PortGIS (Harbor Police) to be Released

We hope to release PortGIS to the Harbor Police desktops within the next month. This release will include many enhancements over the PortGIS (Beta version). This rollout is going to have many firsts for us, including a full departmental PortGIS software push, a custom task, .NET software release on the server, and authentication and authorization within the Port network. Below is a list of the added functionality to the PortGIS (Harbor Police) release. I hope to have a video showing some of these features shortly. For now I will include snapshots.

The Harbor Police has been very supportive of our efforts in the GIS department and have been eager to embrace technological advances. LJJ and MR (See docs #315612) are working to bring hardware upgrades, or new computers to support the 1GB minimum software requirements for the PortGIS. There are something like 60x1gb RAM sticks and 30 brand new computers involved. It is a lot of work, and much of the credit for the PortGIS actually running on computers at the Port belongs to them and their teams.

1) Added 2005 in-house half-foot Imagery

2) Blocking out imagery outside the San Diego Area

3) Added Find Telephone Task(click image for more info)

4) Added Find Route Task(click image for more info)

5) Added Find Computer Location Task(click image for more info)

6) Added Identify Task (click image for more info)

7) Added StreetViewer Custom Task (click image for more info)

8) Ability to track vehicles, although still working out the kinks

9) Access to public webcams in the San Diego area

10) Customized content and appearance of help

This release is still in development. Our hope is that the Harbor Police will start working with the product to hone in on exactly how they would like this tool to be used. Often when we solve a problem it creates new ones. For example; we can now track many of the vehicles, including those off-duty. So this raises the question: Even when they are on-duty; Is it necessary for the entire department to have access to their locations? Or, should we limit it to certain people, CSF (See docs #315612) and dispatchers. Just a little food for thought.

Amazing7yearOldBreakdancing Zen

A comment about security

First, I would like to give a big shoutout to the official AGX Blog for linking to us here at the Port of San Diego. The AGX team does a great job of getting clear and valuable information out to us about advances in our niche world focused on AGX and ArcGIS Server (AGS). Since their link over 170 people have clicked over to check out this blog. I mention this as a segue to discuss security. In a web 2.0 world, it is a much easier decision to close off systems and to bring everything “in-house” rather than spend the time to develop rules about what information can be shared and what can’t.

We would like keep this blog open to the public. Many other GIS departments around the world are developing similar projects, because help from peers can be invaluable. If others have already figured out a good or better way to overcome a similar goal we would like them to be part of the conversation. On the other hand, many of us deal with sensitive data that must be kept in-house. GIS has the capability of exposing this type of information. For example, here at the Port we have public and private webcam feeds. I think a discussion referencing that we have private webcams on port property is reasonable. However, we need to be careful not to expose information such as where they are located and how to access them. In these cases, a DM# to content on our internal network will be posted.

If the content posted on this blog starts to become a concern we will move it to an internal network. All comments need to be approved by Malcolm or myself. We will be mindful of this concern and will always err on the side of safety.

Some sandiegopolarbear zen.