Proceedings Article | 28 October 2006
KEYWORDS: Roads, Data modeling, Geographic information systems, Data processing, Information fusion, Data acquisition, Data storage, System integration, Data analysis, Integration
Analyzing the characteristic of multi-Agent and geographic Ontology, The concept of the Agent-based Spatial Information Semantic Grid (ASISG) is defined and the architecture of the ASISG is advanced. ASISG is composed with Multi-Agents and geographic Ontology. The Multi-Agent Systems are composed with User Agents, General Ontology Agent, Geo-Agents, Broker Agents, Resource Agents, Spatial Data Analysis Agents, Spatial Data Access Agents, Task Execution Agent and Monitor Agent. The architecture of ASISG have three layers, they are the fabric layer, the grid management layer and the application layer. The fabric layer what is composed with Data Access Agent, Resource Agent and Geo-Agent encapsulates the data of spatial information system so that exhibits a conceptual interface for the Grid management layer. The Grid management layer, which is composed with General Ontology Agent, Task Execution Agent and Monitor Agent and Data Analysis Agent, used a hybrid method to manage all resources that were registered in a General Ontology Agent that is described by a General Ontology System. The hybrid method is assembled by resource dissemination and resource discovery. The resource dissemination push resource from Local Ontology Agent to General Ontology Agent and the resource discovery pull resource from the General Ontology Agent to Local Ontology Agents. The Local Ontology Agent is derived from special domain and describes the semantic information of local GIS. The nature of the Local Ontology Agents can be filtrated to construct a virtual organization what could provides a global scheme. The virtual organization lightens the burdens of guests because they need not search information site by site manually. The application layer what is composed with User Agent, Geo-Agent and Task Execution Agent can apply a corresponding interface to a domain user. The functions that ASISG should provide are:
1) It integrates different spatial information systems on the semantic The Grid management layer establishes a virtual environment that integrates seamlessly all GIS notes.
2) When the resource management system searches data on different spatial information systems, it transfers the meaning of different Local Ontology Agents rather than access data directly. So the ability of search and query can be said to be on the semantic level.
3) The data access procedure is transparent to guests, that is, they could access the information from remote site as current disk because the General Ontology Agent could automatically link data by the Data Agents that link the Ontology concept to GIS data.
4) The capability of processing massive spatial data. Storing, accessing and managing massive spatial data from TB to PB; efficiently analyzing and processing spatial data to produce model, information and knowledge; and providing 3D and multimedia visualization services.
5) The capability of high performance computing and processing on spatial information. Solving spatial problems with high precision, high quality, and on a large scale; and process spatial information in real time or on time, with high-speed and high efficiency.
6) The capability of sharing spatial resources. The distributed heterogeneous spatial information resources are Shared and realizing integrated and inter-operated on semantic level, so as to make best use of spatial information resources,such as computing resources, storage devices, spatial data (integrating from GIS, RS and GPS), spatial applications and services, GIS platforms,
7) The capability of integrating legacy GIS system. A ASISG can not only be used to construct new advanced spatial application systems, but also integrate legacy GIS system, so as to keep extensibility and inheritance and guarantee investment of users.
8) The capability of collaboration. Large-scale spatial information applications and services always involve different departments in different geographic places, so remote and uniform services are needed.
9) The capability of supporting integration of heterogeneous systems. Large-scale spatial information systems are always synthetically applications, so ASISG should provide interoperation and consistency through adopting open and applied technology standards.
10) The capability of adapting dynamic changes. Business requirements, application patterns, management strategies, and IT products always change endlessly for any departments, so ASISG should be self-adaptive.
Two examples are provided in this paper, those examples provide a detailed way on how you design your semantic grid based on Multi-Agent systems and Ontology. In conclusion, the semantic grid of spatial information system could improve the ability of the integration and interoperability of spatial information grid.
