1. INTRODUCTION 
In 1987, when the GIS Division, Natural 
Resources Canada were set-up, our strategic 
objectives was to develop applications to 
promote the use of Sector data, demonstrate 
the use of GIS technology, improve access to 
data through improved communications 
facilities, and to explore research that will aid 
in the growth of GIS technology. Early 1988, 
a project was initiated to develop the National 
GIS Technology Centre in the Division. Two 
basic guide lines were established. First, the 
GIS Technology Centre would include a 
variety of GIS technologies to avoid 
promoting one vendor or technology over the 
other and to give our staff the opportunity to 
build expertise in many areas. All GIS 
workstations, computer, and peripheral 
devices would be set-up in a local area 
network (LAN). 
The division acquired several GIS software 
packages, namely: SPANS from TYDAC, 
CARIS from USL, ARC/INFO from ESRI 
Canada, Vision from GeoVision (currently 
SHL, Ottawa), Microstation from Intergraph 
Canada, Horizon from Laser Scan, PAMAP 
from Essential Planning Systems Ltd., 
GRASS by the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, IDRISI from Clark University, 
Easi-Pace from PCI, TIMS from MLA, and 
MAP-INFO. Other data input software e.g., 
the raster/vector conversion software CAD- 
CORE by Hitachi, and V- TRACK by Laser 
Scan were also acquired. This software was 
installed on platforms, ranging from Personal 
Computer (PC) based systems, through 
systems that could work on any general Unix 
workstation environment to specialized GIS 
workstations such as the Intergraph 
MicroStation. The various systems were 
interconnected into a Unix local area ethernet 
network. The operation of this simple LAN 
based system quickly revealed a number of 
operational problems. 
The project in 1988, by consulting with 
various users within our Sector, and other 
department at the federal, provincial levels of 
governments, suggested the idea of GIS 
interoperability and the need for 
communications between multiple GISs in a 
heterogeneous environment. In addition, we 
initiated several studies on hardware 
requirements, the selection of a suitable 
DBMS for the project implementation, and in 
1989 completed the design of the first system 
prototype. Over a period of one year the first 
348 
prototype was developed. Early in 1991, our 
project team started the design and 
implementation of the current version of the 
system. 
This paper describes the operational 
framework for the development of Delta-X 
and a Spatial Browser, the management 
perspectives and technology support, project 
management, monitoring and control. Issues 
related to resources, testing and evaluation are 
briefly discussed. 
2. PROJECT OBJECTIVES 
The primary objectives of the projects are: 
* to develop a federated multi-database 
management system that provides 
interoperability between different GISs : 
DBMS' and/or formats (the Delta-X); and; 
* to develop a spatial data browser as a front 
end to the Delta-X, that facilitates the 
access to metadata of various databases, 
e.g.: information on specific datasets, 
ownership, geographic coverage, format, 
availability, access mode, cost, etc. 
2.1 System Functionalities 
The Delta-X system functionalities are 
separated into two: the server functionalities 
and the client functionalities. The clients 
serves both as a database client to the database 
at the default attached server and as a server 
for some specific vendor GIS. The key 
requirement of the Client Interface is that it 
must be configured as an X11/R5 server. The 
client is a X11 server running either Motif or 
an OpenWindow interface and is capable of 
displaying the graphics from a remote X client 
(i.e., a DxServer). 
From a Client workstations, at which a user 
runs some GIS software, the user is able to 
launch the Spatial Browser to identify a dataset 
of interest. The search criteria for a dataset 18 
by keywords, project titles, data-set owners, 
area or coverage, etc. An interesting feature of 
the Spatial Browser is that it can allow spatial 
searches by invoking a map and selecting the 
region on the map to constrain the search. 
Facilities exist from the Spatial Browser to 
invoke Delta-X, and make off-line (E-mail, 
fax) requests for some identified information 
relevant to the user's project. 
  
Invoking 
first esta 
DxServer. 
« Disple 
vector 
elevati 
« Retrie 
vector 
user's 
» Admi 
registe 
startir 
author 
« Monit 
retrie 
transa 
Although 
Informati 
being use 
libraries a 
developm 
opportuni 
parallel an 
develop 
applicatio 
3. OP 
The worl 
evaluatio: 
software 
technolo; 
emerging 
Commerc 
functional 
and Ingre 
topologic 
implemen 
The envir 
implemen 
* large 
differ 
their 
furthe 
Delta- 
«3 nety 
conne 
* indivi 
autho 
WAN 
A Heter 
selected 
software ; 
the mark