application called Xerox PARC Map Viewer
(http://mapweb.parc.xerox.com/map7) was published in 1994. While Internet technologies are
improving, Web based GIS applications continue to develop. New technologies like Java, ActiveX
provide alot of new opportunities for web based GIS. A variety of programs which different vendors
have created are available nowadays. Web based GIS vision, therefore, is developing on different
environments. ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.) has many products including
ArcIMS, MapObject IMS, and so on. These programs work with ArcXML specified XML (eXtensible
Markup Language) programming language or use Java-based and Active-X extensions. ArcXML
named as ESRI’s XML is designed as a protocol data exchange between ArcIMS program
components. (ArcIMS Architecture will be explained in application section) Autodesk Inc. uses
MapGuide working with a plug-in or an Active-X control. Intergraph Corp. uses Geomedia Web Map
working with a plug-in in different formats. MapXsite and MapXtreme produced by MapInfo Corp.
are server-side Java products for application development. There are different web based GIS
programs developed by different companies. But, these Internet applications generally have different
standards, so the sharing of data is impossible. As a result of this, The Open GIS Concortium,Inc.
(OGC) (http://www.ogc.org) was founded to develop a standardized framework for the
interaporability of GIS based services. OGC created The Geography Markup Language (GML).
“GML is an XML encoding for the transport and the storage of geographic information, including both
the geometry and properties of geographic features.” [OGC, 2000]

General working principles have to be explained to understand application components. To illustrate

this, in client and server architecture, Client and server communicates across a computer network
either on Internet or Intranet by means of a HTTP. It lies in creating software systems that are platform
independent and run on open TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol) based
networks. A web browser is a usual client program. The browser program sends a request to the server
and finally a file is transmitted from the server to the client by means of URL (Uniform Resource
Locator). Different strategies having advantages and disadvantages appeared for employing Internet
GIS. These are server side, client side strategies or hybrid strategy including the common features of
other strategies. [Footh,Kirvan, 1998]

Internet Mapping has many technical advantages. Data can be maintained and be updated in a
centralized location or be integrated with many sources on broad spectrum platforms. A web-based
map can be used both privately and publicly. Access can be regulated and redundancy eliminated. The
end-user software is an easy and cheap web browser, not an expensive and complex GIS program.
The web browser provides a much more dynamic map tool than a static map display. System may
support various the end users. When people save and publish these data on the Internet, other people
can access and browse these data simultaneously. Maps can be copied easily on the Internet and be
downloaded for a more detailed use. [Tsou, 2002] As a result of this, GIS on the Web is an
inexpensive method for reaching a vast audience.

Web GIS Applications can bu used in many different areas. Location services, routing and directing
services, electronic atlases, database query, changing phenomena maps, demographic data viewers,
environmental condition maps and data distributing sites are some current examples of web based
GIS applications.

International Symposium on GIS, September 23-26, 2002, Istanbul-TURKEY

3. DEVELOPING THE CIS

Developing the KTUBIS (Karadeniz Technical University Information System) has many benefits.
Campus maps required formats can be created and be collected in updated environments. Files
organized by the system can be reached easily. Created database regarding departments in the
university campus can be used by the university’s managerial services. The main users including
managerial officers, campus planners, personnel, students, other people outside the university can
reach this system via Internet.

3.1 Designing system and collecting data

The KTUBIS graphic data including building, road, parking area, landscape [polygon], infrastructure,
contour [line], geodetical point, illumination, plant [point] was collected from the maps having 1/1000
scale. These layers constitute KTU main campus’s geographical features. According to usage, the
buildings are divided into units such as house, dormitory, managerial, education, food, sport, culture,
library, repair and so on. The other data was collected as to system design. The database’s basic files
are presented on Figure 1. Graphic data was collected from relavent municipality and Geodesy and
Foresty departments in the university. Non-graphic data was collected from managerial services in the
university.

ROAD.AAT PARKING.PAT BUILDING.PAT EDUCATION.DBF

road_id park_id build_id build_id
road_name park_name build_code ...
type capasity name
width location type MANAGERIAL.DBF
area area storey build_id
perimeter perimeter built_date ...
area
INFRAST.AAT GEODESY.NAT perimeter HOUSE.DBF
infrast_id point_id ... build_id
found_date point_code ...
type type PLANT.NAT
repair_date y plant_no FOOD.DBF
... x plant_id build_id
h latin_name ...
ILLUNIN.NAT found_date turk_name
lamp_id location family SPORT.DBF
lamp_no form build_id
type TOPO.AAT height ...
height topo_id leaf_shape
colour h leaf_color CULTURE.DBF
length ... build_id
...

Figure 1: KTUBIS Database Design

International Symposium on GIS, September 23-26, 2002, Istanbul-TURKEY

3.2 Processing the data and building GIS Database

Graphic data was digitised and edited with AutoCAD program. The digital maps was created on DXF
format and transformed to shapefile format ARC programs use. The KTUBIS has primarily built on
Arc. Connections and database architecture were built, depending on database design. (Figure 1) All
querying and analyzing functions are available on ARC program environment. Figure 2 shows an
example of ArcView’s user interface.

Figure 2: Showing non-graphic data regarding a building on ArcView program

3.3 Designing Web Architecture for KTUBIS

ESRI’s ArcIMS 3.2 software has been used to serve the KTUBIS data and services. ArcIMS has a
multitier architecture consisting of presentation, business logic, and data storing tiers. The business
logic tier including server components are used to process requests, create and run MapServices, and
manage the site. The data storage tier includes the sources of data. (Figure 3) Communication between
the tiers is handled through ArcXML. Client viewer processes the data on the client machine
performing many tasks without further interaction with the server. ArcIMS supports HTML and Java
Clients. While Java viewers use a Java applet and contain more clientside processing capabilities,
HTML viewers are lighter weight and has more reduced features. HTML Viewer is used in this study.
The HTML/DHTML Viewer is written using HTML, DHTML, and JavaScript. Browsers must be
version 4.0 or higher to do process. KTUBIS created by ArcIMS Architecture can solve basic GIS
problems. Specific applications are developed, depending on user needs. The users on a local network
(LAN), and anyone over the Web can potentially access and analyze the data.

Basicly, ArcIMS work can be phased over six steps. Firstly, The client over the Internet sends a
request to KTUBIS web site. Secondly, The web server receives the request and passes the connector.
The connectors provide a communication pathway between a Web Server and The Application Server.
Thirdly, the request handed from the connector providing communication for request and responde to
the Application Server. The Application Server handles the load distribution of incoming requests.
Fourthly, The Application Server distributes the requests to appropriate The Spatial Server. The
Spatial Server processes requests for maps and related information. When a request is received, Spatial

International Symposium on GIS, September 23-26, 2002, Istanbul-TURKEY

“Server performs functions such as creating map image files, streaming map features, feature
extraction, geocoding, querying. Fifthly, The Spatial Server creates response. Finally, the response
returns through the reverse order of the initial request. [ESRI, 2000]

Internet Web Browser

Presentation
Tier

Web Server
Servlet
Microsoft IIS Connector
on Windows2000

Application Server

ArcXML
Spatial Server
Business
Logic Tier

KTUBIS
Data Storage Data Sources
Tier

Figure 3: ArcIMS 3.2 Architecture used by the KTUBIS

3.4 The Use of System

Figure 4: KTUBIS Web Browser

International Symposium on GIS, September 23-26, 2002, Istanbul-TURKEY

 This system presents basic GIS functions. Pan and zoom the map, identify and find features, search for
features, work with measuring distances and scale bar units, query data, change layer properties and
add data are some abilities of the KTUBIS.

4. CONCLUSIONS

The KTUBIS is tested on an example system. A great many users can reach this information
efficiently in a common platform and view the same data simultaneously. It can be understood that
web based information system has advantages in view of time and cost. This system is an inexpensive
and cost effective approach because the users can easily reach the data on the Internet. Otherwise, an
addition software would be necessary to use the KTUBIS on computer desktop. We continue to
improve this system for expanding it fulfilling future demands. The KTUBIS can be updated easily,
and provide easy-use multimedia presentation with new functions. New user interfaces are being
developed , depending on user needs.

REFERENCES

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., “ ArcIMS 3 Architecture”, White Paper, California,
USA (2000)
Foote, Kenneth E. and Anthony P. Kirvan., “WebGIS”, NCGIA Core Curriculum in GIScience,
Available:http://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/giscc/units/u133/u133.html, USA (1998)
Gonzalez, Lorri J., “Assesment of a Web-based GIS Mapping application for California State
University Advancement”, MA, California State University, USA (2001)
Open GIS Concortium, Inc., “Geography Markup Language (GML) v1.0”, Doc.Number:00-029, USA
(2000)
Tsou,M., “Internet Mapping and Distributed GISerrvices”, GEO596 Lecture Notes, Available:
http://map.sddu.eu/geo596, San Diego State University, USA (2002)

International Symposium on GIS, September 23-26, 2002, Istanbul-TURKEY

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