GIEWS Workstation
From Fenix
Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) Workstation is a decentralized, web-based, geo-referenced information system application developed and published by the Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and mainly funded by the European Commission, through the EC-FAO Food Security Information for Action Programme.
The application is designed to:
- allow different types of users - i.e. local and national institutions, international organizations and NGOs - to organize, analyze, share information (spatial and non-spatial) and disseminate outputs and alerts
- integrate/link different data (environmental, economic, social)
- handle different types of information such as remote sensing data, GIS layers, datasets and texts
- perform analyses using the chart tool and the multidimensional table tool (cross tables)
Moreover it is based on a modular structure and open-source technology to ensure its adaptability and allow its free distribution.
It includes:
- a multidisciplinary database structure;
- GIS mapping and data analysis software tools;
- a data exchange module that enables data sharing between the various workstations installed in different countries (workstation "nodes")
Datasets can be projected onto layers, displayed using tables and analyzed with the help of charts.
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| Type | Web-based, geo-referenced information system application |
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| Developer | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |
| Latest release | Version 3.2 (14 July 2009) |
| Development Technologies | Apache Tomcat,Spring,GWT, Birt, Hibernate, PostgreSQL,PostGIS |
| Development Status | Active |
| License | GPL/GNU |
| Website | GIEWS Workstation Website |
| Forum | GIEWS Workstation Forum |
| Contact | GIEWS Workstation team |
Contents |
Downloads
Giews Workstation 3.2 release is now available for download!
See the installation guides below for Windows and Linux for download links and instructions.
GIEWS Workstation 3.2 Installer for Windows or Linux
GIS Layers
SPOT Vegetation Satellite Images (Monthly Average)
(N.B. It is strongly recommended that you download and import at least the GAUL layers for best functioning of the map, see also Downloading and importing the GAUL layer set and sample layers ).
Workstation Help
Installation guides
Getting started
User management
Data upload
Datasets to be uploaded in the GIEWS Workstation should be prepared according to the following guidelines:
- Formatting datasets for upload
- Running the Metadata Editor
- Uploading datasets
- View/Download Workstation Coding Systems
- Appendix 2 - Metadata field descriptions
Early Warning data upload
Guide to upload the early warning data (Countries in crisis and Countries facing unfavourable prospects) into the GIEWS Workstation, for the creation of the necessary GIEWS Website HTML table outputs and map images.
Please:
- Download the 2 Excel "Data Input" files found here.
- Download the 2 Metadata Files found here.
- Read the Instruction Guide
History
Version 3.0
Version 3.0 of the Workstation presents a totally new outlook and system architecture with respect to the 2.x versions. While the new Workstation includes many new concepts and functions, the main improvements are in terms of performance and flexibility.
The key changes are:
- New data management approach: information (e.g. data, text, but also maps, charts and reports) made available through the Workstation are managed by a catalogue. The catalogue maintains the list of the Workstation resources which include datasets, vector and raster layers, text, maps, charts, tables, reports and projects.
- New Project concept: the concept of “Project” has changed. It is now considered an association of selected resources (e.g. maps, tables, charts, reports, text, etc.) under a defined name (e.g. “Ethiopia” that identifies the Ethiopia Project). Unlike previous versions of the Workstation, a resource (e.g. a map) may or may not be associated to a Project. Therefore there is no dependency of a resource from a Project and an individual resource may exist without a project or may be associated to more than one project.
- Project Manager: a tool for loading and managing Projects. Resources can be added, removed and opened to Projects using the Project Manager. Resources such as maps and tables can be linked to Projects.
- Multi-Windows Environment: It is now possible to display several resources such as maps and tables in separate windows at the same time. This allows users to view simultaneously different data and indicators associated to the same geographic area and/or project.
- Reports: all resources can be used now to create reports using templates directly available in the Workstation. Current reporting facilities provide limited formatting capacities that will be implemented in the coming releases. Text can also be added to the report using the Text Editor.
- Dataset uploader for datasets with Workstation-compliant formats, including a Metadata editor to automatically produce the metadata files to be uploaded together with the dataset files.
Version 3.1
Version 3.1 of the Workstation adds a variety of new features, many of them focussing to make the Workstation interface more user friendly.
The highlights of version 3.1 are:
- New Metadata Editor: The metadata editor is now available in the application from the Tool element of the Main Menu. This replaces the off-line metadata editor of Version 3.0. The metadata editor allows creating user-defined dataset types.
- Improved Security: Improved security management tools have been introduced and made accessible through the Administration element of the main Menu.
- Several new dataset types have been added: The dataset specification are available in Appendix 1.
- Raster Uploader: Version 3.1 includes a tool to upload user raster layers. GeoTIFF and TIFF with the TFW files are supported. The tool is accessible through the Data Management element of the Main Menu.
- Improved Shapefile Uploader: The uploader has been improved and made more user friendly.
- Improved Tables: Datasets can now be viewed and edited through the Table object. A user interface allows to filter data before loading them to a table.
- Improved Charts: New charts have been added and more formatting options have been included.
- Communication Module: It allows to share data via the Peer-To-Peer protocol. It is currently active for datasets. The Workstation team will extend it to work for texts and layers.
- Dynamic Commodity Management Tool (DCMT): The DCMT allows users to load, search and harmonize data referring to different commodity classifications.
- Improved Maps: Several new features has been included in this new version. Among them, the capacity to interactively retrieve layer attributes and an improved version of the editor of the Style Layer Descriptor (SLD). This allows users to define symbology (colors, patterns, symbols) for vector and raster layers.
- Crop Calendars: Crop calendars for most countries of the world are available from the Tools Menu.
- Backup/Restore: Functions for backing up and restoring the full database (datasets only) have been activated.
Version 3.2
Version 3.2 improves further the Worstation's usability and accessibility.
The key improvement added through this release is
the Multi Dimensional Table Tool that allows the user to:
- aggregate data;
- perform Frequency, Sum, Minimum, Maximum and Average Calculations;
- map, chart and export as PDF the aggregated data.
Other significant enhancements are the following:
- Improvement of the Loading of Dataset Dimension values in charts and tables, fixing the issues of loading dimension values for large datasets.
- Re-organization of the Main Menu to better assist navigation through the Workstation.
- Enhancement of the Metadata Editor to facilitate the handling of the coding list types in the 'Column Definitions' tab.
- Refinement of Charting capacity for Flexible datasets (i.e. datasets that do not follow a Core Template Pattern).
Installer
Default Layers and Default Coding Systems: Version 3.2 installer now contains GAUL0 and GAUl1 Layers and default Coding Systems.
Promoting International Standards
The use of different systems of data classification and definition can adversely affect food security information exchanges and comparability of data from different sources. The GIEWS Workstation is addressing these concerns by promoting the implementation of international standards. In line with its standardization approach, the GIEWS Workstation implements and contributes to the definition, among others, of the following international standards:
- The Global Administrative Unit Layers or GAUL is a FAO initiative developed by the GIEWS Workstation in the context of the EC-FAO Food Security for Action Programme.
The GAUL system strives to compile and disseminate the most reliable spatial information on administrative units for all countries in the world and is designed to:
a) overcome the fragmentation of the global dataset which occurs when administrative units are digitized on a country-bycountry basis;
b) promote a unified coding system that reduces maintenance efforts;
c) keep historical track of any changes in the shapes and extent of administrative units.
GAUL contributes to standardizing spatial datasets with other international initiatives such as the Second Administrative Level Boundaries (SALB). In particular, the Global Administrative Unit Layers (GAUL) from FAO for national and subnational administrative boundaries is the standard feature system used by the workstation for all geo-referenced data.
- The Harmonized Commodity Classification and Coding System or HS is an international six-digit commodity classification, managed and updated by the World Customs Organization (WCO).
At March 2006, more than 200 countries and economic or customs unions, accounting for almost 98% of world trade, were using the HS. Currently, the latest review of the HS, the HS 2007 version, has already been implemented in the GIEWS Workstation.
- The International System of Units or SI is adopted by the Workstation, that also provides assistance for the conversion of other local and national systems of units into this system.
Users may also enter datasets based on their own coding system. However, institutions wishing to import data using the GAUL administrative boundaries, can contact FAO to download the latest release of the GAUL. It is also possible to create conversion tables between national systems and the GAUL to enable data compatibility.
The latest version of the GAUL Set - release for the year 2009 - is now available on Geonetwork at the site
http://www.fao.org/geonetwork/srv/en/main.search
Please type "GAUL" to download the dataset if you already have a Geonetwork account. To request an account, please contact Fabio Grita fabio.grita@fao.org or Michela Marinelli michela.marinelli@fao.org. Before using the dataset, users should read the file “Readme.pdf” stored in the “documentation.zip”.
