Autodesk 15606-011408-9330 - MAPGUIDE R6.3 SITE LIC-UPG R6, 15606-011408-9008 - MAPGUIDE R6.3 NAMED-100U PK, MapGuide 6 User Manual

Autodesk MapGuide® Release 6

User’s Guide

15306-010000-5000 October 2001

AUTODESK, INC. MAKES NO WARRANTY, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, REGARDING THESE MATERIALS AND MAKES SUCH MATERIALS AVAILABLE SOLELY ON AN “AS-IS” BASIS.

IN NO EVENT SHALL AUTODESK, INC. BE LIABLE TO ANYONE FOR SPECIAL, COLLATERAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF PURCHASE OR USE OF THESE MATERIALS. THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE LIABILITY TO AUTODESK, INC., REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, SHALL NOT EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE MATERIALS DESCRIBED HEREIN.

Autodesk, Inc. reserves the right to revise and improve its products as it sees fit. This publication describes the state of this product at the time of its publication, and may not reflect the product at all times in the future.

Autodesk Trademarks

The following are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries: 3D Plan, 3D Props, 3D Studio, 3D Studio MAX, 3D Studio VIZ, 3DSurfer, ActiveShapes, ActiveShapes (logo), Actrix, ADE, ADI, Advanced Modeling Extension, AEC Authority (logo), AEC-X, AME, Animator Pro, Animator Studio, ATC, AUGI, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Data Extension, AutoCAD Development System, AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD Map, Autodesk, Autodesk Animator, Autodesk (logo), Autodesk MapGuide, Autodesk University, Autodesk View, Autodesk WalkThrough, Autodesk World, AutoLISP, AutoShade, AutoSketch, AutoSurf, AutoVision, Biped, bringing information down to earth, CAD Overlay, Character Studio, Design Companion, Design Your World, Design Your World (logo), Drafix, Education by Design, Generic, Generic 3D Drafting, Generic CADD, Generic Software, Geodyssey, Heidi, HOOPS, Hyperwire, Inside Track, Kinetix, MaterialSpec, Mechanical Desktop, Multimedia Explorer, NAAUG, ObjectARX, Office Series, Opus, PeopleTracker, Physique, Planix, Powered with Autodesk Technology, Powered with Autodesk Technology (logo), RadioRay, Rastation, Softdesk, Softdesk (logo), Solution 3000, Texture Universe, The AEC Authority, The Auto Architect, TinkerTech, VISION*, WHIP!, WHIP! (logo), Woodbourne, WorkCenter, and World-Creating Toolkit.

The following are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries: 3D on the PC, 3ds max, ACAD, Advanced User Interface, AME Link, Animation Partner, Animation Player, Animation Pro Player, A Studio in Every Computer, ATLAST, AutoArchitect, AutoCAD Architectural Desktop, AutoCAD Architectural Desktop Learning Assistance, AutoCAD Learning Assistance, AutoCAD LT Learning Assistance, AutoCAD Simulator, AutoCAD SQL Extension, AutoCAD SQL Interface, Autodesk Animator Clips, Autodesk Animator Theatre, Autodesk Device Interface, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk PhotoEDIT, Autodesk Software Developer's Kit, Autodesk Streamline, Autodesk View DwgX, AutoFlix, AutoSnap, AutoTrack, Built with ObjectARX (logo), ClearScale, Colour Warper, Combustion, Concept Studio, Content Explorer, cornerStone Toolkit, Dancing Baby (image), DesignCenter, Design Doctor, Designer's Toolkit, DesignProf, DesignServer, DWG Linking, DXF, Extending the Design Team, FLI, FLIC, GDX Driver, Generic 3D, gmax, gmax (logo), gmax ready (logo), Heads-up Design, Home Series, i-drop, Kinetix (logo), ObjectDBX, onscreen onair online, Ooga-Chaka, Photo Landscape, Photoscape, Plasma, Plugs and Sockets, PolarSnap, Pro Landscape, Reactor, Real-Time Roto, Render Queue, SchoolBox, Simply Smarter Diagramming, SketchTools, Sparks, Suddenly Everything Clicks, Supportdesk, The Dancing Baby, Transform Ideas Into Reality, Visual LISP, Visual Syllabus, VIZable, Volo, and Where Design Connects.

Third Party Trademarks

Apple and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries ColdFusion is a registered trademark of Macromedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Netscape and Netscape Navigator are registered trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation in the United States and other countries. Microsoft and ActiveX are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Oracle is a registered trademark, and Oracle8i and Oracle9i are trademarks of Oracle Corporation. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Third Party Software Program Credits

Copyright © 2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Portions of this product are distributed under license from D.C. Micro Development, © Copyright D.C. Micro Development. All rights reserved. InstallShield ™ Copyright © 2001 InstallShield Software Corporation. All rights reserved. This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation http://www.apache.org.

GOVERNMENT USE

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the U. S. Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in FAR 12.212 (Commercial Computer Software-Restricted Rights) and DFAR 227.7202 (Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software), as applicable.

12345678910

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Key Features of Autodesk MapGuide . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Autodesk MapGuide Author Key Features . . . . . . . . 10

Autodesk MapGuide Server Key Features . . . . . . . . 11

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Key Features . . . . . . . . 11

What’s New in Release 6? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Dynamic Authoring Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Symbol Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Support for Autodesk DWG . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Author? . . . . . . . 14

What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Server? . . . . . . . 14

What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer 6? . . . . . . 15

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Autodesk MapGuide Author Requirements. . . . . . . . 15

Autodesk MapGuide Server Requirements . . . . . . . . 16

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Requirements . . . . . . . . 17

What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book? . . . . . . . . . 18

Conventions Used in This Manual . . . . . . . . . . 21

Where to Get More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Autodesk MapGuide User Documentation . . . . . . . . 22

Autodesk MapGuide Developer Documentation . . . . . . 25

Third-Party Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Autodesk MapGuide Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Online Discussion Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Autodesk Developer Network . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide . . . . . . . . . 29

What Is Autodesk MapGuide?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

How Autodesk MapGuide Works . . . . . . . . . . . 30

How Autodesk MapGuide Products Work Together . . . . . . . 31

Map Authoring Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Autodesk MapGuide Author . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Dynamic Authoring Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Symbol Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

SDF Loader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

iii

SDF Component Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Raster Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Map Viewing Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Web Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

LiteView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Map Serving Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Web Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Autodesk MapGuide Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Autodesk MapGuide Data Providers . . . . . . . . . . 37

Developing Applications with Autodesk MapGuide . . . . . . . 38

Client-Side Application Components . . . . . . . . . 39

Server-Side Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

What Is Autodesk MapGuide Application Development? . . . . . 42

Overall Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Phase One: Installation and Testing . . . . . . . . . . 43

Phase Two: Planning and Design . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Phase Three: Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Chapter 3 Designing Your System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Planning Your Directory Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Directory Structure Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Using Windows NT or Windows 2000 Security . . . . . . 51

Using Web Server Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Using Autodesk MapGuide Security . . . . . . . . . . 51

Architecture and Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Which MapAgent to Install . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Using a Remote MapAgent . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Using Multiple Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Additional Performance Considerations . . . . . . . . 61

Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment . . . . . . . . . . 63

Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server . . . . . . . 67

Setting Up Your Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Before You Install Autodesk MapGuide Server . . . . . . . 68

Installing Microsoft Internet Information Server . . . . . . 70

Installing Netscape Web Server . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Testing Your Web Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Setting Up the MapAgent . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Installing a Report Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Configuring Autodesk MapGuide Server under a Different Account 75

Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Overview . . . . . . . . . 75

iv | Contents

Starting and Stopping the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Setting General Server Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Setting Up Your Data Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Data Providers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Managing Your Data Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Managing Server Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Access Keys Versus User IDs and Passwords . . . . . . . . 81

Choosing the Best Security Method . . . . . . . . . . 82

Creating and Modifying Users and Groups . . . . . . . . 83

Assigning Users to the Authors Group . . . . . . . . . . 83

Creating and Modifying Access Keys . . . . . . . . . . 84

Restricting Access to Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Taking Data Sources Offline . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Tracking Server Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Usage Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Renaming Log Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Rotating Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Customizing the Access Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Customizing the Map Layer Access Log . . . . . . . . . 91

Adding Geocoding Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide . . . . . . . 93

Basic Steps for Working with Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Working with Spatial Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Map Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Creating a Spatial Data File . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Working with Attribute Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Linking Attribute Data to Spatial Data Files . . . . . . . . 98

Linking Attribute Data to Another Database . . . . . . . . 98

Preparing Attribute Data for Themes . . . . . . . . . . 99

Setting Up Your Attribute Database. . . . . . . . . . . 99

Setting Zoom Goto Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Working with Raster Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Raster Image File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Efficient Raster Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Raster Image Catalog Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Georeference File Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Exporting from ER Mapper . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Adding Raster Images to Your Map . . . . . . . . . . 108

Working with Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Symbol Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Point Layers and the Point Layer Symbol Manager . . . . . 111

Redline Layers and the API Symbol Manager. . . . . . . 112

Contents | v

Working with Other Types of Spatial Data. . . . . . . . . . 112

Autodesk GIS Design Server Theme Data . . . . . . . . 112

Chapter 6 Planning and Designing Maps . . . . . . . . . . 115

Planning the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Planning Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Designing the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

About Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

About Coordinate Precision . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Choosing a Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Creating a Design Spreadsheet. . . . . . . . . . . . 120

General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Information You Need from Your Server Administrator . . . . . 122

Chapter 7 Getting Familiar with Autodesk MapGuide Author . . . . 123

Installing Autodesk MapGuide Author . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Starting Autodesk MapGuide Author . . . . . . . . . . . 125

About Map Window Files and Map Window XML Files. . . . 126

Introduction to the Program Window Layout. . . . . . . . . 127

Using the Map Window Popup Menu . . . . . . . . . 127

Using the Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Setting Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Opening a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Moving Around on a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Zooming to a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Zooming to a U.S. Street Address or ZIP Code . . . . . . . 134

Using Bookmarks to Save the Current Map View . . . . . . 135

Using the Map Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Using the Design Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Using the View Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Changing the Width of the Map Explorer . . . . . . . . 138

Viewing Map Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Measuring Distances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Selecting Map Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Creating Buffers Around Map Features . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Printing a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

vi | Contents

Chapter 8 Creating and Publishing a Map . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Creating a New Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Changing the File to Use for New Maps . . . . . . . . 144

Specifying a Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Specifying a Password to Protect a Map . . . . . . . . . . 145

Creating and Modifying Zoom Goto Location Categories . . . . 146

Data Source Formats for Zoom Goto Location Categories . . . 147

The US Street Address Location Category . . . . . . . . 148

Customizing the Popup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Working with Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Viewing a Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Tracking User Access to a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Saving a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Publishing a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Chapter 9 Working with Map Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

About Map Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Working with Map Layers in the Map Explorer . . . . . . . . 155

Creating a Vector Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Creating a Raster Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Creating an Autodesk GIS Design Server Theme Layer . . . . 158

Creating an Autodesk DWG Layer . . . . . . . . . . 158

Creating a Layer Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Specifying General Properties for Layers . . . . . . . . . . 159

Specifying Data Source Properties for Layers . . . . . . . . . 160

Setting Style Properties for Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Setting Style Properties for Raster Layers . . . . . . . . 163

Specifying Display Ranges for Layer Styles . . . . . . . 164

Specifying Map Layer Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Creating Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Specifying Layer Feature Labeling and Overposting . . . . 172

Specifying Security for Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Modifying Multiple Layers Simultaneously . . . . . . . . . 174

Saving a Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Adding a Saved Layer to the Current Map . . . . . . . . . 175

Rebuilding a Layer or Layer Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Deleting a Layer or Layer Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Contents | vii

viii

Introduction

This chapter provides you with general information about

Autodesk MapGuide

new features in this release. This chapter also includes an

overview of how the Autodesk MapGuide products work

together, suggestions for using this guide in the most effi-

cient way, and where to go for more information.

This chapter may be helpful to:



All Autodesk MapGuide users



New Autodesk MapGuide users

as well as an introduction to the

In this chapter



Overview



Key features of Autodesk MapGuide



What’s new in Release 6?



System requirements



What’s the fastest way through this book?



Where to get more information

Overview

Autodesk MapGuide is a suite of products that enable the distribution of geographic information systems, digital design data, and related applications over a network. Autodesk MapGuide allows you to deploy applications that create, modify, and display information, including maps, drawings, designs, schematics, and associated attribute data, over the Internet, an intranet, or an extranet.

Autodesk MapGuide

Author users integrate data to define the appearance and functions of maps, and Autodesk MapGuide® Viewer users access the data when they view and interact with maps from a Web browser. Autodesk

MapGuide

Server responds to information requests generated by users as

they interact with the application.

Key Features of Autodesk MapGuide

Autodesk MapGuide Author Key Features



Ability to open maps and save maps in XML format



Map and resource security control



Thematic map settings and symbology



Complete layer setup and definition, including support for layer groups



Multiple Document Interface (MDI) support



Global property settings, including projection information and map extents



Interactive Map Explorer for creating and updating maps, drawings, designs, and schematics



Full zoom/unzoom/pan functionality, including zooming to specific features



Point feature posting



Intelligent map caching



Support for multi-server connection



Arbitrary X,Y coordinate system support for CAD designs, drawings, or schematics



Support for both vector and raster data types, overlaid, georeferenced, or not georeferenced

10 | Chapter 1 Introduction



Ability to link map features to Web applications



Control over map width/scale

Autodesk MapGuide Server Key Features



Integrates easily with existing Web sites



Easy to configure and manage



Scalable, multi-threaded architecture



Standard CGI interface for Netscape® Internet servers and Microsoft® Internet Information Server



Custom NSAPI interface for Netscape Internet servers



Custom ISAPI interface for Microsoft Internet Information Server



GUI-based Server administration and monitoring utility



Comprehensive access, trace, error, and tracking logs



Built-in security access restriction controls



Support for data providers, allowing direct access to Oracle® Spatial, SHP, and Autodesk® GIS Design Server databases



Serves interactive maps and drawings to users who have installed Autodesk MapGuide Viewer



Serves maps and drawings with limited interactivity, without requiring installation of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer (requires Autodesk MapGuide® LiteView)

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Key Features



Access to dynamic, secure vector and raster data



Versions available for Microsoft Windows®, Apple® Macintosh®, and Sun™SPARCstation



Familiar browser interface



Full zooming and panning functionality, including zooming to specific map features



Ability to measure distances between indicated points on a map



Style display by scale



Multiple feature selection by list/radius/polygon



Map bookmarking



Buffer zone creation



Ability to copy to Windows Clipboard



Print capability

™

Key Features of Autodesk MapGuide | 11

Note This guide does not include instructions for using Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. For information about using Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Help included with the Viewer and available from the Autodesk MapGuide documentation page at the following Web site: http://www.autodesk.com/mapguidedocs

What’s New in Release 6?

Autodesk MapGuide includes the new features described in the following sections. In addition to the changes listed here, this release includes enhancements to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API. For details, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

Warning After you open and save a map in Autodesk MapGuide Author Release 6, you cannot open the map in earlier releases of the program. To view maps created in Autodesk MapGuide Author Release 6, users can easily upgrade to Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Release 6 by downloading the new Viewer from the following Web site: http://www.autodesk.com/mapguideviewerdownload

Dynamic Authoring Toolkit

The Dynamic Authoring Toolkit (DAT) is a new product offered within the Autodesk MapGuide product suite and designed to significantly increase the flexibility of Autodesk MapGuide application development. This toolkit is used for supporting applications that incorporate dynamic map authoring, including the programmatic generation and composition of new maps or the modification of existing maps and their properties. The Dynamic Authoring Toolkit enables programmatic creation or modification of MWF files quickly, without requiring the use of Autodesk MapGuide Author.

The Dynamic Authoring Toolkit serves as a conversion component, allowing for translation between binary map file formats, MWF (Map Window Files) and MLF (Map Layer Files), and its XML map file format, MWX (Map Window XML File). The Dynamic Authoring Toolkit cannot modify MWF, MLF, or MWX files. You will need to use a third-party XML tool to programatically alter and validate XML files. Autodesk MapGuide Author can now open and save MWX files.

12 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Using a variety of XML parsing tools and development techniques, you can dynamically generate new maps as well as modify existing maps and their properties that were initially set using Autodesk MapGuide Author—all during application run-time. For example, using the MSXML DOM object, you could reset map layer definition properties by modifying the MWX file directly. Alternatively, you could generate a new map (MWX) from scratch by simply generating XML files or by combining XML elements from several maps stored as MWX files.

The Dynamic Authoring Toolkit is implemented as an in-process COM DLL, named MGDAT.dll, and can be used in any development environment that supports COM automation.

For complete information about the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit, refer to the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Developer’s Guide.

Symbol Manager

Now, you can create your own symbol (SMB) files that include many different file formats, including bitmap and DIB graphics, and TrueType fonts. You can set up libraries of symbol files based on a theme or on the frequency with which you use certain symbols.

Support for Autodesk DWG

This release of Autodesk MapGuide includes the capability to serve design or map data stored in Autodesk drawing (DWG) format. Autodesk DWG design file format is a worldwide standard across vertical industries, such as architectural design, and facilities planning and maintenance. In the previous release, a data extension supported Autodesk DWG. This release incorporates all the features of the DWG data extension into Autodesk MapGuide and includes additional features for layer filtering, creating MapTips and reports, hyperlinking features on DWG layers to Web sites, and accessing data both in an Autodesk Map object data table and an external database using an Autodesk Map database link table.

What’s New in Release 6? | 13

What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Author?

XML Support

Autodesk MapGuide now supports a new XML representation of an MWF file: Map Window XML Files (MWXs), significantly increasing application development flexibility. In Autodesk MapGuide Author, you can open and modify maps saved in MWX format. With the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit, you can convert files between MWF, MLF, and MWX formats. You use thirdparty XML tools to modify the MWX files. See “Dynamic Authoring Toolkit” on page 12 for an overview of the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit.

Enhanced Symbol and Symbol Library Support

Now, you can incorporate numerous file formats, including bitmaps and TrueType fonts, into map layers. Using Autodesk MapGuide Author, you can modify the transparency of symbols you apply to both point layers and redline layers. You can also include both bitmap images and vector graphics in the same symbol file.

What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Server?

Improved Load Balancing

Changes to the MapAgent files improve load balancing between servers. All MapAgents now distribute requests evenly between the available servers, even at low load. MapAgents rank the available servers into an ordered list, starting with the best candidate to process the request. If a server fails to generate a response either because it is offline, or because it doesn’t understand the request, the MapAgent tries the next server in the list until it gets a successful response, or until there are no more servers to try. In previous Autodesk MapGuide Server releases, MapAgents returned an error as soon as they encountered it.

Improved MapAgent Error Messaging

When working with multiple servers, Autodesk MapAgent now tells you which server is unable to process a client request without revealing the server’s IP address but by displaying its order number in the list of servers in the registry file.

14 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Support for ECW and MrSID Raster File Formats

Autodesk MapGuide Server enables you to access Enhanced Compressed Wavelet (ECW) images and Multi-Resolution Seamless Image Database (MrSID) version 1.6 images.

ECW and MrSID images already contain georeferencing information so you don’t need to use Raster Workshop when working with them.

What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer 6?

Support for Map Redraw Operations

New API methods enable developers to control how frequently and under what conditions a map displayed in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer redraws. Also, new map redrawing functionality removes the flash that was visible when a map displayed in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer redraws.

System Requirements

Following are the system requirements for using Autodesk MapGuide Author, Autodesk MapGuide Server, and Autodesk MapGuide Viewers.

Autodesk MapGuide Author Requirements

Autodesk MapGuide Author requires the following:



Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later, or Windows 2000 Professional



Pentium-based PC



32 MB of RAM



16 MB of free hard disk space



Super VGA or better video display



Mouse or compatible pointing device

System Requirements | 15

Autodesk MapGuide Server Requirements

Autodesk MapGuide Server requires the following:



Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 Server with Service Pack 4 or later, with one of the following Web servers:



Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0



Netscape Enterprise Server 3.6 with Service Pack 3



iPlanet Web Server Enterprise 4.1 with Service Pack 8



Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 2 or later, running Microsoft Internet Information Server 5.0



Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC):



MDAC 2.5 with Service Pack 1 MDAC 2.5 is included on the Autodesk MapGuide product CD in the following location: \MDAC2.5\MDAC_TYP.EXE



MDAC 2.6 RTM with Microsoft Jet 4.0 with Service Pack 5



Pentium-based PC



128 MB of memory



85 MB of free disk space (plus additional space for your data)

Help Index

data sources

about OLE DB



VGA or higher resolution video adapter



Mouse or compatible pointing device



OLE DB providers required for access to relational data sources that contain map data. For a list of supported OLE DB providers, choose HelpContents, click the Index tab, and look up “data sources, about OLE DB.”



TCP/IP network protocol installed on the Windows NT/2000 computer (TCP/IP provided on the Windows NT/2000 installation CD)

16 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Requirements

The three versions of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer (ActiveX Control, Plug-In, and Java™ Edition) each require different configurations.

Autodesk MapGuide ActiveX Control Viewer Requirements



Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later, or Windows 2000 Professional



486 or Pentium-based PC with 16 MB of memory (24 MB required if using Windows NT 4.0)



Mouse or compatible pointing device



Web browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x

Autodesk MapGuide Plug-In Viewer Requirements



Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later, or Windows 2000 Professional



486 or Pentium-based PC with 16 MB of memory (24 MB required if using Windows NT 4.0)



Mouse or compatible pointing device



Web browser: Netscape Navigator® 4.x

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition Requirements



Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later, or Windows 2000 Professional



486 or Pentium-based PC with 16 MB of memory (24 MB required if using Windows NT 4.0 and Microsoft Internet Explorer)



Mouse or compatible pointing device



Web browser: Netscape Navigator 4.7, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x



Mac® OS 9.1



Apple Macintosh computer with 32 MB of memory (64 MB or more recommended)



Mouse or compatible pointing device



Web browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x with Java VM MRJ 2.2.4.

System Requirements | 17



Sun Solaris™ 2.6 or 2.8



Sun SPARCstation with 64 MB of memory



Mouse or compatible pointing device



Web browser: Netscape Navigator 4.7

What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book?

This guide is designed for all the different stages of Autodesk MapGuide development and for different kinds of Autodesk MapGuide users. To determine which parts of this guide you should read, review the following information.

I’m just getting started with Autodesk MapGuide.

Read the rest of this chapter to determine the types of people you will need to work on your project and the skills they will need, and where to go for more information. Then, follow the steps in “Overall Strategy” on page 43 for information about how to set up Autodesk MapGuide and develop applications that interact with it. Depending on your role in Autodesk MapGuide projects, you can then decide which chapters to read.

I already have Autodesk MapGuide up and running.

If you already have data that you are using, read Chapter 5, “Work in g w it h Data in Autodesk MapGuide,” for information about how to optimize your data to improve performance. If you want to evaluate how well you have set up your project, whether to use multiple servers instead of a single server, and other system design considerations, read Chapter 3, “Designing Your System.” Finally, read “Where to Get More Information” on page 22 for information that is beyond the scope of this guide.

I just want to know what tasks to do for my job.

Depending on your role, you will need to perform different tasks from other people working on the project with you. The scope of implementing Autodesk MapGuide can vary widely. In some cases, one or two people can create and post a map. In others, several contributors work together to create an Autodesk MapGuide Web site. The following list explains the possible roles involved in an Autodesk MapGuide implementation and describes the tasks and skills required of each role.

18 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Note that one person might perform more than one of these roles, or you might divide the responsibilities of a single role among several people. If you are a project manager trying to determine whom you need to hire, or a developer trying to determine what training you need, information in this section can help you plan for your next Autodesk MapGuide implementation.

Data Engineer

The data engineer is responsible for gathering and managing all spatial data resources, such as vector mapping data and raster images, as well as attribute data, such as tables of population and other demographic information that is linked to the spatial data. If you will not be using a data provider to directly access Autodesk GIS Design Server, Oracle Spatial, or SHP data, the data engineer converts vector data from other formats into Spatial Data (SDF) files, uses Raster Workshop to work with raster images, and then provides those files to the server administrator. The data engineer might use Autodesk Map to create spatial data, or use SDF Loader to convert spatial data from other sources. Data engineers need to work with map authors to determine what spatial data is needed for the maps, and then either create or acquire that data.

Data engineers will find information they need in Chapter 5, “Wor king w ith Data in Autodesk MapGuide,” and Chapter 6, “Planning and Designing Maps.”

Map Author

The map author uses the resources provided by the data engineer to create maps in Autodesk MapGuide Author. Map authors need to be familiar with coordinate systems, and with GIS or CAD in general. They should have a good understanding of what information to show in the map and how to display information cartographically. They will work closely with the data engineer to get the data that they need. They will also work with the server administrator to make sure they are given authoring privileges and have access to the data through the server.

Map authors need to decide the type of maps to deliver:



Maps and drawings with limited interactivity that do not require an Autodesk MapGuide Viewer installation (requires LiteView)



Highly interactive maps and drawings requiring a Viewer installation



A combination of both types of maps and drawings, offering limited maps initially, with the opportunity to install a Viewer for increased interactivity

Map authors will find information they need in Chapters 5 through 9.

What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book? | 19

Server Administrator

The server administrator oversees Autodesk MapGuide Server and the Windows NT Server or Windows 2000 Server computer on which it runs. This person is responsible for setting up the server architecture, security (password access and access keys), network connections, database access, and search paths for data sources and image files. The server administrator also installs the Web server, Autodesk MapGuide Server, and MapAgent software, as well as OLE DB providers, geocoding data and, in some cases, Macromedia

ColdFusion

and/or Active Server Pages (ASP). Server administrators need to maintain Autodesk MapGuide Server using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin.

Server administrators will find information they need in Chapters 2, 3, and 4.

Web mas te r

The Webmaster is responsible for all Web site content, including HTMLembedded maps. Webmasters need to be able to build and maintain a Web site. The Webmaster will work with the application developer when creating a map-enabled Web site that extends the functionality of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. Webmasters will find information they need in “Publishing a Map” on page 151.

Application Developer

The application developer uses programming skills to build custom Autodesk MapGuide Viewer applications and server-side scripts and reports. Application developers need to be able to perform the following tasks:



Create HTML pages with embedded Java, JavaScript, JScript, or VBScript code that accesses the objects of the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API. For example, you might create an HTML form containing a button that turns a layer on and off, or a drop-down list that selects map features.



Create custom reports with ColdFusion, Active Server Pages, or another third-party application.



In some cases, create server-side applications with the SDF Component Toolkit. A server-side application created with the SDF Component Toolkit can dynamically update SDFs posted on an Autodesk MapGuide Server. For example, you could create an application that lets users add polygon lot lines to a map from their local browser.

Application developers should be very familiar with Autodesk MapGuide and will find information they need in Chapter 2, “Understanding Autodesk MapGuide,” Chapter 3, “Designing Your System,” (with particular attention to “Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment” on page 63).

20 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Conventions Used in This Manual

The following table describes conventions used in this manual:

This word or phrase... Indicates this...

Choose Edit  Properties Click the Edit menu, and then choose Properties from

the Edit menu. If three levels of menus are shown, it means that there is a secondary or submenu.

For example, the text:

Help Index

maps

Click Start

indicates that when you click the Settings menu item in the Start menu, a submenu appears, from which you choose Control Panel.

the <Netscape home> \<Computer name>\config directory

Click Press and release the left or primary mouse button.

Right-click Press and release the right or secondary mouse button.

Drag Hold down the mouse button while you move the

Text in italics indicates directories, file names, and keys in the Windows Registry.

mouse.



Settings  Control Panel

Note When you see text in the left margin of this guide with the heading “Help Index” as shown to the left of this paragraph, this indicates that there is additional, related information in the Autodesk MapGuide Help, which is available when you choose HelpContents and click the Index tab in either Autodesk MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin.

What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book? | 21

Where to Get More Information

In addition to this guide, there are a number of helpful resources, both printed and online. To download any of these documents, go to http://www.autodesk.com/mapguidedocs. Most of the user documentation from the Autodesk Web site is in Portable Document Format (PDF).

Viewing PDFs

To view guides in PDF format, you need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available on the Autodesk MapGuide product CD in the following location:

\AcrobatReader\ar500enu.exe

Reusing PDF Text

You can copy text from this PDF file and paste it into another application. For example, you may want to copy code samples for use in your own work.

To copy text from a PDF file

1 Click the Text Select tool on the Acrobat Reader toolbar.

2 Drag to select the text you want to copy.

3 Right-click and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.

The text is copied to the Clipboard.

Autodesk MapGuide User Documentation

Following is a list of all of the guides and Help systems available for Autodesk MapGuide users.

Autodesk MapGuide Help

This Help system provided with Autodesk MapGuide Author and Autodesk MapGuide Server includes general information about using Autodesk MapGuide products, specific step-by-step procedures, and reference information. You can access the Help by choosing HelpContents, by clicking the Help button on the toolbar, or by clicking the Help button in any Autodesk MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin dialog box.

22 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Autodesk MapGuide User’s Guide

This printed guide is included in the Autodesk MapGuide product package. You can also install this guide in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format from the Autodesk MapGuide Documentation installer on the Autodesk MapGuide CD. You can access this guide from the Start menu by choosing Products  Autodesk MapGuide Release 6  Documentation  Autodesk MapGuide User’s Guide.

Symbol Manager Help

This Help system is included in the Autodesk MapGuide Help and includes general information about working with symbols and symbol (SMB) files. To access the Symbol Manager Help, choose HelpContentsCreating and Publishing MapsUsing Symbol Manager, or click the Help button in any Symbol Manager dialog box.

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Help

This Help system is provided with Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. It includes information about using Autodesk MapGuide Viewer but does not include information for developers. You can access this Help file from the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer popup menu by choosing HelpContentsor by clicking the Help button on the main toolbar.

SDF Loader Help

This Help system documents the SDF Loader command-line utility. It contains conceptual and reference information about SDFs, including parameters for converting from specific formats. You can access this Help system from the Start menu by choosing Products  Autodesk MapGuide Release 6  Documentation  SDF Loader Help.

Raster Workshop Help

This Help system is provided with Raster Workshop. It provides overall information as well as detailed descriptions of how to use Raster Workshop to convert images to TIFF and tiled TIFF format, create raster image catalogs, and more. To access this Help, click Help on either tab of the Raster Workshop main window.

Where to Get More Information | 23

LiteView Servlet Administrator’s Guide

This guide, which is installed with the Autodesk MapGuide LiteView servlet, contains information to help server administrators set up and maintain the LiteView servlet environment. You can access this guide from the Start menu by choosing Programs  Autodesk MapGuide Release 6  LiteView  Servlet Administrator’s Guide.

Provider for SHP Guide

This guide is installed with the Autodesk MapGuide Provider for SHP and is written both for system administrators who need to configure the product and for users who need to work with it. You can access this guide from the Start menu by choosing Programs  Autodesk MapGuide Release 6  Documentation  Provider for SHP Guide.

Provider for Oracle Spatial

This guide is installed with the Autodesk MapGuide Provider for Oracle Spatial and is written both for system administrators who need to configure the product and for users who need to work with it. You can access this guide from the Start menu by choosing Programs  Autodesk MapGuide Release 6



Documentation  Provider for Oracle Spatial Guide.

Autodesk MapGuide ReadMe File

The ReadMe file for all of the Autodesk MapGuide products includes a list of known issues or late-breaking information that was not included in other guides or Help files. You can access this file by going to \\Program Files\Autodesk\MapGuideDocumentation6 and opening MGReadme.htm.

24 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Autodesk MapGuide Developer Documentation

Following is a list of the guides and Help systems available for Autodesk MapGuide developers.

Autodesk MapGuide Developer’s Guide

This printed guide includes information about developing Autodesk MapGuide applications and is included in the Autodesk MapGuide product package. You can also install this guide in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format from the Autodesk MapGuide Documentation installer on the Autodesk MapGuide CD. You can access this guide from the Start menu by choosing Programs  Autodesk MapGuide Release 6  Documentation  Autodesk MapGuide Developer’s Guide.

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help

This Help system is a complete reference to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API objects, properties, methods, and events. You install this Help system from the Autodesk MapGuide Documentation installer on the Autodesk MapGuide CD. You can access this Help system from the Start menu by choosing Programs  Autodesk MapGuide Release 6  Documentation  Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Developer’s Guide

This guide, which is installed with the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit, includes information about working programatically with maps using eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format. You can access this guide from the Start menu by choosing Programs  Autodesk MapGuide Release 6  Documentation  Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Developer’s Guide.

Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Help

This Help file, which is installed with the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit, provides context-sensitive Help for Dynamic Authoring Toolkit objects when you develop applications in Visual Basic or in another visual environment. You can access this Help system from the Start menu by choosing Products



Autodesk MapGuide Release 6  Documentation  Dynamic Authoring

Toolki t He lp.

Where to Get More Information | 25

Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Sample Application Help

These HTML files, which are installed with the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit, describe four sample applications that demonstrate the functionality of the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit.

SDF Component Toolkit Help

This Help system is provided with the SDF Component Toolkit. The SDF Component Object Model is of interest to advanced application developers, who will want to refer to the list of objects, properties, and methods. You can access this Help file from the Start menu by choosing Programs  Autodesk MapGuide Release 6  Documentation  SDF Component Toolkit Help.

LiteView Developer’s Guide

This guide, which is installed with Autodesk MapGuide LiteView, includes information about developing applications for Autodesk MapGuide LiteView. You can access this guide from the Start menu by choosing Programs  Autodesk MapGuide Release 6  LiteView  Developer’s Guide.

LiteView Sample Application Help

These HTML files, which are included with Autodesk MapGuide LiteView, demonstrate the functionality of LiteView.

Third-Party Documentation

Many excellent third-party books are available. Your tastes may vary, but here are some that we found useful:



ColdFusion Web Application Construction Kit, by Ben Forta et al. (Que Corporation)



Programming Active Server Pages, by Scot Hillier and Daniel Mezick (Microsoft Press)



HTML Sourcebook, 4th Edition, by Ian S. Graham (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)



The Java Class Libraries, Second Edition: Volume 1 and Volume 2, by Patrick Chan and Rosanna Lee (Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.)



JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 3rd Edition, by David Flanagan (O’Reilly and Associates)



Java in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition, by David Flanagan (O’Reilly and Associates)

26 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Additionally, there are many books that discuss GIS, its history, and its applications. Because these books vary in scope, quality, and price, you should take the time to browse through them in your bookstore and select the one that suits your needs. One title you might try is Principles of Geographical Information Systems by Peter A. Burrough and Rachael A. McDonnell (Oxford University Press).

Autodesk MapGuide Web Site

To get late-breaking information about the Autodesk MapGuide products, or for links to technical notes and white papers that discuss various topics, go to the Autodesk MapGuide Web site: http://www.autodesk.com/mapguide. There is also a link to the online Autodesk MapGuide demos, which walk you through the process of using sample applications. Many of the demos use JavaScript to access the Viewer API, and you might find it useful to view the HTML source used in these examples.

Tip From Autodesk MapGuide Author, you can go directly to the Autodesk MapGuide Web site by choosing HelpAutodesk MapGuide Web Site.

Online Discussion Groups

The Autodesk online discussion groups, located at http://www.autodesk.com/discussion, are open forums for Autodesk customers, partners, or anyone with an interest in Autodesk’s products. You can post information or questions, answer other members’ questions, or just browse messages to gather information and learn tips and tricks from other users. Your questions will be answered by other discussion group members or Autodesk staff.

For best results when posting a question, please be sure to provide as much information about the situation as possible. This includes your hardware configuration (how many servers, how much RAM, etc.), your operating system, the release number of the specific product, what steps you took immediately prior to the problem, the exact error message that was displayed, and any other information that will help us to understand the issue. Providing this information will improve our ability to answer your question immediately.

Where to Get More Information | 27

Autodesk Developer Network

Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) is a developer-support organization that provides its members with services including the following:



A quarterly CD containing Autodesk products, documentation, and sample code



Technical training



Direct, comprehensive technical support



Marketing support



Developer consulting services



Access to private newsgroups

ADN membership is open to experienced professional software developers who develop products and services that interface or integrate with Autodesk products. For more information about membership requirements and fees, go to the Autodesk developers Web site at: http://www.autodesk.com/developers

28 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

This chapter includes an overview of the Autodesk

MapGuide

planning a strategy for using the Autodesk MapGuide

products.

This chapter may be especially helpful to:



Server administrators



Application developers



New Autodesk MapGuide users

product suite, as well as information about

In this chapter



What is Autodesk MapGuide?



How Autodesk MapGuide components work together



Map authoring products



Map viewing products



Map serving products



Developing applications with Autodesk MapGuide



What is Autodesk MapGuide application development?



Overall strategy

What Is Autodesk MapGuide?

Before you use Autodesk MapGuide, you need to understand some basic concepts, including how to use the Autodesk MapGuide product suite as a whole, and how to access your Autodesk MapGuide® Server and data resources.

Autodesk MapGuide is a geographic information system (GIS). Unlike a typical map or drawing, which shows only spatial data such as roads, cities, and country borders, a GIS links attribute data, such as population statistics, to spatial data. This link between the map data and the attribute data makes a GIS very powerful, because it allows you to use data in a whole new way.

For example, you could create a map of restaurants that allows users to zoom in to an area of interest, click a restaurant, and then view that restaurant’s menu, pricing information, phone number, and address. Another example would be creating a map of all power transformers in an area, so that your technicians could quickly generate a report of all customers affected by a particular transformer when it goes out of service. You could also create a facilities map of your company, including information about personnel in each office, such as telephone extension, title, department, and so on.

Keep in mind that when you use Autodesk MapGuide, you are not limited to using geographically projected maps—you can also use drawings, floor plans, schematics, or others kinds of spatial data.

How Autodesk MapGuide Works

To create an interactive map or drawing, you use Autodesk MapGuide® Author to combine resource data, such as spatial data (spatial data files and raster image files) and attribute data (from databases) in a Map Window File (MWF). The MWF contains the complete specifications of how the map will look and function.

To publish the map, you copy the MWF file to a location where the Web server can access it. Web page authors can then embed the file in their Web pages or create links to it. To view the map, users can install Autodesk MapGuide Viewer free of charge. When the user opens a Web page that contains an MWF file or clicks a link to an MWF file, the Web browser automatically loads Autodesk MapGuide

Viewer to display the map.

30 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

The Viewer displays the map according to the MWF settings specified in Autodesk MapGuide Author.

A map displayed with Autodesk MapGuide Viewer

When you use either Autodesk MapGuide Author to create a map or Autodesk MapGuide Viewer to view a map, requests are made to Autodesk MapGuide Server to provide the required data in that map via the Internet, an intranet, or an extranet using the services of a Web server and a Web browser.

How Autodesk MapGuide Products Work To g e t h e r

The three core products in the Autodesk MapGuide suite of products are:



Autodesk MapGuide Author



Autodesk MapGuide Server



Autodesk MapGuide Viewer

How Autodesk MapGuide Products Work Together | 31

In addition to these products, there are a number of utilities and development products. The following diagram provides an overview of how the Autodesk MapGuide products work together.

Clien ts

Clients

Application

Servers

Data Servers

Data

Dat a

Utilities

Any Browser

Rast er

Images

Rast er

Workshop

PNG

Autodesk MapGuide

CAD/GIS Fi les

DGN, MID/MI F

Autodesk

OnSite Client

Autodes k OnSi te

Servlet

LiteV iew

SHP

Java Viewer

Browser

Java Servlet

Engine

Acti veX Vi ewer

Browser

Plug-In Viewer

Browser

Web Server

Autodes k MapGuide

Autodesk MapGuide Server

Autodesk MapGu ide

Provi ders

Oracle Spati al

Orac le

ORACLE SDF MWF

Custom VISI ON*SHP

}

VISION*

Cach e

VISION*

Conversion

Ora cl e Spati al

Autodesk

GIS Desi gn

Server

Autodes k

GIS D esi gn

Server Cach e

SDF Com Toolki t

SDF Loader

DWG

Autodesk GIS

Desig n Server

DWG SDF

Author

Symbol Manager

Dynami c

Authoring Tool kit

Autodesk

MapGuide

Publish

MWX

(XML)

Map Authoring Products

This section describes the programs and data resources used to create a map.

Autodesk MapGuide Author

Autodesk MapGuide Author enables you to create maps by setting up Map Window Files (MWFs). You can then embed one or more MWF files (or create a link to them) in a Web page. When a user opens that Web page (or clicks its link in the Web browser), Autodesk MapGuide Viewer appears and displays the map.

32 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

Dynamic Authoring Toolkit

You use the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit to open and save MWFs in an XMLbased format called Map Window XML (MWX). With MWX format, you can modify map layers, layer groups, zoom gotos, reports, and so on, using any third-party text editor or an application you develop.

You can extend the ability to modify maps to clients by monitoring Viewer API methods or by enabling users to submit requests using a Web interface. Based on Viewer activity or user response, you can dynamically modify the following:



Zooming, to account for the user’s map center and zoom extents



Creating themes to display criteria users request



Finding and modifying internal map settings at user requests

For example, users can submit the changes they want to apply to an MWF using a ColdFusion or Active Server Page. You can create an application that invokes the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit conversion component to convert the MWF to MWX and apply the user’s changes. Using the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit conversion component, you can then convert the MWX back to MWF and send the modified map to the user’s Viewer.

Symbol Manager

Symbol Manager enables you to create and modify symbol (SMB) files so that the symbols in the SMB files are based on criteria you define. You can also modify the properties of symbols within the SMB files.

SDF Loader

SDF Loader is a command-line utility that converts spatial map data from a variety of formats into Spatial Data Files (SDF), one of the native formats read by Autodesk MapGuide Server. Specifically, some of the formats that you can convert are Autodesk Map ESRI Arc/Info Coverage files, Intergraph DGN files, ArcView Shapefile files, and Atlas BNA files, as well as ASCII comma-delimited CSV files. The SDF Loader can convert the coordinates from their original coordinate system into latitude/longitude, but it cannot perform datum shifts—all data must be based on the same datum.

DWG and DXF files, MapInfo MID/MIF files,

Map Authoring Products | 33

The SDF Loader can also generalize your map data if it will be displayed at smaller scales (zoomed out), which improves performance and reduces required storage space. The SDF Loader is distributed on the Autodesk MapGuide CD. For more information, refer to the SDF Loader Help (SDFLOAD.HLP) located in the SDF Loader folder.

SDF Component Toolkit

The SDF Component Toolkit is a set of COM (Common Object Model) objects for reading and writing Spatial Data Files (SDF), Spatial Index Files (SIF), and Key Index Files (KIF), the native spatial data file formats of Autodesk MapGuide products.

You can access SDF Component Toolkit objects in development languages and environments such as C++, Visual Basic, VBA, VBScript, Java, JScript, ASP, CGI, and ColdFusion. Using these languages and environments, you can do the following:



Write applications that convert spatial data to SDFs.



Write applications that modify SDFs generated by Autodesk Map, Autodesk World



Create server-side applications that read and modify existing SDFs. These applications can interact with client-side scripts, allowing for dynamic updates based on user input.

, or SDF Loader.

For more information, refer to the SDF Component Toolkit Help (SDFCOMTK.HLP) located in the \Help folder in the SDF Component Toolkit folder.

Raster Workshop

The Raster Workshop is a utility that allows you to optimize your raster images, which improves performance when they are accessed by Autodesk MapGuide. You can generate TIFF files and tiled TIFF files (tiled TIFF files improve performance) from standard image formats, create raster image catalog (RIC) files, and manipulate the images that are referenced by the RIC. You can then use the TIFF and RIC files with Autodesk MapGuide, or use the TIFF files with other Autodesk products that support raster images. The Raster Workshop is distributed on the Autodesk MapGuide CD. For more information, refer to the Raster Workshop Help (RASTER.HLP) located in the Raster Work sho p fold er.

34 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

Map Viewing Products

This section describes how your Web browser works with Autodesk MapGuide Viewer to display maps.

Web Browser

A Web browser is a client application that reads hypertext data in the form of HTML pages containing text, graphic, and programmatic content. Web pages are usually posted on the Internet, an intranet, or an extranet. An intranet uses Internet technology, but is used internally by a company or other organization; information on an intranet is not available to outside users. An extranet extends an intranet to outside users who have been given access rights, such as customers who access a site with a password.

In addition to reading and displaying Web pages, a Web browser can also perform file transfers using file transfer protocol (FTP) and run helper programs, such as Autodesk MapGuide Viewer.

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer displays a map in your Web browser when you open a Web page that contains an embedded MWF or when you click a link to an MWF.

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer is available in three versions:



A Plug-In for use with Netscape® Navigator on Windows systems



An ActiveX Control for use with Microsoft® Internet Explorer on Windows systems



A Java™ Edition for use with Netscape Navigator on Sun™ Solaris systems and with Microsoft Internet Explorer on Apple can also be used on Windows, but we recommend that you use the PlugIn or ActiveX Control instead.

All are available for download free of charge from the Autodesk MapGuide Web site: http://www.autodesk.com/mapguide.

Note If you want to distribute maps without requiring that users install one of the Viewers, you can do so using Autodesk MapGuide LiteView. For more information, see the next section and the LiteView documentation.

Macintosh® systems. It

Map Viewing Products | 35

You can also write a stand-alone C++, Visual Basic, or Java application that hosts Autodesk MapGuide Viewer without a Web browser. For details about supported platforms, see “Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment” on page 63.

LiteView

LiteView serves maps in a raster format, with limited interactivity, so that users are not required to install Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. For more information, refer to the LiteView documentation.

Map Serving Products

This section describes the software components that process and serve data to the map.

Web Ser ver

Help Index

Web server

A Web server is an application that runs on a host computer. In response to requests from other computers, the Web server software processes and sends various types of files, such as Web pages and Map Window Files (MWFs). When a user requests map data, that request is received by the Web server and passed to Autodesk MapGuide Server. For information about the type of Web servers Autodesk MapGuide supports, see “Autodesk MapGuide Server Requirements” on page 16.

Autodesk MapGuide Server

Autodesk MapGuide Server serves map data in response to requests from Autodesk MapGuide Author and Autodesk MapGuide Viewer when a user is displaying a map in those programs.

When a request is made, Autodesk MapGuide Server reads the request to determine which data to provide, and then sends the data from the spatial data source, raster image file, Autodesk DWG data source, or OLE DB data source according to the specifications made in the request. Autodesk MapGuide Server allows you to control access to the data sources by checking for passwords, user IDs, and other optional settings you specify.

Autodesk MapGuide Server consists of three components: MapAgent, Server Service, and Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin.

36 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

MapAgent

Autodesk MapGuide® Server Agent (or MapAgent) is an interface between your Web server and Autodesk MapGuide Server. It receives requests for map data from Autodesk MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Viewer via a Web server. The MapAgent processes the requests as they are received and passes them to Autodesk MapGuide Server. There are three different MapAgent files that you can use with Autodesk MapGuide Server; for more information, see “Which MapAgent to Install” on page 54.

Server Service

Autodesk MapGuide Server Service is a Windows NT/2000 service that receives and processes the requests for map data distributed by the MapAgent, formats the data as requested by the map layer, and then sends the data back through the MapAgent across the Web to Autodesk MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Viewer.

Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin

Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin gives you complete operational control over Autodesk MapGuide Server. You can set security, generate log files, configure data source directories and database access, and start and stop the server.

Autodesk MapGuide Data Providers

Autodesk MapGuide data providers enable Autodesk MapGuide to serve spatial and attribute data directly from a variety of traditional GIS, CAD, or relational spatial databases. When you use an Autodesk MapGuide data provider, you do not need to convert data to SDF format to use it with Autodesk MapGuide. You can purchase Autodesk MapGuide data providers for Autodesk data. For information about these data providers, contact your nearest authorized Autodesk reseller. If you are not accessing spatial data through a data provider, you will need to convert your data into one of the supported formats.

GIS Design Server, SHP, and Oracle8i™ and Oracle9i™ Spatial

Map Serving Products | 37

Developing Applications with Autodesk MapGuide

This section describes the products and technologies used to create an Autodesk MapGuide application.

An Autodesk MapGuide application can be as simple as an HTML page that displays an embedded Map Window File (MWF), or it can be as complex as a CGI application, coded in C++, that modifies data files on the server and refreshes the browsers of everyone viewing the map. Usually it is something between the two, such as a map embedded in a Web page that has buttons and other controls on it that interact with the map.

Example of an Autodesk MapGuide application

Autodesk MapGuide applications can be client-side or server-side. A client-side application runs in the user’s browser, using the processing power of the user’s (client) computer. It is typically an HTML page that hosts Autodesk MapGuide Viewer and contains code to access the objects of the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API. A server-side application runs on the server, and is typically used for generating custom map reports, generating dynamic HTML pages, and updating map resources, such as databases, GIS, or CAD files. In most cases, applications are a combination of both client-side and server-side

38 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

applications, but for the sake of simplicity, the following sections discuss the components as being one or the other.

Client-Side Application Components

Client-side applications run in the user’s browser. A client-side application is usually made up of the following components:



A Web browser and an HTML page that hosts Autodesk MapGuide Viewer



An MWF that is read by Autodesk MapGuide Viewer and displayed as a map



Web browser scripts that access the APIs for the browser and Autodesk MapGuide Viewer

HTML Pages

Usually, a client-side application is an instance of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer that is displayed in an HTML page by means of the <EMBED>,

<OBJECT>, or <APPLET> tag. (<EMBED> is used for the Netscape Plug-In, <OBJECT> for the ActiveX Control, and <APPLET> for the Java Edition). The

HTML page might contain form elements (such as buttons and list boxes) and code that access the Web browser API and the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API. You can also display the map full-screen (not embedded in an HTML page) by using the to the MWF. For more information, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

<A HREF> tag in an HTML page and creating a link

Web Browser Scripts

Autodesk MapGuide supports the following HTML scripting languages:



JavaScript—JavaScript is a full-featured scripting language that supports the Netscape Plug-In on the Windows platform and the Java Edition on the Windows and Sun Solaris platforms.



JScript—JScript is Microsoft’s variant of the JavaScript language. It sup- ports the ActiveX Control and Java Edition for Internet Explorer on Windows platforms. Throughout this book, we will often refer to JScript and JavaScript collectively as JavaScript.



VBScript—VBScript is a Visual Basic-derived language that supports the ActiveX Control for Internet Explorer on Windows platforms.

Developing Applications with Autodesk MapGuide | 39

You can use these scripting languages to access the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API and the Netscape and Internet Explorer browser APIs. The scripts can range from a single line to complex client-side map applications. For more information, see “Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment,” on page 63, and refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer exposes an object-oriented programming interface (API) that gives you programmatic access to Autodesk MapGuide Viewer functionality. For example, you can create a redlining application that gives users the ability to digitize features and add notations to a map.

You can access the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API from a browser script or from a stand-alone application you create that hosts the Viewer. The API is available when you install any version of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. For more information, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

Web Browser APIs

The Netscape and Internet Explorer APIs give you programmatic access to browser and document functionality. The APIs include a Document Object Model (DOM) that exposes the elements in an HTML page.

With the browser APIs, you can write a script that creates a new window or frame and then outputs HTML to it dynamically. You can also create HTML pages that change dynamically on user interaction. (This is called Dynamic HTML.)

Note The Document Object Models for Netscape and Internet Explorer vary somewhat. Therefore, when writing a single script for both browsers, be sure to test your script carefully in both browsers.

Stand-Alone Applications

You can write a stand-alone C++, Visual Basic, or Java application that hosts Autodesk MapGuide Viewer without a Web browser. For details about supported platforms, see “Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment” on page 63.

40 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

Server-Side Applications

Server-side applications run on the server (or host), creating or processing data and serving it to the client machine. A server-side application (also known as a server app) might be a counter that shows how many times a site has been visited, or it might be a database that builds and serves HTML pages dynamically. LiteView, used to display raster maps without a browser, is also an example of a server-side application.

In Autodesk MapGuide, server-side applications are typically used to generate and serve reports or to allow a user to update map data on the server using a browser. Please note that these applications are typically a combination of client-side and server-side applications, but for the sake of simplicity, they are discussed here as server-side applications.

Reports

You can design customized reports for your map. A report is an HTML page generated by a script you create using a third-party tool like ColdFusion by Macromedia Corporation, or Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP). Report scripts combine database queries and HTML tags to dynamically generate pages on the server. These pages are then sent to the browser as standard HTML. Because the design of the HTML page is specified as part of the report script, the author of the report controls the way the page displays in the browser.

In an Autodesk MapGuide application, the report typically provides information about the selected map features or about a point the user specifies, depending on the settings the map author specified in the MWF. In some cases, database resources might be queried directly, bypassing the MWF completely. When a user views the report, Autodesk MapGuide Server sends the feature or point information to the report script, which extracts the appropriate content from a database and then displays an HTML page with the results in the Web browser. Examples of reports might be demographic data for the specified layers or the latitude/longitude coordinate of the specified point. For more extensive information about reports, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Developer’s Guide.

Developing Applications with Autodesk MapGuide | 41

User-Updatable Map Resources

You can create server applications that give users the ability to update map resources from their browsers. These resources can be database map layers, attribute data associated with a feature, or even the SDFs themselves. Updating a database from the browser uses the same mechanisms that reports use.

For example, you could create a “crime watch” application. The application would include an HTML form where users could add map points representing crime incidents, as well as attribute data describing details of the incidents. Subsequent users could use the form to add their own comments to the database. In another example, you could create a redlining tool for surveyors. Using this tool, workers in the field could add polylines representing lot lines to the SDFs so that the changes would be visible to anyone else viewing the map. For more information, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Developer’s Guide.

What Is Autodesk MapGuide Application Development?

The Autodesk MapGuide application development process allows you to add Autodesk MapGuide functionality to your Web site. The entire process includes writing the client-side and server-side code, as well as the steps involved in designing your Autodesk MapGuide project and server layout, setting up an Autodesk MapGuide Server and a Web server, gathering your data, and creating your HTML pages.

The following are eight main tasks involved in setting up your Autodesk MapGuide Web site and developing applications:

1 Familiarize yourself with GIS and the Autodesk MapGuide product

architecture.

2 Design your system, by deciding which Web server to use, whether to use

multiple servers, the directory structure for your project, how you will implement security, and so on. Determine whether you will require users to install Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, or whether you want to use LiteView to serve maps with limited interactivity.

3 Set up your server. This includes installing and configuring your Web

server, installing Autodesk MapGuide Server, installing a reporting engine, setting up a development environment, and adding files to the server.

42 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

4 Decide on your data strategy and work with your data. You will need to

determine whether to use a data provider to access data directly or whether to convert your data. This includes creating spatial data, attribute data, raster images, symbols, Zoom Goto categories, and reports, and then adding this data to your map. It also includes optimizing the data you create and ensuring that you’re using the correct coordinate system and precision.

5 Create your maps using Autodesk MapGuide Author or Dynamic

Authoring Toolkit, and post them on the server.

6 Add the maps to Web pages and develop client-side applications to

interact with the maps.

7 Develop report scripts that either display data for selected features on the

map or dynamically update the databases when the user clicks the map or enters information.

8 Optionally, use SDF Component Toolkit to develop applications that

allow you to modify your Spatial Data Files (SDF) by editing, deleting, or adding geographic features from the browser.

Overall Strategy

Setting up Autodesk MapGuide and developing an application is much like cooking: rather than working on one task at a time, you need to work on several of them at once, going back and forth between the tasks as needed. This section uses this approach and outlines the best strategy for setting up Autodesk MapGuide and developing applications. The process includes three main phases: installation and testing, planning and design, and implementation.

The following sections describe these phases. For more information about the second phase, planning and design, see Chapter 3, “Designing Your System.”

Phase One: Installation and Testing

This phase involves installing and testing all of the components to make sure that your system is ready. You can take two approaches to this phase. The first approach is to read through Chapter 3, “Designing Your System,” to determine exactly how you want to set up your system before you install the products.

Overall Strategy | 43

The other approach is to do a basic installation to get an idea of how everything works together and make sure it all works properly, and then use that knowledge in Phase Two when you plan and design your complete Autodesk MapGuide application. In either case, the data and map layer you create in this phase should be very basic and for testing purposes only.

To install and test the components

1 Install your Web server and Web browser, and then type your Web server

URL in the Web browser to make sure that the browser is communicating with the Web server.

2 Create OLE DB data sources for your attribute data (or Autodesk DWG data

sources if working with Autodesk DWG files), and then test them with Access, Excel, or another database application to make sure that you can access the data through the data source names you created. If you are not sure which attribute data you will be using, skip this step for now and return to it during Phase Three when you create your data.

3 Install Autodesk MapGuide Server, and then type your Autodesk

MapGuide Server URL in the Web browser to make sure that the browser is communicating with Autodesk MapGuide Server.

4 Install Autodesk MapGuide Author, and then open tutorial.mwf to make

sure you can access the Internet through Autodesk MapGuide Author. If you will be using Autodesk MapGuide on an intranet only, skip this step.

5 If you are using a data provider to access data directly, install the data pro-

vider as described in the data provider’s documentation. If you are not using a data provider, install SDF Loader, and then convert one file to SDF format.

6 In Autodesk MapGuide Author, create a new layer based on the SDF you

created in the previous step or based on the data you are accessing through a data provider.

7 If the layer links to an OLE DB data source or an Autodesk DWG data

source, create the link and then test it by pausing the mouse over features on the layer to make sure the MapTips are displaying the feature names.

8 Save the MWF from Autodesk MapGuide Author.

9 Create an HTML page that references the MWF and post it in the Web

server directory.

10 Install the version or versions of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer that you will

be supporting, and then in your Web browser, type the URL to the HTML page you created in the previous step to verify that the map loads in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer.

44 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

Phase Two: Planning and Design

This is a critical phase, during which you determine how you need your Autodesk MapGuide application to function, and design it accordingly.

To plan and design your application

1 Determine your performance needs, and whether you should install mul-

tiple servers.

2 Determine which data you will need for the map, including what types of

reports and Zoom Goto categories you will need.

3 Decide how to design the layers. Ask yourself the following questions:



What name do you want to display in the legend for each layer?



What name do you want to use for each legend for programmatic access (that is, access through the Viewer API)?



Should users be able to select features on this layer?



Do you want to display more or less data depending on the current scale? If so, create multiple layers of the same area that turn on and off at particular display ranges.



Will the data on this layer be used in any reports? If so, make a note to add this layer to the Report tab when you set up your reports.

4 Design your Autodesk MapGuide application. This involves determining

the following:



How will the user interact with Autodesk MapGuide Viewer and the Web page? For example, will the user have to select features on the map, or will you add a list box to the Web page that allows the user to select a map feature from the list?



Depending on which functionality you want to add to the Web page, which Autodesk MapGuide functions do you need to use in order to provide this functionality?



Do you need to create other applications and scripts, such as CGI scripts? For example, if you want to allow the user to digitize points on the map and update the database with the new locations, you need to write a script to handle this.

Overall Strategy | 45

Phase Three: Implementation

In Phase Three, you implement your Autodesk MapGuide application according to the plan you developed in Phase Two.

To implement your application

1 If you will be installing additional servers, do so now, and test them as you

did in Phase One.

2 Create a skeleton of your application (without the MWF), creating place-

holders and pseudo-code for your features and functions.

3 If you are not using a data provider to access data directly, perform data

conversion, and then put the converted files in the necessary locations. If you create any additional databases, go back to Phase One and create and test OLE DB data sources for each database you add.

4 Create the report scripts or applications that Autodesk MapGuide will use

to generate reports.

5 Create the Zoom Goto data.

6 Build the map according to your plan. This includes creating the layers,

and then adding the reports and Zoom Goto categories to the Map Window Properties dialog box.

7 Add the MWF to the application skeleton, then test all layers, reports,

Zoom Goto categories, and so on.

8 Build the placeholder functions and test them.

46 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

Designing Your System

This chapter covers topics that you need to take into con-

sideration before you set up your Autodesk MapGuide

Server, author your map, or develop your Autodesk

MapGuide

decide how you want to design your system, what type of

security you need, and what type of Viewer and browser

environment you want to support before you install or

configure any software.

This chapter may be especially helpful to:



Server administrators



Application developers

Viewer application. Read this chapter to

In this chapter



Planning your directory structure



Security



Architecture and performance



Choosing a Viewer/browser environment

Planning Your Directory Structure

The first step in designing your system is planning the structure of the files and directories you will have on your server. For example, will you have all of your files under one main directory, or will you split them into project directories? Will you have all of your data in one directory, to be used by all projects, or will you have a separate data directory for each project? Part of planning your directory structure comes from your own understanding of how many projects and how much data you have, and a major consideration is setting up the structure so that your files are secure.

Note This chapter assumes you are familiar with Windows NT 2000, “Windows 2000,” and “Web servers” in the Autodesk MapGuide Help index.

Directory Structure Guidelines

You will need to create a directory structure for any of the file types you use with Autodesk MapGuide. In some cases you will also have to create virtual directories that map to physical directories. Your main security strategy is to keep your data repositories hidden from the Internet. You do this by placing spatial and attribute data away from the physical directories that are exposed to your server’s HTTP processing.

and Web server administration. If you are not, look up “Windows NT,”

®,

Windows®

Virtual directories provide a mapping between the Web server directory structure and the physical directory structure in your file system. For example, when you install Autodesk MapGuide Server, it creates the virtual directory /MapGuide6/Sample_World/ on your local host, which maps to the physical installation directory c:\Program Files\AutodeskMapGuideServer6

\Projects\Sample_World\web

The following illustration shows the physical installation directory:

Sample project with recommended directory structure

48 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

This setup is designed for maximum portability and security as well as ease of maintenance. By setting up your projects in this way, you can easily move an entire project from one computer to another, as all of the necessary data is under the project directory. You can also add additional directories and subdirectories, as needed.

As shown in the illustration on page 48, when you map a virtual directory to ..\Projects\Sample_World\web, your data directories (..\Database, ..\Raster, and ..\SDF) are not exposed to the Internet. Clients can only access the folders and files within the folder to which the virtual directory is mapped. Using virtual directories enables you to keep the same URL, even if you change file paths on your system. If you change file paths, just update the virtual directory mapping. Virtual directories also enable you to grant Execute permission to directories you create.

Use the following guidelines for setting up your directory structure.

Group files into projects with project directories

After you group files into projects with project directories, map virtual directories to the ..\<project name>\web directory. For example, if you create two project folders on the file system of your Autodesk MapGuide Server,

..\Projects\project1 and ..\Projects\project2, map virtual directories to ..\Projects\project1\web and ..\Projects\project2\web but do not put your data in directories below ..\web.

Place files under a virtual directory

Unlike raw data, you must place all HTML-related files, including MWFs, under a virtual directory so they are directly accessible to the Internet. For example:

..\Projects\project1\web\map1.html (www.<your domain>.com/project1/map1.html)

..\Projects\project2\web\map2.html (www.<your domain>.com/project2/map2.html)

Place files in directories that have Execute permission

You need to place your report files and server-side scripts in directories that have Web server Execute permission. If you are running Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS), and you want to assign Execute permissions to a directory, you must create a virtual directory that maps to it, regardless of whether that directory is under the Web root or not.

Planning Your Directory Structure | 49

For instructions on creating a virtual directory, refer to the documentation that came with your Web server.

Strategically locate MapAgent files

You can locate your MapAgent files anywhere on the file system where they can be executed by the Web server software. If you are running IIS, we recommend you use the default directory, /MapGuide6/, which the Autodesk MapGuide Server installation creates for your MapAgent files. This way you do not need to create a virtual directory for these files. If you choose to place your MapAgent files elsewhere, you must create a virtual directory that maps to its physical counterpart and assign Execute permissions with your Web server software.

Netscape Enterprise Server does not create a default directory. If you use the NSAPI version of the MapAgent, you must enter a pointer in the Netscape configuration file that points to the MapAgent_NSAPI.dll file. Typically, the

MapAgent_NSAPI.dll directory is: C:/Program Files/Autodesk/MapGuideServer6/MapAgents

If you are going to use the CGI agent, you must create a CGI directory and create a mapping to that directory in the Netscape Administrator.

Security

Security is an important consideration when setting up any kind of server application. With Autodesk MapGuide, you can implement security for your server computer at a number of different levels. There are three main methods for setting up security:



Use the Windows NT or Windows 2000 Administrator tools to set security for files and directories on the server computer.

Use your Web server to set security for virtual directories. Plan your directory structure so that files requiring security are not exposed to the Internet, for instance, by physically creating these files hierarchically above their virtual directories.

Use Autodesk MapGuide to set up user IDs and passwords, access keys, passkeys to protect resources (such as SDFs and databases), maps, and map layers.

50 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

Using Windows NT or Windows 2000 Security

Help Index

Windows NT, security Windows 2000, security

Help Index

Web servers

security

We recommend that you review the security settings for all folders on your server and adjust them appropriately, depending on the files they contain. If your Autodesk MapGuide Server directories are on a drive that uses the file allocation table (FAT) file system, you do not need to set Windows permissions, because all users have access to all files and directories. If these directories are on a drive that uses a Windows NT File System (NTFS), you must set the appropriate permissions on these directories for each account intended to access these directories.

In addition to setting security for individual files and directories, you can also set security for all directories controlled by your Web server. The next section discusses this approach.

Using Web Server Security

When you create a Web publishing directory, you can set access permissions for the defined home directory or virtual directory and all of the directories below it. The World Wide Web (WWW) service provides the access permissions, which are in addition to the permissions provided by the NTFS file system. Note that ColdFusion template files (.cfm files) interact with the Web server in a similar manner to a CGI scripting process, so any directory containing these files must also have Execute access.

The security considerations for your Autodesk MapGuide site are the same as those for any other Web site that provides data. With that in mind, we recommend that you create an organized directory structure with permissions that appropriately protect the files on the Web site enabled by Autodesk MapGuide.

In addition to the Windows NT/Windows 2000 and Web server security methods just discussed, you can also use a variety of methods in Autodesk MapGuide Server to set up security.

Using Autodesk MapGuide Security

Autodesk MapGuide Server and Autodesk MapGuide® Author provide you with the following methods for keeping your data resources and maps secure:



User IDs and passwords to control access to maps, map layers, and data sources



Access keys to control map layer access to data sources and map feature coordinate values

Security | 51



Passkeys to control Viewer API access to layer setup data and map feature coordinate values

You can use one or more of these methods depending on your security needs.

Controlling Access to Maps

Help Index

passwords

setting for maps

Help Index

layers

restricting access

In addition to controlling access to your maps using the standard security features of your Web server, you can add password protection to your maps using Autodesk MapGuide Author. Password protection prevents other Autodesk MapGuide Author users from opening a proprietary Internetpublished map and accessing the information stored in the MWF. You must enter the correct password each time you open a password-protected map.

If you ha ve a pub lic site , an othe r w ay to add sec uri ty t o you r MW Fs is to stor e the MWFs on a server inside of your firewall and have the MapAgent and HTML files on a server outside of the firewall. For more information, see “Using a Remote MapAgent” on page 55 and “Firewalls” on page 73.

Controlling Map Layer Access to Data Sources

You can control access to data sources (resources) by assigning access keys to them using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. An access key is a unique string that can include a start and end date. To use a resource that has an access key assigned to it, the map author embeds the access key in the layer or Zoom Goto definition that will access that resource.

Each time a user attempts to access that map layer (such as by panning or zooming) or Zoom Goto definition, the access key is automatically sent to the server along with the request for the data. Autodesk MapGuide Server verifies the key and its start/end dates (if any) against the list of access keys assigned to that resource before providing the data. If the key is verified, Autodesk MapGuide Server loads the layer’s data; otherwise, the program displays a message indicating that access to the data is denied.

When assigning access keys to map layers, you need to coordinate with the person administering Autodesk MapGuide Server to make sure that the access key is properly assigned to the specific resource that provides data to that map layer. For more information, see “Creating and Modifying Access Keys” on page 84 and “Specifying Security for Layers” on page 173.

52 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

Controlling User Access to Resources

Help Index

resources

restricting access

You can control which users can access resources (SDFs, raster image files, databases, and so on) by assigning user IDs and passwords to resources using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. Whenever Autodesk MapGuide Viewer or Autodesk MapGuide Author requests data from a resource, the user is prompted to enter a user ID and password. Autodesk MapGuide Server then verifies that this user ID and password has been assigned to the resource and provides the data.

Additionally, you can assign users to the Authors user group using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. When authors create maps, they can browse for available resources only if they are assigned to the Authors user group. This provides only a minimal level of security, because authors can still use a resource by typing its path, but they cannot browse for available resources without the recognized user ID and password that you specified in Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. For more information, see “Creating and Modifying Users and Groups” on page 83.

Note Be sure to run Autodesk MapGuide Server and Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin under the same account (the System account or a user account). Otherwise, the resources you see in Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin might not be the same resources that are available to Autodesk MapGuide Server. See “Config- uring Autodesk MapGuide Server under a Different Account” on page 75 for more information.

Accessing Data from the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API

Map authors can control whether developers can access coordinate values and map layer setup data using the API getVertices() and getLayerSetup() methods. You control the security of this data from the Map Layer Properties dialog box in Autodesk MapGuide Author. If you allow API access, you can also specify that the application must send a specific passkey first, which the application developer passes in with the unLock method. The developer can then use the getVertices() and getLayerSetup() methods to access the coordi- nate values and layer setup data. For more information, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

We do not recommend hard coding the passkey in your HTML application script because users can always view the source code of an HTML page. One option is to prompt users for their user IDs and passwords when they attempt to view secured data and then authenticate the user ID and password against a database on your server.

Security | 53

Map authors can also control whether developers have access to the tracking ID using the getTrackingID() and setTrackingID() methods. You control the security of this data from the Map Window Properties dialog box in Autodesk MapGuide Author.

Architecture and Performance

This section discusses the different server agents and distributed architectures that you can implement for Autodesk MapGuide Server and how they affect performance. On installation, Autodesk MapGuide Server selects a MapAgent based on the Web server it detects. You can, however, go back to the installation program and install a different MapAgent at any time.

Which MapAgent to Install

There are three types of Autodesk MapGuide Server agents (MapAgents) that you can install:



CGI—This MapAgent works on any type of Web server and is easy to install. Therefore, if you are building a Web server for the first time, and you are not distributing or mirroring your map data across multiple servers, you might want to install the CGI MapAgent instead of the ISAPI or NSAPI MapAgents to avoid complications. Note that the CGI MapAgent is slower than the ISAPI and NSAPI MapAgents because it does not run as part of the Web server.



ISAPI—The ISAPI (Internet Server Application Programming Interface) MapAgent is an ISAPI server extension that can be loaded by Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS). Because it runs as part of the Web server process, it improves performance by eliminating the overhead of communicating between the Web server and a separate CGI executable. The ISAPI MapAgent resides on the user’s computer, so it is faster than the CGI agent. It is also fairly easy to install. However, you can install the ISAPI agent only on IIS.



NSAPI—The NSAPI (Netscape Server API) MapAgent is similar to the ISAPI MapAgent, except it works on the Netscape Enterprise Server. Like ISAPI, it is faster than a CGI MapAgent, and thus optimizes your server’s performance.

For more information, see “Understanding Multiple Simultaneous Server Requests” on page 56.

54 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

Using a Remote MapAgent

The MapAgent uses Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) built on the Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) transport. Because DCOM calls can be made across a network, the MapAgent does not need to reside on the same computer as Autodesk MapGuide Server. This is useful for enhancing security, because it allows you to publish maps from your public server while keeping your data, Autodesk MapGuide Server, and the communication between them secure on your private internal LAN.

For example, you could have your Web server, MapAgent, HTML files, and supporting files for the HTML files (such as bitmaps that appear in the Web page, not within the map) all on a public server outside of the firewall or other Internet security mechanism you are using. Inside the firewall, you would have Autodesk MapGuide Server and your resources (databases, SDFs, and raster images that appear within the map). With this setup, not only is all of your data behind the firewall, but all communication between Autodesk MapGuide Server and your data takes place behind the firewall. This approach enables anyone to use your maps, but minimizes the possibility of hackers accessing your data files or taking advantage of the communication between Autodesk MapGuide Server, and your databases. You can specify exactly which ports you want DCOM to use for communication between Autodesk MapGuide Server and the MapAgent. The data passed between them is only useful for display in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. For more information, see “Data File Placement” on page 61.

To use a remote MapAgent, you need to make sure the MapAgent can communicate with your Autodesk MapGuide Server through the firewall. For more information, see “Setting Up the MapAgent” on page 71.

Standardizing on UDP or TCP

Different versions of Windows use either UDP ports or TCP ports for DCOM communication by default. When you use the MapAgent on a different computer from the Autodesk MapGuide Server, be sure that the computers are using compatible operating systems. Otherwise, if the MapAgent computer attempts to communicate with the Autodesk MapGuide Server computer using a different protocol, there will be a 30–45 second delay. At the end of the delay, an attempt will be made to connect with the alternate protocol. This delay will occur unless the last working protocol type (UDP or TCP) is cached by the operating system on the MapAgent computer.

Architecture and Performance | 55

Using Multiple Servers

Autodesk MapGuide Server is scalable, meaning that it has mechanisms built in to take advantage of multiple servers, which improves performance. Autodesk MapGuide Server can process multiple requests simultaneously, balance the load of requests across the available servers, and use data that is distributed across different servers. This section discusses how Autodesk MapGuide Server takes advantage of multiple servers and helps you determine which is the best strategy for you.

Understanding Multiple Simultaneous Server Requests

Autodesk MapGuide Server is a multi-threaded application, meaning that it can process multiple requests for data in parallel, as opposed to serially processing each request one after another.

MapGuide clients can send multiple simultaneous requests to several MapAgents at once and simultaneously receive the responses from those requests. This means that instead of using one server to process a large request, or sending smaller requests one at a time, multiple servers can process all smaller requests at the same time. You do this by setting up your map layers to use data from different Autodesk MapGuide Servers. Autodesk MapGuide Viewer will then send off requests for data for all of those layers in parallel, where they are all processed at the same time. Therefore, if you have three servers, processing time could be up to three times faster than using one server.

For example, in the following illustration, there are requests coming from layers 1 through 6. In this example, layers 1 and 3 make the requests to server A, layers 2 and 4 send the requests to server B, and layers 5 and 6 send the requests to server C. All the requests to these servers go out at the same time, so the servers process the requests simultaneously. Each server then sends its processed data back to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. The Autodesk MapGuide Viewer always draws layer 1 first, and then draws all of the other layers simultaneously once it has received all of the data.

56 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

Autodesk

MapGuide

Viewer

request layers 1 & 3

request layers 2 & 4

request layers 5 & 6

Autodesk

MapGuide

Server A

Autodesk

MapGuide

Server B

Autodesk

MapGuide

Server C

process request

return data

draw layer 1

draw layers 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6

process request

return data

parallel process

serial process

Simultaneous request model

MapAgents and Server Ranking

When the ISAPI, NSAPI, or CGI MapAgents receive a request from a MapGuide client, they rank the available servers and select one to which they dispatch the request. If the chosen server is offline or invalid, the MapAgent tries the next server in the rank.

CGI MapAgent

Each Autodesk MapGuide client request invokes a separate instance of the CGI MapAgent that lasts only the duration of the request. Because of this, the CGI MapAgent cannot track the number of requests dispatched to each server. It randomly selects an available server for each request and then ranks all other servers based on their proximity to this server in the list that appears in the Window’s registry. The CGI MapAgent distributes requests evenly among all available servers regardless of their current workload.

Architecture and Performance | 57

NSAPI and ISAPI MapAgent

Once loaded by the Web server, the ISAPI or NSAPI MapAgents remain in memory until the Web server service is shut down. Since they persist between requests, they are able to use a more sophisticated system of load balancing by ranking all servers into one of the following groups:



Available—This server is online and ready to process requests. From this group, the MapAgent will dispatch the client request to the server that is currently processing the fewest requests.



Offline—This server has been taken offline and will not be polled again until the MapAgent receives 50 more client requests.



Invalid/Unavailable—This machine is physically shut off or discon- nected from the network and will not be polled again until the MapAgent receives 100 more client requests.

Distributed Data vs. Mirrored Systems

There are two approaches to using multiple servers: distributed data and mirrored systems. In the distributed data model, the servers contain different resource files so that the map data is distributed across the servers. In the mirrored model, you have multiple servers with identical setups and data so that the additional servers act as backups if the first server is busy or unavailable.

The distributed data model requires less maintenance than the mirrored systems model. However, this approach is not fault tolerant—if one Autodesk MapGuide Server goes down, Autodesk MapGuide Viewers cannot access the data on that server. The mirrored systems model is safer than the distributed data model because it does have fault tolerance, which provides a backup server so that the data is still available. However, mirrored systems can require more maintenance than distributed data systems if you need to update the servers.

The following diagrams illustrate the two different multiple server architectures.

58 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

In the first diagram, notice that there are three Web server computers, each with its own Autodesk MapGuide Server. Each contains different data. In this case, requests are distributed among the servers based solely on which data is requested; if repeated requests are made for the same data, only the server containing that data will process the requests. To make this model work, you must plan the placement of your data carefully so that requests are distributed equally among the servers.

raster data

Web Server 1

Map

Agent

MapGuide

Server 1

spatial data...

Example of distributed data

Web Server 2

Map

Agent

MapGuide

Server 2

...more

spatial data...

Web Server 3

Map

Agent

MapGuide

Server 3

...still more spatial data

Attribute Data

Architecture and Performance | 59

In the next diagram, a Web server has a MapAgent that points to several Autodesk MapGuide Servers, each of which has exactly the same data as the others. In this case, requests made to this server will be distributed among the Autodesk MapGuide Servers based on their availability, so if one of the Autodesk MapGuide Servers is busy processing another request, the request will go to the next server.

Web Server 2

Map

Agent

MapGuide

Server 3

raster

data

spatial

data

attribute

data

raster

data

spatial

data

MapGuide

Server 1

attribute

data

MapGuide

Server 2

spatial

raster

data

attribute

data

Example of mirrored data

For maximum benefit, you can use a combination of the two approaches. For example, in the mirrored data illustration, Web Server 2 might be one of several Web servers that is used only when requests are made for its particular data. However, when requests are made to Web Server 2, all requests it receives are distributed for processing among three Autodesk MapGuide Servers, each of which contains exactly the same data. Thus, in this example using a combination of methods, several Web servers use the distributed data model, and one of the distributed Web servers also uses the mirrored data model to handle its individual requests.

Setting Up Multiple Servers

If you ch oos e t o ha ve mu lti ple Aut ode sk M apG uid e Se rve rs on your n etw ork , you must configure their TCP/IP settings to operate correctly through your Internet connection configuration. Also, to maximize performance, be sure to set up your MapAgent for load balancing between the servers.

60 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

Data File Placement

When using remote and/or multiple servers, it is important to know where to store your data so that the server(s) can access it. The following table describes whether each type of data needs to be available to the Autodesk MapGuide Server(s) or the Web server. Note that the MapAgent does not need access to data files, as it simply relays whatever data is sent to it from the Autodesk MapGuide Server.

This type of data...

Map source data (SDFs, data accessed using a data provider, raster images, OLE DB data sources)

Raster images in Web page (outside of map)

MWFs, MWXs, and MLFs

Must be available

Comments

to...

All Autodesk MapGuide Server installations

Web server The Web server processes these files

Web server The Web server processes these files;

The Autodesk MapGuide Server(s) processes the data, then sends it to the MapAgent to be relayed to Autodesk MapGuide Author or Viewer.

because they are outside of the map. Therefore, the Autodesk MapGuide Server(s) does not need access to them.

the Autodesk MapGuide Server(s) does not need access to them.

Additional Performance Considerations

In addition to using multiple servers, there are several ways in which you can improve performance. Keep the following tips in mind when setting up your site, authoring your maps, and preparing your data.

Site Configuration



Bandwidth is a critical factor. This includes internal and external bandwidth, as well as network traffic (particularly at peak hours on the Internet).



Your hardware has many factors that affect performance, including processor speed, memory, and disk space.

Architecture and Performance | 61

Map Authoring



Show only the layers that users really need. You can make the layers available but not visible when the user first displays the map, reducing the amount of data that needs to be processed when the map is first loaded.



Create static layers for small, frequently accessed data that does not need to be kept secure. Static layers are loaded only once, and zooming in and out on the layer does not send requests to the server. For larger data sets, data that changes frequently, and data that needs to be kept secure, use dynamic layers instead.



Use the Display Ranges option and pyramid the data. This involves creating multiple layers that show the same data but at different resolutions. You might have one layer that displays very detailed data and appears only when the user is zoomed in close, a second layer that displays less detail and appears only when the user is zoomed out farther, and a third layer that shows very generalized data and displays only when the user is zoomed out quite far.

Data Preparation



For point and text layers, rather than creating an SDF for the points and linking it to a SQL table for the attribute data, consider storing the points in the SQL table as well and using that table as the source for the layer. Whenever you link an SDF to a SQL table, it takes longer to process than a layer bas ed on jus t a n SDF or a SQ L ta ble . Th is i s no t tru e o f th eme s, however. When setting up a theme, it doesn’t matter whether the data source and theme source are the same SQL table, or the data source is an SDF and the theme source is a SQL table—performance will be the same in both cases.



If there are multiple theme categories for a layer, consider using separate layers that reference separate SDFs. If possible, you could also export the information in a SQL table to a comma-separated (CSV) file and import it into its own SDF, rather than including it as a theme category of a layer based on another SDF.



Generalize data as much as possible. This involves reducing the resolution of the data so that there is less data to process. You can generalize SDFs using SDF Loader or SDF Component Toolkit; you can subsample raster images using Raster Workshop. Note that generalization reduces the amount of detail you will see when you zoom in, so you might want to create multiple layers of the same area using different resolutions for different display ranges. Also, data with complex shapes, such as parcel data,

62 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

might not generalize well, because their boundaries might not line up properly afterwards.



Trim feature names if they are not used. You can use the /NULLNAME switch in SDF Loader to do this. Also, use the /LINK switch to specify the URL column(s) only if you plan to use the URLs.



For raster images, use Raster Workshop to create uncompressed, subsampled, tiled TIFF files.

Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment

As you plan your Autodesk MapGuide application, there are four major components you need to consider:



Operating system—Will your users be running Windows, Mac OS, or Solaris to view maps?



Web browser—Will your users be running Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer? Or do you want to create a stand-alone application to run the Viewer, so that a browser is not necessary?



Autodesk MapGuide Viewer/LiteView—Depending on which operating system and browser your users have, they will use the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer ActiveX Control, Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Plug-In, or Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, Java operating system and browser (such as on a corporate intranet), you can develop your application for one version of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. However, if your users all have different setups and thus use all versions of the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, you will need to develop your application to handle all three. If you do not need the full interactivity of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer and you need complete cross-platform support, you can consider using LiteView to deliver raster-based maps with limited interactivity.

™

Edition. If all of your users are running the same



Scripting language—Which language will you use to develop your appli- cation? Each version of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer is accessible from one or more specific languages.

Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment | 63

The following table is designed to help you consider each of these factors:

Components for Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment

Operating System

Windows

Browser Viewer Language

Internet Explorer Autodesk

MapGuide Viewer ActiveX Control

Internet Explorer Autodesk

MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition

Netscape Navigator

Any browser that supports PNG file format

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Plug-In

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition

LiteView ColdFusion (CF),

HTML, VBScript, Jscript, JavaScript

HTML, JScript, JavaScript, Java

HTML, JavaScript

HTML, JavaScript, Java

Active Server Pages (ASP), Java Server Pages (JSP), or Perl

Mac OS

none (stand-alone application)

Internet Explorer Autodesk

Any browser that supports PNG file format

none (stand-alone application)

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer ActiveX Control

MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition

LiteView ColdFusion (CF),

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition

Visual Basic

HTML, Java

Active Server Pages (ASP), Java Server Pages (JSP), or Perl

Java

64 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

Components for Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment (continued)

Operating

Browser Viewer Language

System

Solaris

Netscape Navigator

Any browser that supports PNG file format

none (stand-alone application)

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition

LiteView ColdFusion (CF),

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition

HTML, JavaScript, Java

Active Server Pages (ASP), Java Server Pages (JSP), or Perl

Java

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer ActiveX Control for Internet Explorer

The Autodesk MapGuide Viewer ActiveX Control exposes an API that is accessible from VBScript, JScript (Microsoft’s implementation of JavaScript), and Java. The ActiveX Control API is exposed through ActiveX/COM/Automation technology. If you develop an application only for the ActiveX Control version of the Viewer, users can access that application with Internet Explorer only; if someone tries to view your application with Netscape, it will fail. You can also write stand-alone applications for the ActiveX Control with Visual Basic or C++. In this case, no browser is required, as your stand-alone application takes the place of a browser. For platform information, see “Autodesk MapGuide ActiveX Control Viewer Requirements” on page 17.

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Plug-In for Netscape

The Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Plug-In exposes an API that is accessible from JavaScript and Java. The Plug-In API objects are exposed via Netscape LiveConnect technology.

If you develop an application only for the Plug-In version of the Viewer, users can access that application with Netscape only; if someone tries to view your application with Internet Explorer, it will fail. For platform information, see “Autodesk MapGuide Plug-In Viewer Requirements” on page 17.

Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment | 65

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition

The Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Java Edition works with certain combinations of both browsers on Windows, Mac OS, and Solaris (see previous table). It is accessible from JScript, JavaScript, and Java. Internet Explorer exposes the Java Edition API through a combination of the Java bean and ActiveX/COM/Automation technology. Netscape Communicator exposes the Java Edition API through a combination of Java introspection and LiveConnect technology. The API classes are defined in the com.autodesk.mgjava package, which is typically contained in the mgjava.jar file. All configurations expose the Java Edition API to other Java code if it has been compiled to directly instantiate MGMapApplet or MGMapComponent. For platform information, see “Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition Requirements” on page 17. For implementation information, see the Autodesk MapGuide Devel- oper’s Guide and the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

LiteView

LiteView is a Java program that runs on the server side (as a servlet). It converts an MWF file into a PNG image and returns it as an HTTP response to a request. It extends the capabilities of Autodesk MapGuide to quickly display maps as raster images in Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, or any other browser that supports the PNG image format. Application users do not have to download a plug-in to display the maps.

Third-party integrators can create a custom LiteView viewer, using the sample application provided with the servlet as an example. For more information, refer to the LiteView Developer’s Guide.

66 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

Assembling and Administering Yo u r S e r ve r

This chapter includes information about setting up and

administering your server. Before you begin, please read

Chapter 3, “Designing Your System,” to help you decide

how to set up your server security and architecture.

This chapter may be especially helpful to:



Server administrators



Application developers

In this chapter



Setting up your servers



Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin overview



Starting and stopping the server



Setting general server properties



Setting up your data sources



Managing server security



Tracking server requests



Adding geocoding data

Setting Up Your Servers

To enable your computer to serve maps over the Web, you must install and configure Autodesk MapGuide® Server and your Web server software.

Before You Install Autodesk MapGuide Server

Before installing Autodesk MapGuide Server, be sure to do the following:

Log On with Administrative Rights

Before you install Autodesk MapGuide Server, log on to Windows as an administrator or as a user who has administrative privileges.

Verify Your System Requirements

Be sure that your system meets the criteria listed in “Autodesk MapGuide Server Requirements” on page 16.

The Autodesk MapGuide Server installation program requires that you have Microsoft with Microsoft Windows 2000. If you do not have MSI on your computer, the Autodesk MapGuide Server installation program will install the MSI software for you. You will then need to restart your computer and manually restart the Autodesk MapGuide Server installation.

Warning If Autodesk Mapguide Server Release 5 is installed on your machine, you must ensure that you have also installed patch release 5.0.8.x. before you can install Autodesk MapGuide Server Release 6. You can download this patch from the Autodesk product support Web site. If you did not install the 5.0.8.x patch release, you must uninstall Autodesk Mapguide Server Release 5 before installing Autodesk MapGuide Server Release 6.

Windows® Installer (MSI) on your computer. MSI is included

68 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Remove Autodesk MapGuide Server 4.1 for VISION*

If you have Autodesk MapGuide Server for VISION* installed on your computer, follow these steps before installing Autodesk MapGuide Server.

1 Use Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin to stop Autodesk MapGuide Server

Service.

2 Close Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin.

3 Using the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel, uninstall Autodesk

MapGuide Server for VISION*.

Install Your Web Server Software

Install and configure the Web server software, as described in “Installing Microsoft Internet Information Server” on page 70 and “Installing Netscape Web Se rver ” on page 70.

During the Autodesk MapGuide Server installation, you will be asked to select one or more MapAgents to install (see “Which MapAgent to Install” on page 54). If, during the installation, you select a MapAgent for which you have not yet installed a Web server, you will need to perform the following steps after you finish installing Autodesk MapGuide Server:

1 Copy each MapAgent listed in the MapAgents Not Supported screen of the

Autodesk MapGuide Server installation from the <installation directory> \MapAgent directory to a virtual directory for the Web server.

2 Enable Scripting and Execute permissions for the virtual directory.

3 If using a server other than Microsoft Internet Information Server or

Netscape Enterprise Web Server, you must manually configure the following MIME types after Autodesk MapGuide Server Service is installed:

File Type MIME Type File Extension

Map Data File application/x-mdf .mdf

Map Window File application/x-mwf .mwf

Map Layer File application.x-mlf .mlf

Map Window XML File application/x-mwx .mwx

Setting Up Your Servers | 69

Note that you may need to omit the period (.) that precedes the file extension. For more information about manually configuring MIME types, refer to your Web server documentation.

Installing Microsoft Internet Information Server

If you plan to run Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) on Windows NT, you need to install the Windows NT Option Pack 4.0. This is not necessary with Windows 2000 because IIS is included with Windows 2000.

To install the Option Pack

1 Install Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0.

2 Install Option Pack 4.0. When you install the Option Pack, select the

Upgrade Plus option and be sure to select Internet Information Service as a component to install.

Installing Netscape Web Server

Before installing a Netscape Web server, you must first have the following:



A system that meets the criteria listed in “Autodesk MapGuide Server Requirements” on page 16.



Netscape Navigator installed on your machine. Either install Netscape Navigator from the Netscape Developer’s CD or download it from: http://www.netscape.com



An entry in a DNS server. Make sure that the administrator of the DNS server in your network enters the computer on which you are installing Autodesk MapGuide Server into the domain.



A user account set up on the computer.

After you have met all of these criteria, you are ready to install the Netscape Enterprise Server software from the Netscape CD.

To install Netscape Enterprise Server

1 Insert the Netscape CD, and then follow the instructions on the screen to

start the installation.

2 The installation program prompts you to specify whether or not you want

to use Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). Because you do not need LDAP, leave the box unchecked and go on to the next dialog box.

3 When prompted for user information, enter the name and password of

the user you created in the User Manager.

70 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

4 The installer generates numbers for the administrator and Web server

ports. Accept these defaults and write them down for future use.

5 Optionally, specify the default home directory for your Web documents

instead of using the default content directory.

You should now be able to access the index.html file. If you cannot, refer to the Netscape Server documentation for troubleshooting tips.

Testing Your Web Server

You can test your Web server by locally by opening a Web browser and typing the reserved loop-back address; for example, http://127.0.0.1 or http://localhost. If you have problems, refer to your Web server documentation for troubleshooting tips.

Setting Up the MapAgent

Typically, to set up the MapAgent, you first decide which MapAgent you want to use (see “Which MapAgent to Install” on page 54) and then select that MapAgent during the Autodesk MapGuide Server installation process. However, if you want to use the MapAgent on a different computer from Autodesk MapGuide Server, or if you want to take advantage of load balancing for multiple servers, read the following sections for configuration information.

Setting Up a Remote MapAgent

The MapAgent uses a Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) to forward client requests for map data to the Autodesk MapGuide Server. DCOM is built upon the Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) transport. Because DCOM calls can be made across a network, the MapAgent does not need to reside on the same computer as Autodesk MapGuide Server.

To configure the MapAgent to use a remote server

1 Run the Autodesk MapGuide Server Setup program on the machine where

you want to install the MapAgent.

2 In the Select Components panel, deselect the Server Service item, and

verify that the correct MapAgent is selected.

You will be prompted to enter the IP address for the Autodesk MapGuide Server machine. When the installation is complete, the MapAgent is ready to route requests to the remote Autodesk MapGuide Server.

Setting Up Your Servers | 71

If necessary, you can move the MapAgent executable file to a different CGI script directory after you finish the installation. You can also change the remote Autodesk MapGuide Server’s IP address by manually editing the REG_MULTI_SZ registry, as described in the following procedure.

Warning Whenever you edit your registry, be sure to use great caution. We recommend that you make a backup of your registry before you proceed.

To edit a remote server’s IP address

1 Run the Windows NT REGEDT32.EXE tool. You can do th is by cli ckin g t he

Start button, choosing Run, and then entering REGEDT32 in the Open box.

We do not advise that you use the Windows NT tool REGEDIT.EXE, because currently it does not have a friendly interface for editing registry values.

2 In the Registry Editor, navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\

SOFTWARE\Autodesk\MapGuide Server Agent\6.0, and then double-click

the Mapserver_IP value.

3 By default, the value is blank, which directs the MapAgent to the local

computer. To direct the MapAgent to Autodesk MapGuide Server on a remote computer, enter that computer’s IP address. If your Autodesk MapGuide Server IP address is assigned via DHCP, the IP will vary over time; in this case, enter the DNS host name of the Autodesk MapGuide Server instead of the IP address.

While you are editing the value for this key, you can also set up Autodesk MapGuide to take advantage of load balancing.

Configuring for Load Balancing

You can specify multiple Autodesk MapGuide Servers by entering each IP, or DNS host name, on a separate line in the REG_SZ value Mapserver_IP. The MapAgent will balance the processing requirements by distributing the map requests among the Autodesk MapGuide Servers specified in this value. Note that when you add IP addresses or DNS host names to this value, the local computer is no longer included by default, so you must also enter the IP or DNS host name of the local computer if you want the MapAgent to continue to use it along with the other servers specified.

72 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

When installed, the MapAgent reads the MapServer_IP value from the registry and gets all the MapGuide Server IPs that can handle requests. The ISAPI and NSAPI MapAgents keep track of the number of requests each Autodesk MapGuide Server is currently handling. The CGI MapAgent cannot keep track of the number of requests each Autodesk MapGuide Server is handling. When a new request comes in, the ISAPI and NSAPI MapAgents assigns the new request to the Autodesk MapGuide Server that is currently handling the fewest requests.

If you are using the ISAPI or NSAPI version of the MapAgent, the requests are distributed to the servers in a rotating manner. If you are using the CGI version of the MapAgent, it has no persistent memory between requests, so it distributes the requests randomly among the servers. For more information, see “Understanding Multiple Simultaneous Server Requests” on page 56.

You may also want to consider purchasing a third-party load-balancing solution such as Microsoft Windows NT Load Balancing Service (WLBS), the F5 Networks 3DNS Controller, or the RADWARE Web Server Director (WSD) products.

Firewalls

When you use a remote MapAgent, you need to configure your firewall to permit DCOM penetration from the outside to the inside. First, you must limit the DCOM port range on the Autodesk MapGuide Server computer. By default, a DCOM server uses port 135 for handshaking and uses any port in the range of 1,024 through 65,535 to service the DCOM call. To limit the range of DCOM, you must use REGEDT32.EXE.

Add the following three values to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Rpc\Internet (the Internet key does not exist by default, so you might need to create it):

Autodesk MapGuide Server RPC Values

Value Name Data Type Text

PortsInternetAvailable REG_SZ Y

UseInternetPorts REG_SZ Y

Ports REG_MULTI 6600-6610

Setting Up Your Servers | 73

The value in “Ports” specifies the valid range of ports on the server for use by RPC. (The value “6600-6610” is simply an example.) You can specify multiple ranges for availability by entering each range on a separate line. You will need to restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

After you have specified which ports are available for use by RPC (port 135 and the ports you specified in the “Ports” value), you must configure your firewall to allow the MapAgent computer to establish a connection with the Autodesk MapGuide Server computer on these ports.

The following diagram provides a basic overview of how the MapAgent and Autodesk MapGuide Server communicate over the firewall.

Autodesk MapGuide Server Firewall

RPC Handshake Requesting RPC Working Port

Port 135

RPC Handshake Reply Specifies Server Working Port #

Working Ports Range Specified in RPC Registry Key

RPC Function Call Requesting Map Data

RPC Function Return Map Data to Send to MG Client

RPC communication over a firewall

For information about the configuration of your particular firewall, please consult the firewall’s documentation or your network administrator.

RPC Handshake Requesting RPC Working Port

RPC Handshake Reply Specifies Server Working Port #

RPC Function Call Requesting Map Data

RPC Function Return Map Data to Send to MG Client

Web Server and MapAgent

Random

Port #

Between

1K & 64K

Random

Port #

Between

1K & 64K

Warning This section does not address any security concerns regarding the configuration of your firewall. As with all changes to your firewall’s configuration, your network administrator should assess the risks that a change may bring.

Help Index

data source properties

If you set up more than one MapAgent (see “Using Multiple Servers” on page 56), be sure to specify the correct MapAgent when you set up the map layers. You do this on the Data Sources tab of the Map Layer Properties dialog box in Autodesk MapGuide Author.

74 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Installing a Report Engine

If you will include reports in your maps, you need to install a reporting engine, such as ColdFusion or Active Server Pages. You can install ColdFusion Application Server from the Autodesk MapGuide CD. If your Web server is on the computer where developers are going to work, install ColdFusion Studio there as well. For details about installing ColdFusion, refer to the ColdFusion documentation.

Configuring Autodesk MapGuide Server under a Different Account

Autodesk MapGuide Server Service runs under the default System account. However, if you have data sources on another computer that you want to serve from Autodesk MapGuide Server, you need to run them under a user account that has access to that computer. Follow these steps after installing Autodesk MapGuide Server.

To change the account for Autodesk MapGuide Server Service

1 Do one of the following:



In Windows NT, choose StartSettingsControl Panel, and doubleclick the Services icon.



In Windows 2000, choose StartSettingsControl Panel  Administrative Services.

2 In the Services dialog box, select Autodesk MapGuide Server Service, and

click Startup.

3 In the Log On As area, select This Account, and then specify a user account

and password that has access to the data sources on the remote computer.

4 Click OK, and then close the Services window.

Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Overview

You use Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin to do the following tasks:



Start and stop the server



Set general server properties



Set up and manage data sources



Manage server security



Track server requests and generate log files

Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Overview | 75

Click to set properties for the server.

Click to start the server.

Click to stop the server.

To start Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin



From the Windows Start menu, choose ProgramsAutodesk MapGuide Release 6 Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin.

The Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin window is displayed.

Click for Autodesk MapGuide Help.

The complete, step-by-step procedures for using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin are included in the online Help. Choose Help  Contents, then refer to the topics listed under “Administering Your Autodesk MapGuide Server.”

Starting and Stopping the Server

Help Index

server

starting and stopping

You can start and stop the server using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. Starting the server brings it online so that it is ready to accept and process requests. Stopping the server takes it offline so that it cannot accept or process requests.

For step-by-step instructions, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “server, starting and stopping.”

76 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Setting General Server Properties

Help Index

server

general properties

On the General tab in the Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Properties dialog box, you can specify the following properties for Autodesk MapGuide Server:



Server administrators e-mail address



Maximum number of simultaneous requests to the server



Maximum number of DWG file connections to cache



Search path for raster image files



Autodesk® GIS Design Server configuration data source



Services that must start before starting Autodesk MapGuide Server

To open the Properties dialog box



In Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin, choose Edit  Properties.

The Properties dialog box is displayed.

You use the six tabs in this dialog box to specify all of the properties for Autodesk MapGuide Server. This chapter includes basic information about each tab. You can find complete, step-by-step procedures in the online Help.

Click for details about the options in this dialog box.

Setting General Server Properties | 77

Setting Up Your Data Sources

You can set up and manage your data sources using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. See “Managing Your Data Sources” on page 79 for more information, and read this and the next section for an overview of data sources and data providers.

Autodesk MapGuide Server needs access to the data sources containing the spatial and attribute data for your maps. To communicate with these data sources, Autodesk MapGuide Server uses data providers that provide communication between Autodesk MapGuide and your data source. Direct access to the native data sources eliminates the need to convert your data before using it with Autodesk MapGuide.

Autodesk MapGuide Server can access attribute data from an Autodesk DWG data source or any standard OLE DB data provider, including Microsoft Access, SQL Server, Oracle OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers).

Spatial Data Providers (SDPs) are similar to OLE DB Providers but with extended functionality that enables Autodesk MapGuide Server to access data st ore d in a d ata sou rce in bin ar y f orma t, such as po lygo ns a nd p oly lin es, in an Autodesk SDF data source. Spatial data providers include Autodesk MapGuide SDF, SHP, and Oracle Spatial.

, or any ODBC data source (using the Microsoft

Autodesk MapGuide Server connects to data sources using plain text files that describe how to connect to a given data source. For OLE DB data sources, Autodesk Mapguide Server uses a Microsoft Data Link file with a .udl file extension. Autodesk MapGuide Server connects to Autodesk DWG data sources using an Autodesk Data Link (.adl) file.

78 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Data Providers

Support for SDF and Autodesk DWG data sources is included with Autodesk MapGuide Server. You can purchase the following data providers for other types of data sources:



Autodesk GIS Design Server Extension



Autodesk MapGuide Provider for Oracle Spatial



Autodesk MapGuide Provider for SHP

The following OLE DB providers are installed with MDAC 2.5 or later:



Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server



Microsoft OLE DB Provider for Oracle



Microsoft Jet 4 OLE DB Provider



Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC

MDAC 2.5 is included on the Autodesk MapGuide product CD in the following location: \MDAC2.5\MDAC_TYP.EXE

Tip If a native OLE DB provider is not available for your data source (for example, if you are using Lotus Notes), you can use the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers.

Help Index

data sources

managing

Managing Your Data Sources

Using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin, you can view a list of your data sources, make data sources available or unavailable, create new data sources, rename existing data sources, delete data sources, and specify where Autodesk MapGuide Server looks for data sources. Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin also links to the Microsoft Data Link Properties dialog box where you can configure your data sources.

Setting Up Your Data Sources | 79

You use the Data Sources tab of the Properties dialog box to manage your data sources.

For step-by-step instructions, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “data sources, managing.”

Click for details about the options in this dialog box.

Managing Server Security

In addition to setting Windows permissions and using the access control tools provided with your Web server to control access to individual maps (MWF files) at your site, you can add another level of security by using Autodesk MapGuide Server to control access to the resources (SDFs, DWG files, raster image files, SQL data tables, and Zoom Goto Address definitions) used by these published maps. This means that you can set up Autodesk MapGuide Server to require additional authorization before providing resources requested by a map, even if a user has access to the map. You can do this in two ways:



Use access keys to provide time-sensitive, map-embedded, passive, transaction-based security.



Use user-group/password security to provide map-independent, active, session-based security.

80 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Access Keys Versus User IDs and Passwords

Access keys are passwords that the author of a map embeds in the definition of the map layer. Each time the map layer requests map data, Autodesk MapGuide Server verifies the embedded access key against the list of valid access keys for the resource before fulfilling the request. Because this process takes place automatically and invisibly every time the map layer requests data, access keys are a convenient way to provide greater resource security with no impact on the user. Additionally, access keys can be preset to be valid for only a certain period of time, adding an additional level of control.

User passwords require the user to enter a valid user name and password at the first request of map data from Autodesk MapGuide Server. Like the typical Web server security model, the user name and password are required only once for each layer that uses the restricted resource, providing a high level of security without unnecessary impact on the user.

Together, access keys and user passwords provide a great deal of flexibility in solving security problems over a variety of Internet/intranet implementations.

The following table provides a summary of the differences between the two security methods:

Time Period

End-User Interaction

Implementation

Authorization Frequency

Users/Groups/Passwords Access Keys

Active until deleted. Preset time periods.

User must enter correct name and password.

Use Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin to enter and maintain users, groups, and passwords.

Checked once per resource per layer request (until the user exits the current browser session).

No end-user interaction.

Use Autodesk MapGuide Author to enter access keys in MWFs; use Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin to link access keys to resources at the server level.

Checked by Autodesk MapGuide Server for every layer request.

Managing Server Security | 81

Choosing the Best Security Method

The following table offers recommendations about when each security method is most appropriate:

Goal Method

Provide MWF files for a certain group of users only

Allow user of Autodesk MapGuide Author to change styles but not map content

Limit access to confidential data to a specific list of users

Provide secure access that can be disabled for a casual and changing group of users

Use the security protection in your HTTP server to provide the MWF files to only a defined user group.

Use access keys. You may want to allow a specific group of map authors to change styles and display ranges without being able to create new layers or add layer files. In this case, you can protect your resources with access keys. When you save a layer to a Map Layer File (MLF), do not select the Include Access Key In Map Layer File option. If users want to add that layer to a map or create a new layer, they must enter the correct access key for the resource, or Autodesk MapGuide Server will not respond to a request for that resource.

Assign users to a group, and assign that group to the confidential resources, changing the passwords regularly.

Assign access keys to the resources. Access key security is transaction-based (every request requires authentication) and requires no client-side action. This makes it easier to allow distribution to casual or public user groups without requiring them to know and enter the name/password for every layer in a published map.

Allow users to create maps and to query Autodesk MapGuide Server for a list of the resources that are available to facilitate the setup of map layers

To implement any or all of these techniques for controlling access to the map data resources at your site, you use Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin.

82 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Add users to the group called Authors. All members of this group will have map authoring privileges and full access to map data resources.

Creating and Modifying Users and Groups

Help Index

users and groups

In order to control access to resources, you set up users and groups using the Users/Groups tab of the Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Properties dialog box. To display the Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Properties dialog box, choose Edit  Properties. Then, click the Users/Groups tab.

Click for details about the options in this dialog box.

First, you create users by specifying their names and passwords. Then, you create groups. Finally, you assign users to the groups as members.

For step-by-step instructions, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “users and groups.”

Assigning Users to the Authors Group

Autodesk MapGuide Server contains a predefined group called Authors. When creating a map layer in Autodesk MapGuide Author, members of the Authors group can query Autodesk MapGuide Server for a list of the available data sources. Such queries elicit a prompt for a user name and password, which are validated against the Authors group list. Although a user can enter a data source’s full path name to include the data source in a map layer, it is much eas ier to b e ab le to cho ose fro m a l ist of a vai lab le re sou rces, ra ther tha n entering a full path name.

Managing Server Security | 83

Help Index

Authors user group

Warning Before Autodesk MapGuide Author users attempt to create map lay-

ers, they must be assigned to the Authors group.

For step-by-step instructions on assigning users to the Authors group, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “Authors user group.”

Creating and Modifying Access Keys

When you author maps, you can embed a hidden access key within each map layer or Zoom Goto d ef ini tion . Th en, eac h ti me a use r a ttem pts to a cce ss t hat map layer or Zoom Goto definition, the access key is automatically sent to the server along with the request for the data. Autodesk MapGuide Server then verifies that the access key is on the list of access keys assigned to that resource before providing the data.

For example, you could specify in Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin that the text string FL1WMTD is an access key for the SDF lakes.sdf. An author creating a map could then embed that string in a map layer that uses data from lakes.sdf. Then, whenever a user zooms in or out on the map or works with a feature on that layer, Autodesk MapGuide Viewer sends the access key along with the request for data. This happens automatically without the user being aware of the access key or needing to enter any information. Autodesk MapGuide Server verifies that the access key is on the list of access keys assigned to the resource lakes.sdf in Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin, and then provides the data. The map author needs to coordinate with the Autodesk MapGuide Server administrator to make sure that the access key the author enters in a map layer is properly assigned to the specific resource that provides data to that map layer.

Help Index

access keys

creating

Access keys are also useful for creating maps that are valid for only a specific period of time, as you can change the values of access keys and their start and end dates. Access keys also make it easy to stop serving data from a specific resource quickly.

For step-by-step instructions on creating access keys, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “access keys, creating.”

84 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

You assign access keys using the Access Keys tab in the Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Properties dialog box. To display the Properties dialog box, choose Edit  Properties. Then, click the Access Keys tab.

Click for details about the options in this dialog box.

Restricting Access to Resources

You can restrict access to your resources (data sources) by adding the resources to the Resources tab in the Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Properties dialog box. To display the Properties dialog box, choose Edit  Properties. Then, click the Resources tab.

Managing Server Security | 85

Click for details about the options in this dialog box.

The Resource tab lists any resources you have added to Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. A resource can be any of the following:



Spatial Data File (SDF)



Raster image file



Directory containing multiple SDF or raster image files



OLE DB data source and all of its tables (optionally, a specific table)



ADL data source (optionally, a specific DWG file)



Zoom Goto specification



Autodesk GIS Design Server data source (optionally, a configuration and theme)

Note that you add resources on this tab only if you wish to restrict access to those resources.

86 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Warning When you run Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin, you are always logged in under a user account. If Autodesk MapGuide Server is running under the System account, it will not be able to access the User DSNs you can access in Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. In this case, you need to ensure that any DSNs you configure through Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin are System DSNs. Otherwise, database resources will not be set up correctly. Likewise, if Autodesk MapGuide Server is running under a user account, be sure to log on to that same user account before running Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin so that Autodesk MapGuide Server and Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin can access the same User DSNs.

Help Index

resources

adding

To change the access properties of a resource, you must first add the resource to the Resources tab of the Properties dialog box.

For step-by-step instructions on adding resources, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “resources, adding.”

Taking Data Sources Offline

When you need to update or replace a data source, you must ensure that no users are accessing the data source. To do this, you need to take the data source offline.

To take a data source offline

1 On the Data Sources tab, select the data source you want to disconnect.

Note that you cannot take a single table offline.

2 Clear the Available check box.

Clear a check box to take a data source offline. Select the check box to put the data source back online.

Managing Server Security | 87

When you take a data source offline, all current connections to the data source are removed and no new connections are allowed. Users cannot access the data source again until you put it back online by selecting the Available check box.

Keep in mind that taking a data source offline affects only the current server. If other servers have access to this data source, you must take the data source offline on each of those servers as well.

Tracking Server Requests

When Autodesk MapGuide Server is running, its status is displayed on the Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin title bar, and the number of requests currently being processed is shown in parentheses. You can view additional usage information by displaying one of the log files or running a usage report. You can also rename and rotate log files, and customize the access and map layer access log files.

Help Index

log files

viewing

For step-by-step instructions on viewing log files, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “log files, viewing.”

Access Log File

The access log file records all requests to Autodesk MapGuide Server and gives you a record of the activity at your site. An access log record is created for each request as the request is completed. For information about customizing the access log file for map layer data requests, see “Customizing the Access Log” on page 90.

Error Log File

The error log file records errors that occur during Autodesk MapGuide Server requests.

Trace Log File

The trace log file records the details of each request to Autodesk MapGuide Server. Because any request can include data for several map layers, each record in the trace log displays the details of the request for each layer. Entries in the trace log are created as soon as a request comes in, before it is serviced.

88 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Map Layer Access Log File

The map layer access log file records all requests to Autodesk MapGuide Server for individual map layers. A map layer access log record is created for each request as the request is completed. For information about customizing the map layer access log, see “Customizing the Map Layer Access Log” on page 91.

Usage Reports

Help Index

usage reports

viewing

Help Index

log files

renaming

You can run usage reports to track the number of Autodesk MapGuide Viewers with unique IDs that query the Autodesk MapGuide Server. Usage reports do not track instances of Autodesk MapGuide Author that query the server.

The Standard Usage and Mobile Device Usage reports display the number of unique Autodesk MapGuide Viewers for each day of the past twelve months, and the total number of unique Autodesk MapGuide Viewers for each month. The Summary Usage report displays the total number of bytes, requests, and users served each month. These usage reports are not designed to provide absolute numbers—they can help you spot trends in usage. This helps you determine when you might need to improve performance as your number of users increases.

For step-by-step instructions on viewing usage reports, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “usage reports, viewing.”

Renaming Log Files

You can rename the access log, error log, and trace log using the Logging tab of the Properties dialog box.

For step-by-step instructions, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “log files, renaming.”

Tracking Server Requests | 89

Rotating Log Files

For the access log, error log, and trace log, you can automatically create a new file for each log every day at midnight, allowing you to have a different log file every day. This is useful if you need to go back to check the information in the log files for a particular day.

Help Index

log files

rotating

Help Index

access log

customizing

To rotate the log files, you include a date format string in the log file names to indicate which date information will be used in the name of the log files. For a complete list of format codes you can use, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “log files, rotating.”

Customizing the Access Log

When a user sends a request to build map layer data in Autodesk MapGuide® Author or Autodesk MapGuide (MLData) request. Autodesk MapGuide Server site administrators can customize the information that is recorded in the access log file for MLData request types by modifying values in the Windows registry.

Warning Whenever you edit your registry, be sure to use great caution. We recommend that you make a backup of your registry before you proceed.

Viewer, the program sends a Map Layer Data

90 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

The MLData values are in the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\MapGuide Server\6.0\Log\ MLData\

For a complete list of parameters that you can use to customize the access log file, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “access log, customizing.”

Customizing the Map Layer Access Log

Help Index

map layer access log

customizing

Adding Geocoding Data

The map layer access log records all requests to the Autodesk MapGuide Server for each map layer. Autodesk MapGuide Server site administrators can customize the information that is recorded in the map layer access log file by modifying values in the Windows registry.

Warning Whenever you edit your registry, be sure to use great caution. We recommend that you make a backup of your registry before you proceed.

The map layer data values are in the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\MapGuide Server\6.0\Log\ MapLayerAccessLog\

For a complete list of parameters that you can use to customize the map layer access log file, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “map layer access log, customizing.”

Before you can enable zooming to a US street address or ZIP code, Autodesk MapGuide Server must have access to a geocoding database. When the user enters an address or ZIP code, Autodesk MapGuide finds that address and its corresponding coordinates in the database, and then zooms to that location on the map. For more information, see “Zoom Goto Address (Geocoding) Data” on page 101.

Help Index

geocoding database

After you have obtained the geocoding files, you need to set them up so that Autodesk MapGuide Server can properly serve them to Autodesk MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. For information about obtaining geocoding data, go to: http://www.mapguide.com/data.

Adding Geocoding Data | 91

Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

This chapter discusses the basic steps for working with

data and includes information about the different kinds

of data you can use with Autodesk MapGuide

This chapter may be especially helpful to:



Data engineers



Map authors

In this chapter



Basic steps for working with data



Working with spatial data



Working with attribute data



Working with raster images



Work in g wi th sym bols



Working with other types of spatial data

Basic Steps for Working with Data

In order to gather or create data, and then add it to map layers, you need to follow these basic steps:

1 Determine the coordinate precision and coordinate system to use. For

more information, see “Designing the Map” on page 118.

2 Create spatial data sources and add them to layers. See the next section,

“Working with Spatial Data,” and see “Specifying Data Source Properties for Layers” on page 160.

3 Create attribute data and link it to spatial data. For more information, see

“Working with Attribute Data” on page 97.

4 Create raster images and add them to layers. For more information, see

“Working with Raster Images” on page 101.

5 Create symbols and add them to layers. For more information, see “Work-

ing with Symbols” on page 109.

6 Create Zoom Goto categories. For more information, see “Setting Zoom

Goto Data” on page 100.

7 Create reports and add them to the map. For more information, see

“Working with Reports” on page 149.

This chapter is designed to give you an understanding of the different types of data you can use with Autodesk MapGuide, and how you create or procure the data. For information about using the data in map layers, see Chapter 9, “Wor king wit h Map Lay ers.”

Working with Spatial Data

Coordinates that represent the geographic features on a map are called spatial data. When you create a layer in a map, you specify which file contains the

spatial data to display on that layer.

Spatial data can be in a variety of formats. SDF is the native Autodesk MapGuide format. However, Autodesk MapGuide can read spatial data from other formats as well (such as Oracle installed for that specific format. For more information, see “Working w ith Other Types of Spatial Data” on page 112. If you are creating a point or text layer, you can specify an OLE DB data source, such as a table that contains coordinates and text. For more information, see “Working with Attribute Data” on page 97.

Spatial) if you have a data provider

94 | Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

Map Features

Map features are the geographic features that appear on a map. In Autodesk MapGuide, map features are points, such as fire hydrants and cities, polylines, such as rivers and roads, and polygons, such as lakes and land parcels. Each map feature has a name, an optional URL link, and geometric data specified by one or more coordinate pairs.

The files containing the spatial data can also contain compound map features, such as polypolylines and polypolygons. Polypolylines are multiple polylines grouped as one to represent compound line features, such as road networks and river systems. Polypolygons represent compound area features, such as islands in a lake.

The following sections describe each of the types of map features you might have in your Spatial Data Files.

Points

A point is single place on a map, such as a telephone pole, or a city. Every point corresponds to a single coordinate pair that locates the point’s symbol or text on the map. To use the points from a Spatial Data File in a map, you create a point layer.

Lines/Polylines/Polypolylines

A line represents a linear feature, such as a street, river, or sewer pipe. A polyline is simply a line with multiple segments, such as a winding road. A polypolyline is a single feature that includes two or more polylines; this is a convenient way to group related polylines into one map feature so that they can be selected or linked to a database as a single entity. The starting point and the ending point of each line segment in a line, polyline, or polypolyline has a coordinate pair, so that a polyline with several line segments, for example, will have several coordinate pairs that define the polyline. Autodesk MapGuide treats lines, polylines, and polypolylines the same way—to use the lines, polylines, and polypolylines from a Spatial Data File in a map, you create a polyline layer.

Working with Spatial Data | 95

Polygons/Polypolygons

A polygon represents a filled area on a map, such as a country or a lake. A polypolygon is a map feature consisting of two or more polygons, for example, a house with a detached garage. Although the polygons forming the house and the garage are not connected, you may still want to treat them as a single map feature. You can achieve this by making them both part of the same polypolygon. Each vertex on a polygon or polypolygon is a coordinate pair, and all the coordinate pairs make up the polygon. Autodesk MapGuide treats polygons and polypolygons the same way— to use the polygons and polypolygons from a Spatial Data File in a map, you create a polygon layer.

Te x t

Also known as annotations in other applications, text features are blocks of text placed at specific coordinates on the map. Like points, each text feature has a single coordinate pair associated with it.

Creating a Spatial Data File

Typically, you use a GIS application to create your spatial data, then export it to an Autodesk MapGuide SDF. If the application you are using does not support the SDF format, you can use SDF Loader or the SDF Component Toolkit to convert the data to SDF format. Then, Autodesk MapGuide® Server reads the SDF data and sends it to Autodesk MapGuide® Author and Autodesk MapGuide

If you need to convert data to SDF format, you should be aware of the coordinate precision you will need (see “About Coordinate Precision” on page 119), and then choose the best conversion tool for your needs.

When creating SDFs, you should use only one type of data in each SDF, if possible. For example, an SDF might contain only points, lines/polylines, polygons, or annotations (text) from your Autodesk Map mizes performance in Autodesk MapGuide.

Note When naming the SDF, make sure that the file name does not contain any of the following characters: double quote ("), asterisk (*), colon (:), slash (/), backslash (\), less than (<), greater than (>), question mark (?), pound symbol (#), or vertical bar (|).

Viewer to be displayed.

data. This opti-

96 | Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

For points/symbols and text, you can store coordinates in a database instead of an SDF. You can update coordinates in a standard database application quite easily, and you can rotate, align, and size text based on fields in the database.

The following sections explain the information you need to know about using the two SDF conversion applications.

SDF Loader

You can use the SDF Loader to convert several file formats individually, or you can create batch files to convert multiple files. The batch file can run the SDF Loader and any necessary third-party programs to convert the files. This is an efficient way to set up your source data and create your SDFs. For complete information, refer to the SDF Loader Help.

SDF Component Toolkit

You can use the SDF Component Toolkit and a programming language, such as Visual Basic or C++, to create an application that works with SDFs. The SDF Component Toolkit provides powerful access to SDFs, including the ability to work with individual features within an SDF. This means that your program could convert individual features in the SDF rather than the whole file at once, so you have more control of your conversion than you do with the SDF Loader. For complete information, refer to the SDF Component Toolkit Help.

Working with Attribute Data

Attribute data is data that can be linked to the spatial data in maps to provide the user with information about those spatial features. Examples of attribute data are population, area, name, total sales, a URL link to a related Web page, style data, and any other data you want to associate with a spatial feature. When you link attribute data to your spatial data, the data can be used in one of four ways: to display the names of the features, to set the width (of symbols), height and rotation (of symbols and text), and alignment (of text), to create themes, or to generate reports. The following sections describe how to prepare and use your attribute data.

Working with Attribute Data | 97

Linking Attribute Data to Spatial Data Files

To link the attribute data to spatial data, you simply specify the OLE DB or Autodesk DWG database table you want to use when setting up the layer. Autodesk MapGuide Author matches the records in the table to the spatial features in the SDF from which the layer was created by means of a key. A key is a string that uniquely identifies each spatial feature in the SDF and each record in the database. When a record in the attribute database and a spatial feature in the SDF have the same key, the record is linked to the spatial feature.

You can also use a database table for theme information. For example, you might have three sources of data: an SDF of coordinates that represent lakes, a secondary database table containing the name and linked URL for each lake, and another database table containing theme information, such as the size of each lake, water purity, and more. When you create the layer in the Map Layer Properties dialog box in Autodesk MapGuide Author, you specify the secondary table on the Data Sources tab, and specify the theme table from the Styles tab when adding a theme. Note that neither of the tables need to contain coordinates—they are linked to the polygons in the SDF only by their keys. For more information, see “Setting Display Styles for DWG Layers” on page 171.

Help Index

troubleshooting

problems creating themes

To avoid potential conversion problems, be careful when creating the key field. Depending on the type of database, you might not be able to use the attribute data unless the key field in the database is exactly the same size as the key field in the SDF to which you are linking it. Some databases, when queried, will append the keys with blank space characters to make them the exact length you specified for the field, so the database keys will not match those in the SDF. For more information, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “troubleshooting, problems creating themes.”

Linking Attribute Data to Another Database

You can create point layers and text layers from OLE DB or Autodesk DWG data sources instead of SDFs. For these layers, you can still use a OLE DB or Autodesk DWG database table for creating themes. For example, if you are setting up a layer of cities, you might have two tables: one that contains basic information about each city, such as the key, coordinates, name, and a URL link, and a second table that contains data on which you want to create themes, such as the population, majority political party, and so on. The second table would also contain the same key values as the first table; Autodesk MapGuide uses these keys to assign the theme values in the second table to the corresponding cities in the first table.

98 | Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

Preparing Attribute Data for Themes

As mentioned in the previous sections, you can use the data in a linked attribute table as the basis for themes. Themes draw the map features on a layer according to particular values. For example, on a map layer that contains cities, you could use different symbols to represent cities that fall within different population ranges. Themes also help to differentiate features in a layer. For example, on a roads layer, you could draw interstate highways differently from city streets, even though they’re on the same layer.

When setting up your attribute data, you should consider whether you will be creating themes, and whether the data in the table lends itself easily to this task. For example, for a roads layer, do you already have a column that contains the text “Interstate” or “City Street” for each feature in the table? If so, it will be very simple to specify this column as the theme column and specify that if the column contains “Interstate,” the feature will be drawn as a thick yellow line, and if the column contains “City Street,” the features will be drawn as a thin black line. However, if you want your roads to be drawn in such a way as to show how heavy the traffic is, a column indicating whether it’s an interstate highway or city street will not be useful— you will need a column that indicates how much traffic each road has. You can then use this third column to specify how the roads are drawn to show traffic.

For example, you might create four theme categories: fewer than 200 cars per month, between 201 and 5,000, between 5,001 and 10,000, and greater than 10,000. You can then specify the display attributes separately for each of these categories, so that roads with the lightest traffic are drawn in thin black lines and roads with heaviest traffic are drawn in thick red lines, and so on.

If you are using point or text data, you need to consider which symbols you will want to use for each theme category. For more information, see “Wor king w ith Symbols” on page 109.

Setting Up Your Attribute Database

You need to take the following points into consideration when setting up your attribute database:



Before Autodesk MapGuide can use your databases, you must set them up and configure them as OLE DB data sources or Autodesk DWG data sources. For more information, see “Setting Up Your Data Sources” on page 78.



You can limit users’ access to data sources by setting up passwords for users or for groups or by assigning access keys to the resource. For more information, see “Managing Server Security” on page 80.

Working with Attribute Data | 99



When naming your attribute data sources, avoid using the ampersand (&) in the names of databases, tables, and columns. This character is unsupported in all names in Autodesk MapGuide, including SDF names, layer names, user names, access keys, tracking IDs, and passwords.



Make sure that the fields containing the coordinates, keys, names, and URLs are all in the same table, view, or query in the data source. Your theme data can be located in a different table, but it must contain keys that match those in the source data.



When setting up the layer, you can use a SQL Where clause to filter and customize the data. For example, if this layer will display cities, you could specify that the layer include only those cities with a population greater than 10,000. For more information, see Chapter 9, “Working with Map Layers.”



When setting up a theme, the Theme Column text box will accept a simple expression in addition to the field.

Setting Zoom Goto Data

You can use Zoom Goto categories to allow users to zoom in on specific features in the layer. There are two types of Zoom Goto data: Zoom Goto Location categories and Zoom Goto Address data.

Zoom Goto Location Categories

A Zoom Goto category enables users to zoom in on a specific location that falls within the current category. For example, if you have a category called Airports, the user would be able to select from a list of airports and zoom to the selected airport on the map.

Features that need to be part of a Zoom Goto category must have their coordinates and category value entered into fields in an OLE DB data source. Unlike other types of attribute data, Zoom Goto categories do not require a feature key, so you do not need to include it in your Zoom Goto category database. For instance, if you have a polygon layer of parcels that you want users to be able to zoom to, you could store all of your parcel IDs and coordinate values in an OLE DB database. You could then use Autodesk MapGuide Author to create a Zoom Goto category called “parcels” with a SQL statement that retrieves coordinates from the database based on a parcel ID that is passed in. The Zoom Goto dialog box in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer would let users enter the ID of the parcel they want to zoom to, and the SQL statement would retrieve the coordinate values, enabling the Viewer to zoom to that feature.

100 | Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

Autodesk 15606-011408-9330 - MAPGUIDE R6.3 SITE LIC-UPG R6, 15606-011408-9008 - MAPGUIDE R6.3 NAMED-100U PK, MapGuide 6 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual