The information you use within Spatial Workshop may come from multiple sources as the providers for tabular data, layers and services. You may use this information as is. However in many cases you will be interested in the added value that the information in these sources can offer, by combining, linking, selecting, filtering and deriving additional information.
Within Spatial Workshop you can create your own Spatial Business Objects from the data in the different sources available. Within Spatial Workshop the user interacts with his own Spatial Business Objects which are built from data from these sources. The User Interface of Spatial Workshop doesn't communicate directly with the provided data and services, but it interacts with a layer of internal services and logic.
Spatial Business Objects
In Spatial Workshop, there is a strict separation between Sources (actually, the data and services these sources provide) and the Interface parts of the system. The user works with Spatial Business Objects. Spatial Business Objects are aggregations of that shield the UI from Source Elements as well as shielding the UI from changes in Source Elements. Spatial Business Objects meanwhile provide more meaningful data and services to the end user than the original Sources may do.
Types of Business Objects
Within Spatial Workshop you can create various types of Spatial Business Objects from specific subsets of the data sources in use:
Business Collections
A Business Collection is an aggregate of collections provided by Feature Sources. The concept of Business Collections allows you to set up a conceptual model from multiple source collections. Business Collections shield the user from (temporary) missing feature sources as well as changes in underlying feature sources.
Business Layers
A Business Layer represents one source layer of a Feature Source. The benefit of the introduction of Business Layers is the fact that it, again, shields the user from unavailable source layers.
Business Maps
A Business Map is an aggregate of Source Map definitions provided by Feature Sources. A Source Map definition is a logical group of geometry fields and layers in a feature source that share properties like the type of Coordinate System they use (Geographic, Local) and their potential appearance in Multi Maps. A Business Map set up in Spatial Workshop, indicates which Source Maps are to be used. This makes it very easy to design the Business Maps’ content, since only those geometric field from Spatial Business Objects that are available in the Source Maps will be offered to the designer.
Business Services
Besides (or instead of) data, some Sources might be providers of services. By introducing Business Services, it now is possible to easily configure the usage of Source Services in scenarios like fallback and load balancing. Data Sources and Services Providers In most cases it will be clear whether a Source provides data or services. There are many sources, though, that do not make a clear distinction. A database like Oracle is capable of providing Geo-coding capabilities as a service as well as data. Wherever possible, Spatial Workshop will examine the capabilities of the Source to determine the possible Source Elements to use.
The benefits of Business Objects
Conceptual modeling
The way in which geospatial data and map data is stored in the data source is not always the most elegant way to offer the information to the end user. I.e. relational tables are hard to read.
Business Collections offer the possibility to set up conceptual models that do span multiple sources, allowing for additional flexibility and create information that is understandable for the user.
Handle availability and change
The number of and types of data providers is changing continuously, whether it is a provider of geospatial data or a provider of geospatial services. When moving towards architectures where we not only dependent on internal data sources, but more and more on external services, it is of great importance to consider that data sources can be unavailable, temporarily unreachable or may change through time. Spatial Business Objects provide the extra level of abstraction that allows working in changing and flexible environments.
The right information for each user
Users are not confronted with redundant or complex information that he doesn't need.
One functional interface for multiple sources
Data that is created and maintained in different systems can now be accessed with Spatial Workshop in a uniform and single environment.