Geographic information — Reference model

This International Standard defines the framework for standardization in the field of geographic information and sets forth the basic principles by which this standardization takes place. This framework identifies the scope of the standardization activity being undertaken and the context in which it takes place. The framework provides the method by which what is to be standardized can be determined and describes how the contents of the standards are related. Although structured in the context of information technology and information technology standards, this International Standard is independent of any application development method or technology implementation approach.

Information géographique — Modèle de référence

Geografske informacije - Referenčni model

General Information

Status
Withdrawn
Publication Date
03-Jul-2002
Withdrawal Date
03-Jul-2002
Current Stage
9599 - Withdrawal of International Standard
Completion Date
12-Nov-2014

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INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 19101
First edition
2002-07-01

Geographic information — Reference
model
Information géographique — Modèle de référence




Reference number
ISO 19101:2002(E)
©
ISO 2002

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
ISO 19101:2002(E)
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but shall not
be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In downloading this
file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat accepts no liability in this
area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation parameters
were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In the unlikely event
that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.


© ISO 2002
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or ISO's member body
in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.ch
Web www.iso.ch
Printed in Switzerland

ii © ISO 2002 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
ISO 19101:2002(E)
Contents
Foreword.v
Introduction.vi
1 Scope .1
2 Conformance.1
3 Normative references.1
4 Terms and definitions .1
5 Symbols and abbreviated terms .4
5.1 Abbreviations.4
5.2 UML notation.5
6 Concepts and organization of the reference model.5
6.1 Integration of geographic information with information technology.5
6.2 Focus of standardization in the ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards .7
6.3 Reference model organization .7
6.4 Interoperability of geographic information.8
6.4.1 Definition of interoperability.8
6.4.2 Aspects of interoperability .9
6.4.3 Interoperability in the ISO 19100 series of geographic standards .9
7 Conceptual modelling .10
7.1 Content of this clause .10
7.2 Definition of conceptual modelling.10
7.3 Use of this clause .11
7.4 Specification of conceptual schema language for the ISO 19100 series of geographic
information standards.11
7.5 The approach to conceptual modelling.11
7.6 Principles of conceptual modelling .12
7.7 Model integration.13
8 The Domain reference model .13
8.1 Content of this clause .13
8.2 Definition of Domain reference model.13
8.3 Uses of the Domain reference model .14
8.4 Overview of the Domain Reference model .14
8.5 Use of abstraction levels in the Domain reference model .16
8.6 Detailed description of the Domain reference model .17
8.6.1 Introduction.17
8.6.2 Application schema.17
8.6.3 Spatial objects and position.19
8.6.4 Reference systems.20
8.6.5 Quality.22
8.6.6 Metadata .23
8.6.7 General feature model.24
9 The Architectural reference model .25
9.1 Content of this clause .25
9.2 Definition of the Architectural reference model .26
9.3 Uses of the Architectural reference model .26
9.4 Overview of the Architectural reference model.26
9.4.1 Introduction.26
9.4.2 Services and service interfaces .26
9.4.3 Identifying services and service interfaces for geographic information.28
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ISO 19101:2002(E)
9.5 Types of geographic information services .28
9.5.1 Introduction.28
9.5.2 Types of information technology services relevant to geographic information.28
9.5.3 Extension of service types for geographic information .30
9.5.4 Service types in the ISO 19100 series compared to other service models .30
9.6 Service interfaces and standardization requirements.30
9.6.1 Introduction.30
9.6.2 Identifying standardization requirements for geographic information services .31
9.6.3 Fulfilling standardization requirements and the role of profiles .32
9.6.4 Elaboration of standardization requirements .32
9.6.5 Using this procedure to identify requirements for geographic information standards.33
10 Profiles and functional standards.34
10.1 Content of this clause .34
10.2 Profiles and base standards.34
10.3 Modularity concept.34
10.4 Use of profiles.34
10.5 Product specifications .34
10.6 Relationship of profiles to base standards.34
10.7 Functional standards .35
10.8 Registration of profiles .35
Annex A (informative) The Conceptual Schema Modelling Facility.36
A.1 Introduction.36
A.2 The ISO Conceptual Schema Modelling Facility Schema architecture.36
A.3 ISO CSMF schema architecture and the ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards .38
Annex B (informative) Focus of standardization in the ISO 19100 series of geographic information
standards.39
Bibliography .41


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---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------
ISO 19101:2002(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO
member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical
committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has
the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in
liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards adopted
by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an International
Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this International Standard may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 19101 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 211, Geographic information/Geomatics.
Annexes A and B of this International Standard are for information only.
© ISO 2002 – All rights reserved v

---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------
ISO 19101:2002(E)
Introduction
Every comprehensive standardization effort needs a reference model to ensure an integrated and consistent
approach. This International Standard is a guide to structuring geographic information standards in a way that will
enable the universal usage of digital geographic information. This reference model describes the overall
requirements for standardization and the fundamental principles that apply in developing and using standards for
geographic information. In describing these requirements and principles, this reference model provides a vision of
standardization in which geographic information can be integrated with existing and emerging digital information
technologies and applications. This International Standard is intended to be used by information system analysts,
program planners and developers of geographic information standards that are related to geographic information
standards, as well as others in order to understand the basic principles of this series of standards and the overall
requirements for standardization of geographic information.
Beyond the needs within traditional applications of digital geographic information, there is a growing recognition
among users of information technology that indexing by location is a fundamental way to organize and to use digital
data. Increasingly, digital data from a wide variety of sources is being referenced to locations for use in a diversity
of applications. Consequently, there is an increasing need for standardization of geographic information and
services for processing this information. To meet this need, the ISO 19100 series standardizes relevant aspects of
the description and management of geographic information and geographic information services. This
standardization will:
 increase the understanding and usage of geographic information;
 increase the availability, access, integration and sharing of geographic information;
 promote the efficient, effective and economic use of digital geographic information and associated hardware
and software systems;
 contribute to a unified approach to addressing global ecological and humanitarian problems.
To achieve these goals, standardization of geographic information in the ISO 19100 series is based on the
integration of the concepts of geographic information with those of information technology. The development of
standards for geographic information must consider the adoption or adaptation of generic information technology
standards whenever possible. It is only when this cannot be done that geographic information standards need to be
developed.
This International Standard identifies a generic approach to structuring the ISO 19100 series of standards. This
reference model uses concepts obtained from the ISO/IEC Open Systems Environment (OSE) approach for
determining standardization requirements described in ISO/IEC TR 14252, the IEC Open Distributed Processing
(ODP) Reference Model described in ISO/IEC 10746-1 and other relevant ISO standards and technical reports.
This International Standard does not prescribe any specific products or techniques for implementing geographic
information systems.
vi © ISO 2002 – All rights reserved

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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 19101:2002(E)

Geographic information — Reference model
1 Scope
This International Standard defines the framework for standardization in the field of geographic information and
sets forth the basic principles by which this standardization takes place.
This framework identifies the scope of the standardization activity being undertaken and the context in which it
takes place. The framework provides the method by which what is to be standardized can be determined and
describes how the contents of the standards are related.
Although structured in the context of information technology and information technology standards, this
International Standard is independent of any application development method or technology implementation
approach.
2 Conformance
General conformance and testing requirements for the ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards are
described in ISO 19105. Specific conformance requirements are described in individual standards in the ISO 19100
series.
3 Normative reference
The following normative document contains provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of
this International Standard. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these
publications do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this International Standard are encouraged to
investigate the possibility of applying the most recent edition of the normative document indicated below. For
undated references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies. Members of ISO and IEC
maintain registers of currently valid International Standards.
1)
ISO/IEC 19501-1:— , Information technology — Unified Modeling Language (UML) — Part 1: Specification
4 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this International Standard, the following terms and definitions apply. Sources of term
definitions not defined in this International Standard are provided.
NOTE Throughout this document, certain terms are italicized. These terms are defined either in this clause or in the terms
and definitions clause of another part of ISO 19100, as indicated.
4.1
application
manipulation and processing of data in support of user requirements
4.2
application schema
conceptual schema for data required by one or more applications

1) To be published.
© ISO 2002 – All rights reserved 1

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ISO 19101:2002(E)
4.3
conceptual formalism
set of modelling concepts used to describe a conceptual model
EXAMPLE UML meta model, EXPRESS meta model.
NOTE One conceptual formalism can be expressed in several conceptual schema languages.
4.4
conceptual model
model that defines concepts of a universe of discourse
4.5
conceptual schema
formal description of a conceptual model
4.6
conceptual schema language
formal language based on a conceptual formalism for the purpose of representing conceptual schemas
EXAMPLE UML, EXPRESS, IDEF1X
NOTE A conceptual schema language may be lexical or graphical. Several conceptual schema languages can be based
on the same conceptual formalism.
4.7
dataset
identifiable collection of data
4.8
data level
level containing data describing specific instances
4.9
data quality element
quantitative component documenting the quality of a dataset
NOTE The applicability of a data quality element to a dataset depends on both the dataset’s content and its product
specification; the result being that all data elements may not be applicable to all datasets.
4.10
data quality overview element
non-quantitative component documenting the quality of a dataset
NOTE Information about the purpose, usage and lineage of a dataset is non-quantitative information.
4.11
feature
abstraction of real world phenomena
NOTE A feature may occur as a type or an instance. Feature type or feature instance shall be used when only one is
meant.
4.12
feature attribute
characteristic of a feature
EXAMPLE 1 A feature attribute named “colour” may have an attribute value “green” which belongs to the data type “text”.
EXAMPLE 2 A feature attribute named “length” may have an attribute value “82.4” which belongs to the data type “real”.
2 © ISO 2002 – All rights reserved

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ISO 19101:2002(E)
NOTE 1 A feature attribute has a name, a data type and a value domain associated to it. A feature attribute for a feature
instance also has an attribute value taken from the value domain.
NOTE 2 In a feature catalogue, a feature attribute may include a value domain but does not specify attribute values for
feature instances.
4.13
feature catalogue
catalogue containing definitions and descriptions of the feature types, feature attributes and feature relationships
occurring in one or more sets of geographic data, together with any feature operations that may be applied
4.14
feature operation
operation that every instance of a feature type may perform
EXAMPLE 1 An operation upon the feature type “dam” is to raise the dam. The result of this operation is to raise the level of
water in a reservoir.
EXAMPLE 2 An operation by the feature type “dam” might be to block vessels from navigating along a watercourse.
NOTE Feature operations provide a basis for feature type definition.
4.15
functional standard
existing geographic information standard, in active use by an international community of data producers and data
users
NOTE GDF, S-57 and DIGEST are examples of functional standards.
4.16
geographic information
information concerning phenomena implicitly or explicitly associated with a location relative to the Earth
4.17
geographic information service
service that transforms, manages, or presents geographic information to users
4.18
geographic information system
information system dealing with information concerning phenomena associated with location relative to the Earth
4.19
graphical language
language whose syntax is expressed in terms of graphical symbols
4.20
lexical language
language whose syntax is expressed in terms of symbols defined as character strings
4.21
metadata schema
conceptual schema describing metadata
NOTE ISO 19115 describes a standard for a metadata schema.
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ISO 19101:2002(E)
4.22
profile
set of one or more base standards and — where applicable — the identification of chosen clauses, classes, options
and parameters of those base standards that are necessary for accomplishing a particular function
NOTE A base standard is any ISO 19100 series standard or other Information Technology standard that can be used as a
source for components from which a profile or product specification may be constructed (see ISO/IEC TR 10000-1).
4.23
quality
totality of characteristics of a product that bear on its ability to satisfy stated and implied needs
4.24
quality schema
conceptual schema defining aspects of quality for geographic data
4.25
schema
formal description of a model
4.26
service
capability which a service provider entity makes available to a service user entity at the interface between those
entities
4.27
service interface
shared boundary between an automated system or human being and another automated system or human being
4.28
spatial object
instance of a type defined in the spatial schema
4.29
universe of discourse
view of the real or hypothetical world that includes everything of interest
5 Symbols and abbreviated terms
5.1 Abbreviations
CSMF Conceptual Schema Modelling Facility
ECMA European Computer Manufacturers Association
GIS Geographic Information System
IDL Interface Definition Language
IRDS Information Resource Dictionary System
ISP International Standardized Profiles
IT Information Technology
NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology
OCL Object Constraint Language
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ISO 19101:2002(E)
ODP Open Distributed Processing
OMG Object Management Group
OSE Open Systems Environment
UML Unified Modelling Language
5.2 UML notation
The diagrams that appear in this International Standard are presented in accordance with the Unified Modelling
1)
Language (UML) specified in ISO/IEC 19501-1:— . The UML notation is described in Figure 1.

Figure 1 — UML notation
6 Concepts and organization of the reference model
6.1 Integration of geographic information with information technology
The ISO 19100 is a series of standards for defining, describing and managing geographic information. This
International Standard defines the architectural framework of the ISO 19100 series of standards and sets forth the
principles by which this standardization takes place.
Standardization of geographic information can best be served by a set of standards that integrates a detailed
description of the concepts of geographic information with the concepts of information technology. A goal of this
standardization effort is to facilitate interoperability of geographic information systems, including interoperability in
distributed computing environments. Figure 2 depicts this approach.
© ISO 2002 – All rights reserved 5

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ISO 19101:2002(E)

Figure 2 — Integration of geographic information and information technology
The ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards establishes a structured set of standards for information
concerning objects or phenomena that are directly or indirectly associated with a location relative to the Earth. This
standard specifies methods, tools and services for management of geographic information, including the definition,
acquisition, analysis, access, presentation and transfer of such data in digital/electronic form between different
users, systems and locations. In Figure 2, the ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards can be
grouped into five major areas, each of which incorporate information technology concepts to standardize
geographic information. These major areas describe:
 The framework for the ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards including this International
Standard. The framework and reference model cover the more general aspects of the ISO 19100 series of
standards. The reference model identifies all components involved and defines how they fit together. It relates
the different aspects of the ISO 19100 series of standards together and provides a common basis for
communication.
 Geographic information services define the encoding of information in transfer formats and the methodology
for presentation of geographic information that is based on cartography and the old traditions of standardized
visualisations. This area also includes the field of satellite positioning; together with the formats and interfaces
necessary to utilize modern navigational satellite systems.
 Data administration is concerned with the description of quality principles and quality evaluation procedures for
geographic information datasets. Data administration also includes the description of the data itself, or
metadata, together with feature catalogues. This area also covers the spatial referencing of geographical
objects — either directly through coordinates, or more indirectly by use of, for instance, area codes like postal
or zip codes, addresses, etc.
 Data models and operators are concerned with the underlying geometry of the globe and how geographic
features and their spatial characteristics may be modelled. This area defines important spatial characteristics
and how these are related to each other.
 Profiles and functiona
...

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST ISO 19101:2003
01-november-2003
*HRJUDIVNHLQIRUPDFLMH5HIHUHQþQLPRGHO
Geographic information -- Reference model
Information géographique -- Modèle de réference
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: ISO 19101:2002
ICS:
07.040 Astronomija. Geodezija. Astronomy. Geodesy.
Geografija Geography
35.240.70 Uporabniške rešitve IT v IT applications in science
znanosti
SIST ISO 19101:2003 en
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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SIST ISO 19101:2003

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SIST ISO 19101:2003


INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 19101
First edition
2002-07-01

Geographic information — Reference
model
Information géographique — Modèle de référence




Reference number
ISO 19101:2002(E)
©
ISO 2002

---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------

SIST ISO 19101:2003
ISO 19101:2002(E)
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but shall not
be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In downloading this
file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat accepts no liability in this
area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation parameters
were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In the unlikely event
that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.


© ISO 2002
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or ISO's member body
in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.ch
Web www.iso.ch
Printed in Switzerland

ii © ISO 2002 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------

SIST ISO 19101:2003
ISO 19101:2002(E)
Contents
Foreword.v
Introduction.vi
1 Scope .1
2 Conformance.1
3 Normative references.1
4 Terms and definitions .1
5 Symbols and abbreviated terms .4
5.1 Abbreviations.4
5.2 UML notation.5
6 Concepts and organization of the reference model.5
6.1 Integration of geographic information with information technology.5
6.2 Focus of standardization in the ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards .7
6.3 Reference model organization .7
6.4 Interoperability of geographic information.8
6.4.1 Definition of interoperability.8
6.4.2 Aspects of interoperability .9
6.4.3 Interoperability in the ISO 19100 series of geographic standards .9
7 Conceptual modelling .10
7.1 Content of this clause .10
7.2 Definition of conceptual modelling.10
7.3 Use of this clause .11
7.4 Specification of conceptual schema language for the ISO 19100 series of geographic
information standards.11
7.5 The approach to conceptual modelling.11
7.6 Principles of conceptual modelling .12
7.7 Model integration.13
8 The Domain reference model .13
8.1 Content of this clause .13
8.2 Definition of Domain reference model.13
8.3 Uses of the Domain reference model .14
8.4 Overview of the Domain Reference model .14
8.5 Use of abstraction levels in the Domain reference model .16
8.6 Detailed description of the Domain reference model .17
8.6.1 Introduction.17
8.6.2 Application schema.17
8.6.3 Spatial objects and position.19
8.6.4 Reference systems.20
8.6.5 Quality.22
8.6.6 Metadata .23
8.6.7 General feature model.24
9 The Architectural reference model .25
9.1 Content of this clause .25
9.2 Definition of the Architectural reference model .26
9.3 Uses of the Architectural reference model .26
9.4 Overview of the Architectural reference model.26
9.4.1 Introduction.26
9.4.2 Services and service interfaces .26
9.4.3 Identifying services and service interfaces for geographic information.28
© ISO 2002 – All rights reserved iii

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SIST ISO 19101:2003
ISO 19101:2002(E)
9.5 Types of geographic information services .28
9.5.1 Introduction.28
9.5.2 Types of information technology services relevant to geographic information.28
9.5.3 Extension of service types for geographic information .30
9.5.4 Service types in the ISO 19100 series compared to other service models .30
9.6 Service interfaces and standardization requirements.30
9.6.1 Introduction.30
9.6.2 Identifying standardization requirements for geographic information services .31
9.6.3 Fulfilling standardization requirements and the role of profiles .32
9.6.4 Elaboration of standardization requirements .32
9.6.5 Using this procedure to identify requirements for geographic information standards.33
10 Profiles and functional standards.34
10.1 Content of this clause .34
10.2 Profiles and base standards.34
10.3 Modularity concept.34
10.4 Use of profiles.34
10.5 Product specifications .34
10.6 Relationship of profiles to base standards.34
10.7 Functional standards .35
10.8 Registration of profiles .35
Annex A (informative) The Conceptual Schema Modelling Facility.36
A.1 Introduction.36
A.2 The ISO Conceptual Schema Modelling Facility Schema architecture.36
A.3 ISO CSMF schema architecture and the ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards .38
Annex B (informative) Focus of standardization in the ISO 19100 series of geographic information
standards.39
Bibliography .41


iv © ISO 2002 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------

SIST ISO 19101:2003
ISO 19101:2002(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO
member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical
committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has
the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in
liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards adopted
by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an International
Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this International Standard may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 19101 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 211, Geographic information/Geomatics.
Annexes A and B of this International Standard are for information only.
© ISO 2002 – All rights reserved v

---------------------- Page: 7 ----------------------

SIST ISO 19101:2003
ISO 19101:2002(E)
Introduction
Every comprehensive standardization effort needs a reference model to ensure an integrated and consistent
approach. This International Standard is a guide to structuring geographic information standards in a way that will
enable the universal usage of digital geographic information. This reference model describes the overall
requirements for standardization and the fundamental principles that apply in developing and using standards for
geographic information. In describing these requirements and principles, this reference model provides a vision of
standardization in which geographic information can be integrated with existing and emerging digital information
technologies and applications. This International Standard is intended to be used by information system analysts,
program planners and developers of geographic information standards that are related to geographic information
standards, as well as others in order to understand the basic principles of this series of standards and the overall
requirements for standardization of geographic information.
Beyond the needs within traditional applications of digital geographic information, there is a growing recognition
among users of information technology that indexing by location is a fundamental way to organize and to use digital
data. Increasingly, digital data from a wide variety of sources is being referenced to locations for use in a diversity
of applications. Consequently, there is an increasing need for standardization of geographic information and
services for processing this information. To meet this need, the ISO 19100 series standardizes relevant aspects of
the description and management of geographic information and geographic information services. This
standardization will:
 increase the understanding and usage of geographic information;
 increase the availability, access, integration and sharing of geographic information;
 promote the efficient, effective and economic use of digital geographic information and associated hardware
and software systems;
 contribute to a unified approach to addressing global ecological and humanitarian problems.
To achieve these goals, standardization of geographic information in the ISO 19100 series is based on the
integration of the concepts of geographic information with those of information technology. The development of
standards for geographic information must consider the adoption or adaptation of generic information technology
standards whenever possible. It is only when this cannot be done that geographic information standards need to be
developed.
This International Standard identifies a generic approach to structuring the ISO 19100 series of standards. This
reference model uses concepts obtained from the ISO/IEC Open Systems Environment (OSE) approach for
determining standardization requirements described in ISO/IEC TR 14252, the IEC Open Distributed Processing
(ODP) Reference Model described in ISO/IEC 10746-1 and other relevant ISO standards and technical reports.
This International Standard does not prescribe any specific products or techniques for implementing geographic
information systems.
vi © ISO 2002 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 8 ----------------------

SIST ISO 19101:2003
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 19101:2002(E)

Geographic information — Reference model
1 Scope
This International Standard defines the framework for standardization in the field of geographic information and
sets forth the basic principles by which this standardization takes place.
This framework identifies the scope of the standardization activity being undertaken and the context in which it
takes place. The framework provides the method by which what is to be standardized can be determined and
describes how the contents of the standards are related.
Although structured in the context of information technology and information technology standards, this
International Standard is independent of any application development method or technology implementation
approach.
2 Conformance
General conformance and testing requirements for the ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards are
described in ISO 19105. Specific conformance requirements are described in individual standards in the ISO 19100
series.
3 Normative reference
The following normative document contains provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of
this International Standard. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these
publications do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this International Standard are encouraged to
investigate the possibility of applying the most recent edition of the normative document indicated below. For
undated references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies. Members of ISO and IEC
maintain registers of currently valid International Standards.
1)
ISO/IEC 19501-1:— , Information technology — Unified Modeling Language (UML) — Part 1: Specification
4 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this International Standard, the following terms and definitions apply. Sources of term
definitions not defined in this International Standard are provided.
NOTE Throughout this document, certain terms are italicized. These terms are defined either in this clause or in the terms
and definitions clause of another part of ISO 19100, as indicated.
4.1
application
manipulation and processing of data in support of user requirements
4.2
application schema
conceptual schema for data required by one or more applications

1) To be published.
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4.3
conceptual formalism
set of modelling concepts used to describe a conceptual model
EXAMPLE UML meta model, EXPRESS meta model.
NOTE One conceptual formalism can be expressed in several conceptual schema languages.
4.4
conceptual model
model that defines concepts of a universe of discourse
4.5
conceptual schema
formal description of a conceptual model
4.6
conceptual schema language
formal language based on a conceptual formalism for the purpose of representing conceptual schemas
EXAMPLE UML, EXPRESS, IDEF1X
NOTE A conceptual schema language may be lexical or graphical. Several conceptual schema languages can be based
on the same conceptual formalism.
4.7
dataset
identifiable collection of data
4.8
data level
level containing data describing specific instances
4.9
data quality element
quantitative component documenting the quality of a dataset
NOTE The applicability of a data quality element to a dataset depends on both the dataset’s content and its product
specification; the result being that all data elements may not be applicable to all datasets.
4.10
data quality overview element
non-quantitative component documenting the quality of a dataset
NOTE Information about the purpose, usage and lineage of a dataset is non-quantitative information.
4.11
feature
abstraction of real world phenomena
NOTE A feature may occur as a type or an instance. Feature type or feature instance shall be used when only one is
meant.
4.12
feature attribute
characteristic of a feature
EXAMPLE 1 A feature attribute named “colour” may have an attribute value “green” which belongs to the data type “text”.
EXAMPLE 2 A feature attribute named “length” may have an attribute value “82.4” which belongs to the data type “real”.
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NOTE 1 A feature attribute has a name, a data type and a value domain associated to it. A feature attribute for a feature
instance also has an attribute value taken from the value domain.
NOTE 2 In a feature catalogue, a feature attribute may include a value domain but does not specify attribute values for
feature instances.
4.13
feature catalogue
catalogue containing definitions and descriptions of the feature types, feature attributes and feature relationships
occurring in one or more sets of geographic data, together with any feature operations that may be applied
4.14
feature operation
operation that every instance of a feature type may perform
EXAMPLE 1 An operation upon the feature type “dam” is to raise the dam. The result of this operation is to raise the level of
water in a reservoir.
EXAMPLE 2 An operation by the feature type “dam” might be to block vessels from navigating along a watercourse.
NOTE Feature operations provide a basis for feature type definition.
4.15
functional standard
existing geographic information standard, in active use by an international community of data producers and data
users
NOTE GDF, S-57 and DIGEST are examples of functional standards.
4.16
geographic information
information concerning phenomena implicitly or explicitly associated with a location relative to the Earth
4.17
geographic information service
service that transforms, manages, or presents geographic information to users
4.18
geographic information system
information system dealing with information concerning phenomena associated with location relative to the Earth
4.19
graphical language
language whose syntax is expressed in terms of graphical symbols
4.20
lexical language
language whose syntax is expressed in terms of symbols defined as character strings
4.21
metadata schema
conceptual schema describing metadata
NOTE ISO 19115 describes a standard for a metadata schema.
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4.22
profile
set of one or more base standards and — where applicable — the identification of chosen clauses, classes, options
and parameters of those base standards that are necessary for accomplishing a particular function
NOTE A base standard is any ISO 19100 series standard or other Information Technology standard that can be used as a
source for components from which a profile or product specification may be constructed (see ISO/IEC TR 10000-1).
4.23
quality
totality of characteristics of a product that bear on its ability to satisfy stated and implied needs
4.24
quality schema
conceptual schema defining aspects of quality for geographic data
4.25
schema
formal description of a model
4.26
service
capability which a service provider entity makes available to a service user entity at the interface between those
entities
4.27
service interface
shared boundary between an automated system or human being and another automated system or human being
4.28
spatial object
instance of a type defined in the spatial schema
4.29
universe of discourse
view of the real or hypothetical world that includes everything of interest
5 Symbols and abbreviated terms
5.1 Abbreviations
CSMF Conceptual Schema Modelling Facility
ECMA European Computer Manufacturers Association
GIS Geographic Information System
IDL Interface Definition Language
IRDS Information Resource Dictionary System
ISP International Standardized Profiles
IT Information Technology
NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology
OCL Object Constraint Language
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ODP Open Distributed Processing
OMG Object Management Group
OSE Open Systems Environment
UML Unified Modelling Language
5.2 UML notation
The diagrams that appear in this International Standard are presented in accordance with the Unified Modelling
1)
Language (UML) specified in ISO/IEC 19501-1:— . The UML notation is described in Figure 1.

Figure 1 — UML notation
6 Concepts and organization of the reference model
6.1 Integration of geographic information with information technology
The ISO 19100 is a series of standards for defining, describing and managing geographic information. This
International Standard defines the architectural framework of the ISO 19100 series of standards and sets forth the
principles by which this standardization takes place.
Standardization of geographic information can best be served by a set of standards that integrates a detailed
description of the concepts of geographic information with the concepts of information technology. A goal of this
standardization effort is to facilitate interoperability of geographic information systems, including interoperability in
distributed computing environments. Figure 2 depicts this approach.
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Figure 2 — Integration of geographic information and information technology
The ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards establishes a structured set of standards for information
concerning objects or phenomena that are directly or indirectly associated with a location relative to the Earth. This
standard specifies methods, tools and services for management of geographic information, including the definition,
acquisition, analysis, access, presentation and transfer of such data in digital/electronic form between different
users, systems and locations. In Figure 2, the ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards can be
grouped into five major areas, each of which incorporate information technology concepts to standardize
geographic information. These major areas describe:
 The framework for the ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards including this International
Standard. The framework and reference model cover the more general aspects of the ISO 19100 series of
standards. The reference model identifies all components involved and defines how they fit together. It relates
the different aspects of the ISO 19100 series of standards together and provides a common basis for
communication.
 Geographic information services define the encoding of information in transfer formats and the methodology
for presentation of geographic information that is based on cartography and the old traditions of standardized
visualisati
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