Remote Applications Gis Oct 2009

Supporting Remote Application Access Through Virtualization Services Vince DiNoto – co-PI [email_address] Phil Davis – PI [email_address] Funded by National Science Foundation DUE 0801893

National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence Empowering colleges to expand the geospatial workforce. Vince DiNoto – co-PI [email_address] Phil Davis – PI [email_address] Funded by National Science Foundation DUE 0801893

Spatial Thinking vs. Jobs

What are the educational requirements?

Where are the jobs?

What are the tasks?

What is spatial literacy?

What is the GeoTech Center

An NSF funded ATE National Center of Excellence

Single point of contact for two year colleges

A Geospatial curriculum repository

A data warehouse (data, static maps, dynamic maps)

A best practice in Geospatial

GeoTech Center Players

GIS Institutions

Problem 1

How do you teach GIS which requires specialized software?

On campus

Hybrid

Virtually

Reason an Issue

Requires a Community College student be on Campus for assignments

Reduces content which can be covered in a class to give time for laboratory experience

Software (with expirations) installation problems took more time explaining to students how to install, instead of teaching content

Attempts at Solutions

Using ArcIMS and web application on IMS Server

Limited GIS, for the higher end required the installing of a plug-in that was not easy to do, difficult to set-up IMS box

Google Earth

Limited GIS and data must be KML format

ArcGIS Explorer

Still limits GIS, but can add layer files

Solution 1

Develop a web based terminal server at a low cost

JCTC Professional IT staff

No software to install

Full functional version of ArcGIS 9.3.1

Patch single copy as updates needed

Other software the students might need to complete the course

Useful for all students not just virtual learners

Meets license requirements (still uses license server)

Solution – on a virtual server

Requires a secure AD login

Multiple software applications on the same machine

Clipboard available as are local drives

Second level of security

Complete version of ArcMap (ArcInfo)

Problem 2

Student spend a large amount of time finding base map information and files

Providing Base maps for student application via the web

Eliminate many geo-projection issues

Provide a student repository for zipped files

Provide a shapefile library using geography, seen as a drive letter by students

Solution 2

Develop Web base maps using an ArcGIS Server – geo image file

Develop a SAN mass storage device accessible within the college network, Terminal server is within the network even though the student accesses it outside of the network