GeoTest develops testing environment

GeoTest is an initiative between the National Land Survey of Sweden, Future Position X, FPX and the GIS Institute at the University of Gävle about the development of a testing and demonstration environment for testing geodata. The initiative should contribute to the building up of an infrastructure for geodata and to the implementation of the INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) directive in Sweden.

GeoTest is established at FPX Lab in the Science Park in Gävle. FPX is Europe's leading cluster for expanding and innovative use of Geographic IT. FPX helps companies and organizations to develop their business and expand into new markets as well as conducts research and development of new services and applications within the area in co-operation with our members.

By virtue of its research competence, the GIS institute guarantees a scientific methods development. By validated methods and systematic processing of the results, a safer use of geodata will be possible to be offered to the SDI (Spatial Data Infrastructure) users of the society.

The Geodata Secretariat at the National Land Survey of Sweden co-ordinates the work with implementing the INSPIRE directive in Sweden and conducts the work with preparing a Swedish geodata strategy. GeoTest is a part of the national geodata strategy work.

Background and future

Owners of GeoTest are the FPX Cluster together with the initiator National Land Survey of Sweden. Cooperating stakeholders are a wide range of actors within standardization, communication, competence and harmonization, important parts that should be utilized in the construction of the testing environment and elaboration of methods.

The test team consists of data specialists from FPX and the GIS Institute as well as supporting experts within data specifications, data models and project management from the National Land Survey of Sweden.

The testing work got a "sharp" start-up because INSPIRE specifications in Annex 1 have been tested on the behalf of the National Land Survey of Sweden, this as a part of the preparations of the adaptation to INSPIRE's implementation provisions. Five themes (addresses, hydrography, transport network, place-name and cadastral areas) have been tested and methods for the same developed.

The test method used, Transformation Testing, is based on the comparison between the specifications of INSPIRE and the specifications of the National Land Survey of Sweden. The result of the comparison is shown as a gap of what is possible to fulfil and what at present cannot be fulfilled directly.

The development is ruled by needs that are stated in INSPIRE's time schedules for implementation provisions. New test methods are developed during 2009 in order to comply with requirements that will apply from 2010-2011:

application testing - coupled to a specific case of application, e.g., flooding)
performance test - test methodology to make it possible to meet performance requirements of search services, display services, downloading services and transformation services

National GeoTest environment

At the GeoTest Centre, service and certification are developed for those that have a need for carrying out tests of their geodata and in such a way assure the quality of the entire process from producer of data to users and citizens. The effect will be a safer use of the geodata for all parties in the chain as well as a more efficient use of the geodata that now are made available to the SDI society via different portals and web services.

Thanks to the fact that the GeoTest Centre is being built up in co-operation between several strong actors within the area, when need arises, possibility of being able to scale up the activity is provided, as well as securing the supply of know-how. The activity is conducted based on the process approach of Research-Learning-Development-Innovation-Demonstration.

By the National GeoTest Centre of Sweden, producers, users and test teams are offered a meeting place for exchange of experiences and methods development.
Lab environments for testing and demonstrate different types of data and applications are constructed. These environments can be adapted based on the desires and needs of different clients. By the fact that GeoTest is established together with the GIS Institute and the FPX Cluster, there is a wide access to competence in order to be able to create the best possible test teams for each assignment. This also gives access to experience and knowledge from a variety of research and development projects undertaken both in Sweden and abroad.