Understanding and Designing Enterprise Architectures

Expeditionary GeoBase - Hub Deployment and Replication Strategies

—Mark Watson, HQ USAFCENT A7P

In the Air Force geospatial community, Headquarters Air Force Central Command Installation Geospatial Information & Services (HQAFCENT IGI&S) provides policy and guidance related to geospatial technologies for the Central Command area of responsibility. The changing technological landscape of GIS provides opportunities to improve services through greater information sharing capabilities and enhanced end products.

As part of the Air Combat Command enterprise system, HQAFCENT is one of many contributing network nodes. However, the source of AFCENT data exists in non-nodal environments.

Data is continually transferred from deployed locations to the enterprise. The disconnected environment within which we operate poses several challenges to these efforts. To mitigate risks of failed updates, enterprise architecture and supporting workflows must be designed to reduce the potential for errors. The evolution of the Geodatabase, and a growing understanding of how best to exploit its potential, has promoted the development of a more efficient data exchange methodology.