1. Implementing the WPS Standard A Case Study for Dissemination of Coastal and Marine Tools
GIMA Master Thesis
Joost Boerboom

2. Welcome GIMA Master Thesis Carried out at Deltares in Delft
27 mei 2018
Welcome
GIMA Master Thesis
Carried out at Deltares in Delft
February – August 2013
Committee:
dr. Fedor Baart
dr.ir Gerben de Boer
drs. Marian de Vries
prof.dr.ir. Peter van Oosterom

3. Contents Introduction Case 1 – Tide Forecasting Service
Case 2 – Interactive Dredge Planning Tool
Discussion
Conclusion
Recommendations
Questions

4. 1. Introduction 27 mei 2018 Dynamic areas, data collection valuable
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Dynamic areas, data collection valuable
-> numerical and physical modeling
-> dissemination of models and boundary conditions

5. Remote Processing 1+1=2 1+1=? 1+1=? 1+1=2 1+1=2 27 mei 2018
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
1+1=2
1+1=?
1+1=?
1+1=2
1+1=2

6. Web Processing Service
27 mei 2018
Web Processing Service
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
OGC Standard for (operating) remote processes
No limitations to:
Script language
Data types
Etc.
Bridge between client and server

7. 27 mei 2018
Why Standards
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion - Recommendations

8. Web Services WPS WCS WFS WMS Online medium for: Processing Coverages
27 mei 2018
Web Services
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
WPS WCS WFS WMS
Online medium for:
Processing
Coverages
Features
Rasters

9. Using Web Services Browser
27 mei 2018
Using Web Services
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Browser
Different requests:
GetCapabilities
DescribeProcess
Execute

10. Web Service Advantages
27 mei 2018
Web Service Advantages
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Always the latest version of data / software No more downloading everything Interoperability

11. Goal Goal of the research:
27 mei 2018
Goal
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Goal of the research:
“expose complex processes that feed coastal and marine models via a Web Processing Service”
Deltares’ goals:
“provide a path for existing Matlab tools to be used in next generation user interface”
“use boundary conditions from large datasets”

12. 27 mei 2018
Research Questions
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Can complex processes that feed coastal/marine models be exposed via a Web Processing Service?
Can a Web Processing Service be used as a wrapper service for non domain-specific processing services?
Which adaptations could be made to the WPS standard to improve the possibilities for application of the standard?

13. Methodology Literature study
27 mei 2018
Methodology
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Literature study
Practical work in the sense of, for Deltares, relevant case studies

14. System Setup PyWPS Python based Open Source
27 mei 2018
System Setup
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion - Recommendations
PyWPS
Python based
Open Source
Relatively small developer community
Deltares test server -

15. 2. Case 1 – Tide Forecasting Service
27 mei 2018
2. Case 1 – Tide Forecasting Service
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
What: Global tide forecasting service
Why: Relevant for Deltares and expected to be a popular service

16. Tide Forecasting What is the tide: The tide is an extremely long wave
27 mei 2018
Tide Forecasting
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
What is the tide:
The tide is an extremely long wave
Astronomical influences
Water levels are location specific
Required for forecasting:
Constituents
Amplitudes
Starting point in time
How to get the inputs:
- Long period measurements

17. Tidal Constituents K1 and M2 – Lunar diurnal 27 mei 2018
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
K1 and M2 – Lunar diurnal

18. Satellite Altimetry 27 mei 2018
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations

19. Different Services Different services have been developed
27 mei 2018
Different Services
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Different services have been developed
- Base of the script is similar

20. 3. Case 2 – Interactive Dredge Planning Tool
27 mei 2018
3. Case 2 – Interactive Dredge Planning Tool
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
What:
Existing online tool made by Deltares/Ecoshape to forecast environmental effects of dredging operations
Why:
Show that WPS is also able to ‘wrap’ existing (legacy) services

21. 27 mei 2018
Working of IDPT
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations

22. 27 mei 2018
Method of Wrapping
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Have the WPS service post input files and read the outputs

23. IDPT via WPS Limited input Less user friendly compared to the original
27 mei 2018
IDPT via WPS
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Limited input
Less user friendly compared to the original
Identical results

24. 4. Discussion PyWPS Small community Slow development
27 mei 2018
4. Discussion
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
PyWPS
Small community
Slow development
Tide Forecasting Service
Expected limited accuracy (better dataset available)
Too slow
IDPT Wrapper
No status support
Timeouts
Slow, just like the original one
Dataset resolution 0.25 degree
Tide Run time about 15 seconds
IDPT run time over a minute without statussus

25. Performance Issues Both services are slow, why?
27 mei 2018
Performance Issues
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Both services are slow, why?
Tide forecasting service:
Reading 400MB dataset
Interpolating the whole dataset instead of a few points
IDPT Wrapper:
Limited performance of the original one
Saving, loading, reading files via FTP (slow)
Only 4 points required for interpolation
ftp is the best use for a web service like idpt, it is too slow (write/read in about 3 seconds), better have a single server communication through internal memory

26. 27 mei 2018
5. Conclusion
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Can complex processes that feed coastal/marine models be exposed via a Web Processing Service?
Yes!

27. 27 mei 2018
5. Conclusion
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Can a Web Processing Service be used as a wrapper service for non domain-specific processing services?
In case of IDPT, yes!
For every existing service this can be different and compeletly depends on the working of the service.

28. 27 mei 2018
5. Conclusion
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Which adaptations could be made to the WPS standard to improve the possibilities for application of the standard?
Based on the practical experience gathered during the thesis work:
- Improve status support, continuous communication
- Implementation of a ‘stop’ request
- More possibilities for dynamic processes/interfaces

29. Overall WPS is very broad applicable
27 mei 2018
Overall
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
WPS is very broad applicable
(single) WPS processes are somewhat static
WPS will not speed up existing processes
WPS allows great interoperability
Static processes can be made more dynamic by coupling different processes and application of asynchronous processing where output files can be read/used before the process is finished completely

30. 6. Recommendations Tide forecasting service: Performance improvement
27 mei 2018
6. Recommendations
Introduction – Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Tide forecasting service:
Performance improvement
Accuracy improvement
Path/vector input in GML
IDPT Wrapper:
More input parameters
Graphical interface
Status support

31. Fast Response! Tide forecasting service: Improved performance
27 mei 2018
Fast Response!
Introduction –Case 1 – Case 2 – Discussion – Conclusion – Recommendations
Tide forecasting service:
Improved performance
Improved input options
IDPT Wrapper:
Fixed status support
PyWPS:
Number of developers increased
Tide forecast service replies within a second
- Offers more input types like multipoint vectors, long paths

32. 27 mei 2018
Questions?

33. Thank you for your attention
Contact:
Drinks:
Tomorrow, 20:00u
Sportparklaan 16, Heemstede