Implementing new ASDD nodes

Requirements

To participate in the ASDD, an organisation needs to meet certain criteria. These are summarised in Requirements and Standards.

Background

You will need to be familiar with how the ASDD operates. The ASDD search and retrieve overview provides some explanation and ASDD documentation and resources provides an overview of terminology and links to further information. The document Establishing individual ASDD nodes provides a high-level explanation and shows how any organisation can participate.

Storage and presentation methods

• XML document collections
  • the Z39.50 server has in-built methods to index , search, and present the metadata
  • presentation using pre-prepared documents
  • need 3 files for each dataset description
    • structured metadata (.xml)
    • presentation HTML (.html or .htm)
    • Simple Unstructured Text Record Syntax SUTRS (.txt)
  • presentation using dynamic conversion techniques, e.g. the ACT and ANRDL nodes do server-side converson of the xml on-the-fly
• Database or other repository
  • the Z39.50 server can pass requests to a database system to search, and present the metadata
  • presentation using dynamic techniques
  • see zSQLgate: the generic Z39.50-to-RDBMS gateway server for more details.
  • Note that this is not the recommended method. You would be better to regularly export the metadata to xml files and index that collection.

Configuration

There are some general Z39.50 configuration issues that apply to all servers. These include using the GEO Profile, holding up-to-date configuration files, responding to requested Element Sets and Record Syntaxes.

Server options

The following pages describe each known option. If you have another option then please describe it in the standard format and send it to the technical coordinating node. New options need to be capable of numeric, date, and advanced search.

• Isite on UNIX
• Isite on Windows NT
• MetaStar on Windows NT and Unix
• Zebra

Hosted nodes

Any one node can also host a collection of geospatial metadata for another organisation. In that way, an organisation that does not have an actual Z39.50 server can appear to be a fully-fledged node of the ASDD.

Testing your node

Your Z39.50 server needs to be fully tested before it can be added to the ASDD gateway interfaces. Your Z39.50 software should have utility programs to help with this. There are various other tools available at the Z39.50 Maintenance Agency and other service providers can help.

Note that if you do not have valid XML metadata documents, then you can expect many problems with your Z39.50 server. These can often be masked as configuration errors.

As the final step before going public, there is a replica of the "ASDD advanced search" gateway interface. This allows node managers to conduct queries against your own test Zserver, which would run on a different port to your production Zserver.

ASDD test gateway

Please send feedback to add your test node to this test gateway. (Do not ask if you have not already thoroughly tested your node.) We need to know the following details:

• hostname ... the domain name of the server e.g. indexgeo.com.au
• port ... on which your test Zserver is running
• repository name ... the name of the searchable document repository
• picklist title ... the name for your node that will be listed on the interface

Registering your node

When your server is properly configured, tested, and is available to the Z39.50 world, your next step is to register your node so that the ASDD gateway WWW interface knows about it.

Your node manager needs to join the "ASDD node managers" document management service. Using this Internet service you will create and edit your ASDD node descriptions. When you are satisfied with your document's presentation then you will publish it. The gateway manager at Geoscience Australia will be automatically alerted to the new node and will add it to the ASDD gateway interface. You can edit and update your documents whenever you choose. If the crucial information below is changed then the gateway manager is again alerted.

• hostname ... the domain name of the server e.g. indexgeo.com.au
• port ... 210, 6668, or 5500-5550
• repository name ... the name of the searchable document repository
• picklist title ... the name for your node that will be listed on the interface
• you can host many nodes on the same server - create one description for each

Also advise any other collaborators in your field, so that you can form your own thematic spatial data directory - even serve different views of the same data.