Welcome to IGAD Geoportal’s documentation!

Introduction

GeoNode

GeoNode is a geospatial content management system, a platform for the management and publication of geospatial data. It brings together mature and stable open-source software projects under a consistent and easy-to-use interface allowing non-specialized users to share data and create interactive maps.

Data management tools built into GeoNode allow for integrated creation of data, metadata, and map visualizations. Each dataset in the system can be shared publicly or restricted to allow access to only specific users. Social features like user profiles and commenting and rating systems allow for the development of communities around each platform to facilitate the use, management, and quality control of the data the GeoNode instance contains.

It is also designed to be a flexible platform that software developers can extend, modify or integrate against to meet requirements in their own applications.

GeoNode allows users to:

• Browse and search for geospatial data.
• Upload and share geospatial data, securely.
• Create and share interactive web maps.

Visit the GeoNode Official Website and GeoNode Documentation to learn more.

IGAD Geoportal

IGAD Spatial Web Portal is an extension of GeoNode. This portal is intended to provide spatial services to larger audience with no or little GIS experience. Layers are given for further use in GIS environment by experts. Finished and ready to use map products are listed at the “Documents and Maps” category. Users can also compose their maps interactively making use of the base maps and layers provided in the portal.

A Geospatial Portal is a browser-based that enables users to find, view, query, analyze, and consume geospatial data and web services published by their servers and those of third parties. It offers advanced client-side discovery, connection, and interaction through a simple client browser that provides an intuitive and attractive user experience. Well, GeoNode is more than that!!

Geonode

This section will introduce you briefly to GeoNode.

IGAD Geoportal

This section will introduce you to IGAD Spatial Web Portal based on GeoNode.

IGAD Spatial Web Portal Overview

Welcome Page

IGAD Spatial Web Portal welcome page presents several functionalities, one can view and modify existing spatial layers and maps, as well as find information on other users and groups.

Welcome page

At the top of the page you can find the top menu bar showing menus to view data, maps, people, thematic areas, links and a search field. Below there is a listing of dataset categories and of recently featured datasets.

Main Functionalities

Without being logged in, you are limited to read-only access of public layers. Let us explore the top menu bar.

Menu bar

The first three menus of the menu bar (i.e. Data, Maps and About) are identical to the menus of GeoNode. Further details can be found at the website of GeoNode and its documentation.

Data

This menu list allows the user to explore, or to manage (if logged in), local or remote layers (vector or raster) and the associated metadata documents (such as Pdf, images, tabular data etc.).

1. Drop down the Data menu then Click on Layers button.

   

2. Choose a layer and Click on its name.

   

   Here you can view the layer on a basemap, informations about the layer and other available options.

Maps

Maps consist in overlaying various layers and their styles. This toolbar allows you to create a map based on the uploaded layers combining them with some existing layers and a remote web service layer, and then (If logged in) share the resulting map for public viewing.

1. Click on Maps menu. Already existing maps will be shown.

   

2. Choose a map and Click on its name.

   

Here you can view the map, active layers of the map and other available options.

About

This menu allows you to explore people, groups and their activities within the portal and will be explained in detail in the tutorials.

Thematic Areas

This platform has been created and powered by GeoNode with the aim to support mainly the Biodiversity Programme. Specifically, the Thematica Areas menu is customized and includes several options that contain finished and ready Geospatial data.

Thematic Area menu

Let us explore the contents of the options in the Thematica Areas menu. For example, Click the Biodiversity option. You will be redirected to a new page containing a Sidebar menu and a list of Thematic categories.

Sidebar Menu

The Sidebar is divided in three groups:

• COUNTRIES: a list of IGAD countries that allows the user to explore the layers in a specific country.
• CROSS BORDER AREAS: contains the layers that fall between the borders of the countries.
• IGAD & SPECIALIZED OFFICES: external links about IGAD Programmes.

Thematic Categories

The Thematic categories tabs contain layers related to a specific created classes.

Note

The color of the tab is significant. Dark green tabs are empty and does not contain any layer.

Click the Forest Biodiversity tab. You will be adressed to a new page that shows the layers related to the current tab.

Layers in the Forest Biodiversity tab

Moreover, a new sidebar menu will appear based on several filters.

Sidebar Filters

There are two ways to apply filters:

1. OR type filter:

• Navigate to the Data menu and click on the layers option to explore all the existing layers in the portal (see Fig. 1).

  

  Fig. 1

• Expand the KEYWORDS Filter. Select, for example, actualevap item (will be highlighted in blue), all the layers related to the selected option will be found (see Fig. 2).

  

  Fig. 2

• Next Select the keyword administrative, further layers related to the selected keys will be added to the selection (see Fig. 3).

  

  Fig. 3

Note

Note that filtering the data using many keywords will apply an OR filter.

2. AND type filter:

• Click on Clear to reset the filters. You will be redirected to the main layers page as in Fig. 1.

• Expand the OWNER Filter. Select, for example, igad item, all the layers related to the selected item will be found (see Fig. 4).

  

  Fig. 4

• Next Expand the TYPE Filter and Select Vector Layers item. Layers that are owned by igad AND are vectors will be selected only (see Fig. 5).

  

  Fig. 5

Note

Note that filtering the data using items from different filters lists will apply an AND filter.

Resources

This menu contains documentations, training materials and publications.

Knowledge Management Tools

This menu contains links that are related to IGAD programmes.

In order to get started, let us look at the portal interface and get an idea of how to navigate around it.

Welcome Page

An overview on the welcome page.

Main Functionalities

This section introduces the Top Menu Bar which is the core of the portal. You will be also able to understand some basic concepts of the portal infrastructure.

Users Tutorial

This tutorial is addressed to basic users and will teach the user how to use the portal.

You will learn how to:

1. Manage the user account and how to modify it.
2. Use the searching tools.
3. Manage Data and Maps, update the styles and publish them.
4. Load datasets into the portal.

Managing Account

This section will guide you through the account registration, updating your account information, and viewing other user accounts.

Registration

In order to upload, save and edit your layers, to create your maps, to join groups and interact with other users, you need to create an account.

1. Click on Register from the top bar.

   

2. Fill out the sign up form by providing your e-mail, a username and a password.

   

Once the administrators approved your account, you will receive a confirmation and you can sign in the portal.

Manage Own Account

After signing in:

1. Click on Profile from the account menu.

   

2. On the new page, you can edit your personal information, show your activities or to set when to get notified and many other options.

   

Exploring People and Groups

Now that your account is created, you can view other users accounts and join groups on the system.

1. From the About menu, Click on People. Choose a user and Click on it. You will be redirected to a new page showing the informations about the user, his layers and his activities.

   

2. From the About menu, Click on Groups. There are three groups categories:

   • Public: Any registered user can view and join a public group.
   • Public (invite-only): Any registered user can view the group. Only invited users can join.
   • Private: Registered users cannot see any details about the group, including membership. Only invited users can join.

3. Choose a group and Click on it. On the new page, you will see its members, their role and the group permissions.

   

4. Click on Join Group. In case the group is public, you will be added automatically.

   

Managing Data

A layer is a slice or stratum of the geographic reality. Layers are a published resource representing a raster or vector spatial data source. Layers also can be associated with metadata, ratings, and comments. This section will introduce you how to upload, download, change the style or share a layer.

Uploading layers

The following steps will explain how to upload your own layer. For example you can download a shapefile from the net. A shapefile format (.shp) can spatially describe vector features: points, lines, and polygons, representing, for example, point of interests, roads, and buildings. After downloading the shapefile:

1. From the top menu, Scroll down the Data menu then Click on Upload Layer. This will open the upload form.

   

   Data menu

   Note

   Note that, since you are logged in, now the Data menu contains two blocks of options. The first block includes options to view, and optionally to examine, already existing Layers, Documents and Remote Services in the portal. The second block allows the user to upload his own Layers, Documents or to add a Remote Service into the portal.

2. Click on the Choose Files button. Navigate to your data folder and select all of the four files composing the shapefile (.shp, .dbf, .shx, .prj). Alternatively you could drag and drop the four files in the Drop files here area. You can also upload a zipped folder containing the files above.

   

3. On the right side of the form, you can set the permissions on who can view, download, edit and manage the layer.

   

4. Click on Upload Files. Your file will be uploaded in the portal. Once approved by the administrators, you will get notified and will be viewable by other users.

   

Edit Layer Metadata

In order to change the metadata of the layer, from the tabs shown in Step 4:

1. Click on Edit Metadata. You will be addressed to the following wizard. The first two pages are mandatory while the last two are optional.

   

2. On the first page, Fill the form by adding an Abstract. Assign the appropriate Keywords, a Category and a Group related to the layer. You can also edit the Thumbnail.

   

3. On the second page, you can set the language, the license, Data quality and the restrictions. Fill the required fields.

   

4. On the third page which is optional, you can add further metadata such as the purpose, temporal extent and the spatial representation of the layer.

   

5. The fourth page named Dataset Attributes is optional but important since it allows you to compute some edits on the attribute table such as the labels and the order of the features. Adding a label to the attribute will speed up the process of the GetFeatureInfo operation. Click on Update after finishing your edits.

   

6. After updating the metadata you will be redirected to the preview page. Click on the Attributes tab to see your modified table. Click on GetFeatureInfo icon highlighted in the figure below and point it to a modified element. Note that the GetFeatureInfo will show you now the label added before.

   

7. Finally, you can also print your map layer by clicking on the Print icon.

   

Layer Styling

First let us create a new style and assign it to the layer, next we will see how to manage existing styles.

Creating New Style

1. From the preview page, Click on Edit Layer. A pop window will open, in Styles you can edit the style, upload your own style (as an SLD) or manage the existing styles.

   

2. Click on Edit. A pop up window will open. Under the Styles part Click on Add to create a new line style. Assign a title and optionally an abstract then Save it.

   

3. Under the Rules part Select the Untitled 1 rule then Click on Edit. On the new window under the Basic tab you can change the name, style, colors, width and other properties.

   

4. Change the properties of the style then Click on Save. The style of the layer will be updated.

   

Managing Styles

1. As in Steps 1 - 2 in Creating New Style, now Click on Manage button instead. Choose an available style then Click on it. It will be automatically added to right list. Set it as Layer Default Style then Click on Update Available Styles.

   

Once you have finished all your edits on the layer. Return to the welcome page and Explore your layer, only you will be able to visualize it since it still in a Pending Approval state.

In the figure above, The icon highlighted in blue means that the layer was uploaded from a local machine.

Managing Temporal Data

Temporal data is stored in fields in the attribute table of a shapefile. Each feature can have a date/time value that represents the temporal event or a begining and end time stored in two different fields. Temporal data combined with spatial data is essential to analyze the evolution of a specific phenomena.

Uploading Data

Since IGAD portal leverages on GeoNode, it allows the user to upload vector data storing temporal fields. As seen before, the upload procedure of a layer is the same.

1. From the top menu, Scroll down the Data menu then Click on Upload Layer. This will open the upload form.

   

On the new page, you can upload multiple layers concurrently and then configuring them separately.

1. Drag/Drop your multiple files in the Drop files here area. The files will be grouped separately and temporal dimension will be detected automatically.

   

2. Click on Upload files button.

   

By clicking on continue you can setup the first shapefile on a new popup page and the second on an another one.

1. Click on Continue button of the second shapefile. You will be addressed to a popup page to setup the temporal field(s).

   

2. Switch on the selector to configure the file as a time series. Check the Date field.

   

3. Since the layer has a begining and an end temporal fields, you can set the End-time attribute in the advanced options. Expand the Optional End-Time attribute menu. Check the box then Select from the list the enddate attribute.

   

   Note

   Step 3 is not necessary in case the shapefile has a unique temporal field.

4. On Time attribute Presentation menu, Choose the appropriate field. In this case is a list of dates. Read the additional help menu to understand better date/time formats.

   

5. Click on Next. The shapefile will be uploaded. You will be redirected to the preview page and a time slidebar will be automatically enabled.

   

Managing Remote Services

A Web map service (WMS) is a standard protocol that describes how to serve any georeferenced map images over the Internet, which is usually generated by a map server that uses data from a geographic information system database. WMS provides a simple way of requesting geo-registered map images using an HTTP interface.

IGAD portal allows the user to make use of data via a connection to a remote service (to a server). Let us start to see how to add a remote service.

Adding Remote Service

From the top bar, Scroll down the Data menu then Click on Add Remote Service.

On the new page, you should provide a Service URL in order to connect to the server and a Service Type. There are three available service types.

• Web Map Service (WMS)
• GeoNode WMS
• ArcGIS REST MapServer

Adding Web Map Service

1. Let us connect, for example, to GeoServer at the following URL: https://demo.geo-solutions.it/geoserver/ows?service=wms&version=1.3.0&request=GetCapabilities. Copy the URL in the Service URL field and Select Web Map Service as a Service Type. Click on Create.

   

2. You will be connected to GeoServer and on the new page you will be able to view and to import any layer contained in the server. Check the flag box on a layer then Click on Import Resources.

   

3. Click on Back to service details. Click on the imported layer, you will be addressed to the layer preview page where you can edit it or create a map from it.

   

4. From the top bar, Explore all the available layers. You should find the imported layer. The highlighted icon in the figure below shows that the layer comes from a remote service.

   

Adding GeoNode WMS

1. Now, let us connect to GeoNode WMS using the following URL: http://ihp-wins.unesco.org/geoserver/ows. As above Add a new service using the latter link and Choose GeoNode as service type.

   Note

   Note that the provided URL now is different than the link in the first section. GeoNode will try to extract all the layers from the service and its metadata without pointing out in the URL the service type, the version and the request.

2. Import a layer and Visualize it. You will see that GeoNode WMS has imported also all the available info and metadata.

   

Adding ArcGIS REST MapServer

Dealing with ArcGIS REST services has some limitations and will be illustrated now.

1. As an example, consider the following link https://gis1.servirglobal.net/arcgis/rest/services which is a remote service directory containing several layers.

   

2. Add a new remote service using the link above. Select ArcGIS REST MapServer as a Service Type then Create. You will receive the following error. This is due to the indexing structure of the service.

   

3. In order to avoid this error, one should point directly the root of the desired layer, for example, https://gis1.servirglobal.net/arcgis/rest/services/Africa/Africa_Ecosystems/MapServer. Create a new service using the latter link.

   

4. Explore the imported layer from the service. You will note that the Legend was not imported along the layer and thus you will not be able to change the style.

   

5. Finally, the layer will not be printable.

   

Exploring Remote Services

1. Scroll down the Data menu then Click on Remote Services.

   

2. Check the remote services in the portal created by other users.

   

3. As a basic user you can only edit or delete your own created services. You can take advantage of the remote services added by other users importing from it some data.

   

Managing Maps

Since you are logged in, now the Maps menu contains two options. The first option allows you to view and query existing Maps in the portal as before while the second new one to create your own map and save it into the portal.

Maps menu

Creating Map

1. Click on Create Map. An interactive WebGIS interface will open, containing:
   • A toolbar on the top.
   • A table of contents (TOC) or layer list on the left side.
   • A Data Frame space where layers are displayed. The Data Frame shows the OpenStreetMap basemap layer by default. There are other service layers available here such as Humanitarian OpenStreetMap, UNESCO GEODATA and UNESCO.

1. From the TOC Click on Add layers.

   

2. From the list Double Click on the layers that you want to add to your map then Click on Done.

   

3. Order your layers by dragging the point layers on the top of the TOC then the lines and the polygons and Choose a basemap.

   

4. If you want to edit the style of the active layers in the map. Select the target layer then Click on the brush icon and follow the Steps in Layer Styling section.

   

5. After all the edits, Click on the Map button from the toolbar then Select Save Map.

   

6. Assign a name to the map and an abstract then Click on Save.

   

7. Your map will be approved by the administrators.

   

Sharing Map

1. From the toolbar, Click on on the Map button then Select Publish Map.

   

2. A new dialog will appear with instructions on how to embed this map in a webpage, including a code snippet. You can adjust the parameters as necessary.

   

3. Try instead to copy and paste the http URL of your map in a browser. You will be able to view your map.

   

Managing Account

This section will guide you through the account registration, updating your account information, and viewing other users accounts.

Managing Layers

A layer is a slice or stratum of the geographic reality. Layers are a published resource representing a raster or vector spatial data source. Layers also can be associated with metadata, ratings, and comments. This section will introduce you how to upload, download, change the style or share a layer.

Managing Maps

Combining and overlaying several layers will allow creating maps. This section will show you a detailed demonstration how to create and share your own maps.

Administrators Tutorial

This tutorial is addressed to administrators and will teach the admin how to manage the portal.

You will learn how to:

1. Use the Django Administration Panel.
2. Manage users, groups and data.
3. Customize the portal interface.

Django Administration Functionalities

The Django Administration Panel of GeoNode contains several functions and gives the administrator a full control of the portal. This section will introduce you to how to manage the Users and Groups and how to customize the Menus, Menu items and Keywords of the IGAD portal interface. For a full documentation on the site administration the reader is referred to the Administrators Workshop in the documentation of GeoNode.

If you are the administrator of the portal or you have been provided by the admin credentials then log in:

• From the Top menu bar Navigate to the Account menu and Click on Admin.

  

• The site administration page shows up as the following;

  

From this panel, you can control the users, groups, data, maps, the customization of the portal even the comments made on data and many other options that we will not cover.

Managing Users, Groups and Data

This section will show you how to manage users, groups and the data.

Managing Users

Let us begin to see how to add and modify users.

Adding User

1. Find the box called People. This option allows you to add users or to approve the subscrition of a new user.

   

2. Click on the Add button, Fill the form then Save.

   

3. A new form will open asking some personal informations of the user. Fill it and Assign the Permissions.

   • Active: for a basic user.
   • Staff status: has the rights to access the admin panel.
   • Superuser status: has all permissions.

   

Modifying User

1. Click on Users from the People box. A list of all users and their status will be shown. By clicking on the username of the user you will be redirected to the later form and you will be able to make modifications on the user informations. As an admin, you will receive a notification when a new user signs up. It is your duty to activate his permissions.

   

2. Click on the new user name and Edit its permissions as before to activate him.

3. If you want to delete a user. Check the flag box associated to the user then Select from the Action list the delete option and Click on Go.

   

Managing Groups

1. Find the box called Authentication and Authorization.

   

2. Click the Add button to add a new group or on Groups button to make modifications on existing groups.

Managing Data

1. Find the box called Layers. Here you can add or edit layers, attributes and styles or to approve the published layers.

   

2. When a user upload some data on the portal, as an Admin you will get notified and it is your responsability to review and to approve the data. Click on Layers. You will be addressed to a new page where you can view all the existing layers in the portal and their status.

   

3. Check the box APPROVED or IS PUBLISHED to approve or to publish it.

Managing Maps

1. Find the box called Maps. Here you can add or edit maps, map layers or to approve the published maps.

   

1. Click on Maps. You will be addressed to a new page where you can view all the existing maps in the portal and their status.

   

2. Check the box APPROVED or IS PUBLISHED to approve or to publish it.

Portal Customization

Here you will learn how to customize the portal by adding new Thematic Areas, new Menus and Menu items.

• Scroll down the page and Find the Igad_Geonode list box.

Creating Menus and Menu items

These two options allow you to create new menus in the Top menu bar or in the sidebar.

Creating Menu in the Topbar

1. Click on the Add icon in Menus.

   

2. Fill the requested fields then Save it.

   

3. Click on the Add icon in Menu items.

   

4. Select from the list the menu created previously and Fill the other fields then Save it.

   

5. Navigate to the welcome page of the portal. You will find the menu created and its item in the top menu bar.

   

Creating Menu in the Sidebar

1. Click on the Add icon in Menus.

   

2. Fill the requested fields then Save it.

   

3. Click on the Add icon in Menu items.

   

4. As an example let us create a menu item as an external link to Google. Fill the requested fields then Save it.

   

5. Navigate to explore data from the main page of the portal. You will find the menu created in the sidebar.

   

6. By clicking on Test google URL, you will be addressed to the site of google.

Creating New Thematic Areas and Keywords

Here you will learn how to create new Thematic Areas and its related keywords following a hierarchy or to manage already existing ones. Let us begin following a structured procedure to create a hierarchy from A to Z.

1. Click on the Add icon.

   

2. On the new page, Click the + icon to create a new Thematic Area (the head of the hierarchy).

   

3. Fill the requested fields, for example as the figure below then Save it.

   

Now you can find the created Thematic Area within the list.

1. Select Test Thematic Area from the Hkeyword list. Fill the requested metadata fields then Save it. These fields allow you to describe and customize your Thematic area by adding a Title, Description, an Icon etc..

   

Now let us create a child in our Thematic Area.

1. Click again on the + icon then Fill the fields as in the figure below and Save it.

   

Note

Note that now Child test is a child relative to Test Thematic Area.

1. Fill the requested metadata for the Child test fields then Save it.

   

2. Return to the main page of the IGAD portal. Drop down the Thematic Areas menu, you should find the thematic created before.

   

3. Enter the Thematic Area Test by clicking on it. You will find the child created before.

   

The child tab is empty at the moment. To assign a Layer, Document or a map to the child:

1. As an example, Explore the existing layers then Select one. Click on Edit Layer tab.

   

2. Click on Wizard in the pop up page.

   

3. Assign the keyword Child test to the layer then Update.

   

Now the Child test tab is not empty anymore and contains the assigned layer.

Django Administration Functionalities

This section will introduce you briefly to the Django Administration Functionalities.

Managing Users, Groups and Data

This section will show you how to manage users, groups and data.

Portal Customization

This section will show you how to customize the portal by adding new Thematic Areas, new Menus and Menu items.

This documentation is intended for users having familiarity or not with geospatial platforms and geoportals. The tutorials are based on performing a number of tasks and are divided into two groups Users and Administrators.

Introduction

This section will introduce the user to GeoNode and to IGAD.

IGAD Spatial Web Portal Overview:

This section will guide the user to an overview on the interface of IGAD Spatial Web Portal and its main components.

Users Tutorial

This tutorial is addressed to basic users and will teach the user how to use the portal.

You will learn how to:

1. Manage the user accounts and how to modify it.
2. Use the searching tools.
3. Manage Data and Maps, update the styles and publish them.
4. Load datasets into the portal.

Administrators Tutorial

This tutorial is addressed to administrators and will teach the admin how to manage the portal.

You will learn how to:

1. Use the Django Administration Panel.
2. Manage users, groups and data.
3. Customize the portal interface.