ESRI announced the availability of a new version of the GIS Portal Toolkit. GIS Portal Toolkit 3 includes improved installation and configuration, better metadata management and access control, and integration with ArcGIS Desktop.
The GIS Portal Toolkit is a technology and services solution for implementing local, regional, national, and global spatial data infrastructure portals. GIS portals organize content (using metadata) and services such as directories, search tools, community information, support resources, data, and applications.
Metadata records can be queried for relevant data and services and can link directly to online sites that host content services. The content can be visualized as maps and used in geographic queries and analyses. GIS portals are also designed for interoperability and comply with finalized OGC specification standards.
GIS Portal Toolkit 3 offers enhancements that meet the needs of users, publishers, channel stewards, and GIS portal administrators. These enhancements include the following:
• All users can now set symbology for Web Feature Services as well as download data from a predefined ArcIMS Data Delivery extension server
• Registered users and publishers can update their user profile and contact information as well as change their password
• Publishers can register one or more metadata repositories for harvesting, control access to published metadata by employing user groups, and create metadata records for Web services using online forms
• Channel stewards can benefit from a simplified Channel Editor user interface and online help
• GIS portal administrators can now view all users registered with a GIS portal, upgrade and delete them, manage channels, and view harvesting reports
In addition, the overall architecture and user interface of the GIS Portal Toolkit have been updated. Also, the GIS Portal Toolkit now offers improved validation and internationalization as well as simplified setup using a new configuration tool.
For more information on the GIS Portal Toolkit, visit www.esri.com/gisportal or e-mail portal@esri.com