Overview
Organizations responsible for the integrated road management system need a respective information system to fulfil their demanding tasks. This system is, among others, based on different databases.
For the respective needs of the different road management domains, besides of the fundamental basic data, partial system's databases are needed for the pavement management - PMS, the bridge management - BMS and the equipment management - EMS. These data bases can be characterized by huge data volumes and different referential systems, as for instance the temporal reference and different spatial reference systems. (Planar and linear spatial reference systems as well as geometric definitions and topological properties.)
Besides of the special data, each partial system's database contains general data that have to be given to other partial systems and further users too. To allow those data to be useful for the other participants, the interfaces between the partial databases must be properly designed and biased.
The common conceptual rules must be respected in the partial system's databases to allow combination of respective data.
General road data in the partial system's road databases, for instance for the pavement management PMS, the bridge management BMS and the equipment management, have to be exchanged between these partial databases and third parties systems. The research projects results shall define the conceptual rules for the spatial, temporal and attributive aspects.
Starting from the study of the various subsystems in use today standing the exchange needs to be recognized. The necessary interfaces between subsystems and between subsystems and basic database are identified and designed conceptually. They are designed open, that is, that the interfaces can be adapted to new needs in a simple way.
Funding
Results
Following conclusions can be defined from the project results:
Data in road information systems
The road information system manages very different kind of data. For the definition of the data in the system architecture, they are divided into four fundamental classes. The basic data represent the reference systems and generally used information. The special data are managed exclusively in professional systems. The general data are imported from multiple professional systems into the core system and are provided to multiple other professional users. The metadata are used to describe the basic and generalist data.
Exchange requirements
From the perspective of basic and professional systems as well as the core and query system, there are a variety of exchange requirements. The core system must e.g. integrate generalist data from different professional systems so that they can be processed in a common context. Professional systems must also be able to access the basic data and the generalist data of another professional system to be used for referencing (e.g. spatial reference) or for combined analysis.
Aspects of data exchange
The professional systems (EMF, EMF, EMT and others) are tailored to the needs of specific professional users. They differ in several aspects, e.g. technically, functionally and organizationally. But there are common requirements. These are described in a common context. This context is implemented in particular through spatial, time and professional aspects of the basic systems in the core system. Therefore it is possible in a later step to compare more easily shared data, even if they are present in varying degrees of detail.
Requirements of the core system
The function of the core system is to provide a unified conceptual basis for data and services for the operation of the basic systems, the professional systems and the query and reporting system. Therefore data in the core system must be consistent from the point of view regarding space, time and business.
By using the RBBS, the professional networks and also by a combination of different spatial relationships it is ensured that the spatial reference in the core system is professionally correct and unambiguous. The classification of the time aspects into events, activities, and state allows define time-consistency conditions, which are checked on the interfaces. The conceptual requirements for the professional aspects, however, are very heterogeneous and are determine