A practical solution to the geospatial data barrier problem

The inconvenience and expense of converting geospatial data from one format to another is a significant barrier to the proliferation of geographic information system applications: up to 85% of the cost of a new GIS may be attributable to data conversion costs. Although standardization efforts are under way, they are unliiely to eliminate the problem This paper proposes a solution, the Open Geospatial Datastore Interface (OGDI), an application programming interface (API) that provides a standardized method through which a GIS software package can access, “on the fly”, a variety of geospatial data products. OGDI uses a client/server architecture to facilitate the dissemination of gcospatial data products both locally and over any TCWIP network, and a driver-oriented approach to provide access to many geospatial data products and formats. The use of OGDI in the GRASSLAND GIS software is demonstrated, highlighting direct access to several geospatial data formats, including GRASS, VRP, ADRG and DTBD. OGDI and its source code are freeware.