Cartography - Databases - Computer Networks

• Annick Battais Development, Databases, Server and Network Administration
  
• Christian Le Carlier de Veslud Cartography, 3D Modeling
  

• Cartography room

* 4 computer workstations
* 2 scanners (A0, A3)
* 2D, 3D software
* ArcGIS site license managed within OSUR for research
and teaching.

• Computer servers

The computer rooms contain the following equipment:

* 6 computer servers, type DELL T610, R720, R730, R930 running Windows W2008, W2012 and W2016 server.
* 4 application servers running Linux Debian and Redhat
* 2 hypervisor systems (Vmware and Proxmox) and a dozen virtual machines.

The team manages the infrastructure of 2 computer rooms, housing the Geosciences and OSUR servers. Shared storage spaces, user backups, an FTP access server and application servers (web, management, calculation, databases) are proposed. The computer park currently has roughly 400 machines registered on the unit’s network. The stations are managed by the Information System Management department (DSI) of university of Rennes 1 (primarily for administrative and technical stations). There are Wi-Fi hotspots in each building, providing secure access to the network for all students and visitors to the laboratory.

Within the framework of various research work, specific 3D modeling tools applied to quantification problems can be developed, mostly via C++ programming using the 3D modeling software gOcad.

2D/3D cartography tools are used and the staff are involved in the various research work or student projects (M1, M2 or PhD thesis) for:

• cartography and/or 2D and 3D modeling
• process quantifications
• preserving scientific information.

This work has resulted in several publications. The missions include:

• Application to study cases
• Methodological developments
• Helping users and teaching
• Preserving information

Databases and internet application development

The service proposes solutions to the needs of the teams and staff with regards to database development. The goal is to preserve the data, to make them available to the scientific community and to assist users in their extraction and use. This involves designing data models (Merise, UML) and databases with a Database Management System (Postgres, Mysql), creating viewing and query interfaces (Java or LAMP technology) and developing new data integration models.

Since 2005, the department has been in charge of managing the database for the Environmental Research Observatory in Hydrogeology (ORE H+). It regroups various data from roughly one hundred sensors based in various national and international sites (Mallorca, Hyderabad and Choutuppal in India). Currently, 500M measurements have been recorded and are available for extraction.

In addition, the department also offers its skills and expertise to external collaborations (Vegfrance Project - Ecobio, Ipr, etc.)

The next aim is to continue to ensure full monitoring and the development of new databases depending on the needs, while integrating new technologies related to the data geo-spatialization and related processing.

In addition to server administration, the department implements solutions for

• internal storage: Pydio solution,
• server backup: BackupPC solution in collaboration with IPR and the Institute of Chemistry, on CNRS bays,
• supervision and monitoring tools: Icinga solution

It applies the Security Policy for the unit’s Information Systems in collaboration with the supervisory institutions .

Lastly, the department is involved in the work carried out by OSUR's Digital Data Management Service (Service de Gestion des Données Numériques; SGDN), with the aims of developing Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) promoting the Observatory's research work.

A SDI is a web data/metadata portal with a mapping interface, similar to BRGM's InfoTerre, for example. This SDI, called OSURIS, tackles issues dealing with cartography, databases and setting up servers.