MoSeS-NCeSS e-Infrastructure use case

Introduction

• This is my Web Page for organising an OGC GeoLinking IE MoSeS-NCeSS e-Infrastructure Use Case.
• Contents:
  • Context
  • Scenario 1
  • Scenario 2
  • References
  • Validation and Metadata

Context

• A demographic model based on 2001 UK Human Population Census data is being developed for MoSeS.
• The model integrates Census Area Statistics (CAS) and Sample of Anonymised Records (SAR) data.
  • These data are geographically referenced, but the associated boundary data are not supplied with the attribute data.
• The demographic model is a core component for a number of applications for which a portal is being developed.
• A Demonstration Portal is being developed to act as a Virtual Organization Membership Service and provide portlets for viewing data and generating reports.

Scenario 1

• Brief Description

  • The MoSeS Demonstration Portal is used (by a member of the MoSeS development team: User) to generate a Geographical Map Showing a Census Attribute for an area of the UK (and insert this into a report) as part of a demonstration (at an academic conference).

• Flow of Events

  1. User opens a web browser window and logs into the Demonstration Portal
  2. User selects an area/region in the UK:
     • Via a drop down list
       • e.g. Leeds Local Authority District (LAD)
     • Using a bounding box
       • Bounding box coordinate input.
       • Drag box on a map.
  3. User selects a Census Attribute:
     • From a drop down list:
       • e.g. Limiting Long Term Illness (LLTI), Health Status Good
     • Interface to GEMS/GEMS2/GEMSII?
  4. User slects a regionalisation (area level):
     • (e.g. Output Area, Middle Layer Super Output Area)
  5. User chooses to generate a Geographic Map:
     • Map creation button pressed!
  6. A GeoLinking Service (GLS) is identified:
     • Using a registry?
     • Using a default?
     • Is this automatic or user configured?
  7. Successfully accessed attribute data is pulled via GEMS (MIMAS) by the GLS
  8. Successfully accessed boundariy data is pulled via UKBorders (EDINA) by the GLS
  9. Map image is generated by GLS using a default Schema or Styled Layer Descriptor (SLD)
  10. Map image is pushed to MoSeS Mapping Portlet and rendered/displayed along with relevant information on the ranges of the attribute being mapped.
  11. User inserts new map image into a report.

• Special Requirements

  • User must be known to have the right Authorisation, Authetication and Access privallages.

• Preconditions

  • Access to the internet via a web browser.

• Postconditions

  • User has a image of a geographical map inserted in a report.

• Extension Points

  • Suppose the default SLD is producing equal interval ranges for 5 colours, but something different is wanted the after step 10 the user can:
    1. Design a new SLD based on selecting a new classification means and number colours.
       • The user could have the option to see a full histogram of all the values to help in designing the SLD
    2. The new SLD is passed back to the GLS and a new map image is generated and passed back to The MoSeS Mapping Portlet.
    3. The MoSeS Mapping Portlet presents new map image.
  • Layer contextual data:
    • MasterMap from EDINA
    • Overlay image on Google Maps
  • Adding in security will complicate matters in a number of ways. In this Scenario it is assumed that the user has all necessary access given that they can login to the MoSeS Portal.

Version 0.0.1

• Context
  • For MoSeS a demographic model based on 2001 UK Human Population Census data is being developed.
  • The model integrates Census Area Statistics (CAS) and Sample of Anonymised Records (SAR) data. These data are geographically referenced, but do not come with associated boundary data.
  • The demographic model is an important component for a number of applications for which a portal is being developed
  • The portal is to act as a Virtual Organization Membership Service and provide portlets for viewing data and generating reports.
• Use Case
  • For the MoSeS partal we have a need to generate geographic maps of CAS data for which boundary/area/polygon type data are required.
  • Currently MoSeS generates image maps with local copies of the CAS attribute data (downloaded via MIMAS/CASWEB) and the associated boundaries (via downloaded via EDINA/UKBorders service).
  • To prevent MoSeS from having local copies of these data, a GLS which links the attribute data served up from MIMAS and the boundaries from EDINA and which generates an image for the portal is wanted.
• Justification
  • Is there a need not to have local copies of these data?
    • Well, er, no, hmmm, they are quite big though and not having copies all over the place is sort of more secure (although it means there are fewer copies so it is more easily lost for good because of fire etc...) I suppose we either need that or a server that stores the local copies so we can develop an interface to the MoSeS portal for mobile phones...
    • A GLS that provides an image or WMS link for consumption might simplify the task of putting a responsive portal interface on a mobile phone?
  • This can be regarded as a first step towards a much grander usage.
  • In the future both the attribute data and the boundary data might change.
  • EDINA/UKBorders are considering serving up alternative boundary data to assist in the production of cartograms
  • MIMAS/CASWEB might also consider serving up some of the processed data outputs from the MoSeS demographic model.
  • Further justification of why this is a good idea is not part of a use case?

References

• What is a USE CASE?
  • Taken from: UML for Use Cases Workshop 2006-01-05 to 2006-01-06 : Richard Hopkins: A Review of Scenarios and Use Cases
  • A collection of Scenarios, expressing all possible behaviours as actor tries to achieve goal
  • Covers all success and failure variants
  • May combine similar Scenarios into one Use Case
  • Can have complex, nested, structure
  • Formal structure
    • Constitutes a contract for behaviour
    • But may start as an incomplete, single-scenario, use case
  • Scenarios
    • less formal structure
    • Easier to gather from non-technical groups
    • Useful for discussion, but incomplete – not a contract
  • Taken from: JISC Information Environment Portal Activity: supporting the Needs of e-Research. - Scenarios, Use Cases and Reference Models - Rob Allan, Rob Crouchley, Caroline Ingram. 2006-11-21
  • In software engineering, a use case is a technique for capturing the potential requirements of a new system or software change. Each use case provides one or more scenarios that convey how the system should interact with the end user or another system to achieve a specific business goal. Use cases typically avoid technical jargon, preferring instead the language of the end user or domain (subject) expert.
  • Use cases which have informed the development of the Information Environment are documented [20]. They include the basic cases for: enter; survey and discover; detail; use record; request, authorise, access; use resource.
  • [20] A. Powell and L. Lyon JISC Information Environment Architecture http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/distributed-systems/jisc-ie/arch/functional-model/

Validation and Metadata