Open-Source Software technologies for data archiving and online geospatial processing

This paper addresses the significant leverage, collaboration, and performance that can be obtained with Open-Source Software for Geospatial Data Management and Information Systems. Open-source software provides the building blocks for advanced geospatial archiving, processing, and distribution. Recently, robust open-source software solutions have proliferated in remote sensing, geographical information systems, spatial data engines, and relational databases. Additionally, advanced supercomputing capabilities with clusters of commodity personal computers can be applied to the management and processing of extremely large data sets. These advances have been integrated into highly-leveraged systems that can be applied to a wide array of remote sensing and geospatial activities. The authors describe the various technologies currently available and how these technologies have been integrated into an online Data Management System. Examples of the application of this system to multiple application areas are described. Examples include custom processing and organization of satellite, aerial, raster map, and vector data sets.