Case Finland: URI design for

Inspire with ontology approach

Are3na PIDService webinar
May 5th 2014
Esa Tiainen, Kai Koistinen
NLS Finland
05052014
 Contents

Introduction of the Finnish approach

Current status of work on PIDs
Challenges for PID set-up and management
Next steps
 Introduction of the approach
The initial goal was envisioned to successfully search data
instances by concepts
E.g. harmonised concepts in INSPIRE data specifications and beyond
(controlled vocabularies)
This would enable e.g. generating re-usable INSPIRE data products
required by national law (instead of establishing numerous data products
with several data providers updating many of them in parallel)
To implement a framework for Linked Data; which is to address the
INSPIRE requirement to fit I INSPIRE IDs to the national framework of
identifiers.

Conclusion: An ontology approach was a precondition

Started with URI design for concepts
We want to manage not only PIDs but semantics as well
Further conclusion: URI management applicable as national solution
Initialization of national recommendations to public administration on
unique identifiers (HTTP URI) for spatial data
 Related Ontologies
Finnish spatial data ontology (PTO/SDO)
1. Application ontology generated from correspondent concepts of the
INSPIRE schema; theme, spatial object types and attributes
2. A thesaurus of keywords in the national spatial data metadata

The Finnish national ontology Finto (SKOS)

Finnish Ontology and Thesaurus Service, www.finto.fi
Based on the generic national thesaurus

Further vision
To enable the discovery of INSPIRE, as well as other spatial data,
through the national ontology service besides national Geoportal
and INSPIRE services
Realization of full potential of INSPIRE and spatial data at large
Operational Linked Data infrastructure
 Semantic annotations in OGC standards, Best practise doc (2012)

Fig 3 Reflected to Finnish national and spatial data Ontology (PTO)

Application ontology corresponds i.e. to an ontology generated from a data

product specification according to an INSPIRE data specification

In practice, Domain ontology is the Finnish spatial data ontology (PTO)

embedded in the national Finto-ontology SKOS (Finnish Ontology and
Thesaurus Service, www.finto.fi)
 Spatially enabled semantic data search
In the following slide, Fig. 1, a detailed search method is
presented
If the performance of the automated search process presented
is feasible, a spatially conscious semantic search is possible
linking spatial data schemas and search terms with ontology and
metadata through URIs and RDF

The search is more simple with direct pre-annotation of

controlled vocabulary concepts to the data object instances
and using the same method but preprocessed to connect URI
concepts to the (spatial) data instances
Pre-processing may be feasiblle for faster performance or usability issues
 Fig 1: Data entity discovery and retrieval annotations on metadata and schema
level
User (evacuation plan for a Location based search Cataloque service Data sources providing
Aika Discovery service Ontology service
water polluting emission) application schemas) service interfaces

T1 Task to warn /report

bodies responsible of
swimming places and
harbours Spatial
Data Product Data
Schemas Service and Ontology
T2 Query results re Search terms Hydrology - Inspire-schemas dataset metadata SDO Hydrologiscal
protection and - other schemas observations and sites
search terms:
emissionwith location
Hydrology description / boundaries
REST/SPARQL CSW REST/SPARQL
protection
Dataset: Metadata entities referred to concept URI:s (RDF)
T3 Service:
Schema entities referred to concept URI:s (RDF) Water resource areas
Spatial
T4
objects: WFS-service provides the data by the schema
T5
Emission
Dataset :
W
Retrieval of concepts for
Dataset : M
terms Hydrology
Service:
Spatial protection and Provides URI:s of concepts related to search terms S
Ground water
objects emission using SDO Hydrology protection and emission
Dataset : Ground water areas
Service :
Spatial
W
objcts: Retrieval of metadata Provides datasets and services related to Hydrology F
Swimming from Discovery service
protection and emission and with data within the location S
water :
Dataset and schemas with
requested
Service : object classes from
Spatial Cataloque service using Provides schemas and their object classes related to
Spatial
objects : concept URI:s hydrology protection and emission
objcts: Swimming places
Harbours
Service :
Dataset
Kohteet::
Service
Spatial Retrieval of spatial data
instances related to
objects:
Hydrology protection
Etc. and emission within Spatial data instances related to Hydrology protection and Harbours
requested location area emission
through the service
interfaces Etc.
 Current stage
Preparing national recommendation to public administration on unique
identifiers (HTTP URI) for spatial data
Use cases
Re-use of data employing URIs
Open data delivery and applications
Semantic data discovery and linking (supported by ontology or schema
service; INSPIRE schemas)
Data update or synchronization with URIs
Document linking
Representation of download service interfaces (as standard URI responses)

Piloting Proof of concept

CSIRO PIDService as a resolution service
Redirections: paikkatiedot.fi -pilot
URL: http://paikkatiedot.fi/pidsvc/index2.html
Pre-pilot URI-service: http://inspire-hy.fgi.fi/index_en.html

Re-use of INSPIRE data

NZ - Natural Risk Zones as minature of INSPIRE infrastructure
Data discovery through ontology/catalogue service
Re-use of INSPIRE and non-INSPIRE data
 URI-pattern
A. Generic for spatial data -/so/

1) http://paikkatiedot.fi/so/{namespace}/{localId}[/{versionId}]
centralized and common URI management and service, or

2) http://{register}.fi/so/{namespace}/{localId}[/{versionId}]
- URI-service by the individual data provider
{namespace} = data source, i.e. dataset identifier in national spatial data metadata
{register} = URI management body i.e Helsinki for municipality or authority

B. Specification for inspire data:

http://{paikkatiedot}.fi/so/{namespace}/[{theme}/{class}/]{localId}[/{versionId}

C. Linking URI-components
/so/ for spatial objects
/id/ for real world objects
mandatory linked to /so/, or both ways as necessary for application use
/doc/ for documents
etc
Challenges for PID set-up and management (1)
Issues on identification and INSPIRE ID
Both the INSPIRE spatial object entity (instance) and the original spatial
object (source object) correspondent to the INSPIRE instance have URIs
of their own:
The URI path of the INSPIRE instance has parts: /{ theme}/, /{class}/, but
the spatial source object URI is opaque. Note that one or several INSPIRE
spatial objects, e.g. in different INSPIRE themes, may be subsets of a single
spatial source object.

The URI of the spatial source object (instance) and the one of the INSPIRE
/so/-instance(s) refer to the same and single /id/.

The organization responsible of the source object shall create the /id/-URI.
If the INSPIRE instance is created before the /id/-URI of the source object then it shall be
created by the organization responsible of the INSPIRE spatial object and /so/-URI.
Practically always the organization responsible of the spatial source object is responsible of
the INSPIRE spatial object (this is the case in Finland).
Challenges for PID set-up and management (2)
Consistent rules at the EU level
At the EU level, we would expect that there would come a
technical guidance or high-level recommendations to
establish cornerstones for pan-European interoperability on
issues such as
standard URI response patterns (minimum for cross-border use)
re-use or configuration of register services such as INSPIRE schemas or
codelists etc. for reasoning in order to manage semantics
standard representation of life-cycle rules (minimum for cross-border use)
further definition/specification of operational roles of /so/- and /id/-
components in URI-linking and response patterns
linking method between /so/- and /id/ - one-way or both ways, which
is our conclusion.
representation of real-world object; whether /id/-component is feasible
for that as common practice, similarly to ISA recommendation
 Next steps
To start shortly
Generating reusable INSPIRE data products (required by nat. Law)
Linking to generic national ontology service
Completion of national recommendation on UIDs
For INSPIRE implementation: March 2015
Expecting for INSPIRE MIG guidelines
For final approval by the end of 2015
In the future
Data discovery and retrieval
Through national geo-portal
Through spatial data services
Extension of national thesaurus and ontology service Finto to spatial
data discovery and retrieval
Thank you for attention

Esa Tiainen esa.tiainen@nls.fi

Kai Koistinen kai.koistinen@nls.fi
 Further information
Next slides with more details on the applied
approach of OGC Best practise document
(2012)
The three different levels of semantic annotations
Spatially enabled semantic data search
 Management of Semantics using ontology
Based on OGC:n best practise -document Semantic annotations in OGC
standards (2012)

The three different levels of (semantic) annotations possible for OGC Web
Services

1. Metadata level
ISO-metadata on dataset
ISO-metadata on services
OWS GetCapabilities
2. Schema level metadata
XML-schema in catalogue service (registry service)
WFS DescribeFeatureType
3. Entity level metadata
GML-data
 Technical realization of the individual levels

On metadata level (1) a keyword in metadata or ontologized Inspire

concept (theme or class - object type) is linked to the correspondent
concept in spatial data ontology (PTO)

On schema level (2) spatial object types and attributes of (Inspire)

schema can be linked to an application ontology generated from
correspondent concepts of the schema. This application ontology is
further linked to the spatial data ontology (PTO)

On entity level (3) the individual can be either annotated with domain
concepts or with individuals of domain concepts
 Granularity of spatial search
The overall method comprises different levels of
granularity
Dataset discovery and retrieval annotations on metadata
level
Data entity discovery and retrieval annotations on
schema level
Data entity discovery and retrieval automated
annotation process linking metadata and schema level (Fig.
1, most detailed)
Data entity discovery and retrieval annotations on data
entities (straightforward by pre-processing)
(Four last slides show identification of different levels in FI, as a hint)
 Principal steps in managing semantics

1. Data product schemas are annotated to all

ontology or controlled vocabulary/thesaurus
concepts that they imply, e.g. Inspire themes
and (spatial) data object classes
Use schemas, metadata, RDF, SKOS
2. Connect search terms to concepts of
controlled vocabulary or ontology
Use SPARQL, RDF
 Dataset discovery and retrieval annotations on metadata level
Kyttj (myrkkypstn liittyv Paikkatietokohteiden hakuun
Aika evakuointisuunnitelmaa tekev suunniteltu karttapohjainen Hakupalvelu Ontologiapalvelu Paikkatiedon tuottajat
pelastuslaitoksen operaatiovastaava) sovellus

T1 Tarve myrkkypstn
raportoinnille mm.
uimapaikkojen ja satamien
vastuutahoille

Haku ksite- ja
spatiaalista rajausta Aineistojen ja
T2 kytten palvelujen Paikkatieto
-ontologia
metatiedot

T3 Haetaan ksitteit
paikkatieto-ontologiasta
T4
T5

Haetaan hakupalvelusta
aineistojen ja palvelujen
metatiedot, joiden
annotoinnissa on
kytetty lytyneit
ksitteit ja jotka
sisltvt tietoa
kyttjn
mrittelemlt alueelta uimapaikat

Uimapaikat:
Aineisto uimapaikat,
saatavilla palvelun B kautta
Satamat: satamat
Aineisto satamat, saatavilla
palvelun C kautta
 Data entity discovery and retrieval annotations on schema level
Kyttj (myrkkypstn
Paikkatietokohteiden
liittyv evakuointisuunnitelmaa
Aika hakuun suunniteltu Luettelopalvelu Ontologiapalvelu Paikkatiedon tuottajat
tekev pelastuslaitoksen
karttapohjainen sovellus
operaatiovastaava)

T1 Tarve myrkkypstn
raportoinnille mm.
uimapaikkojen ja satamien
vastuutahoille
Haku ksite- ja
spatiaalista rajausta Tietotuoteskeemat Paikkati
eto-
kytten - Inspire-skeemat
T2 ontologi
- muut
a

Haetaan ksitteit
paikkatieto-ontologiasta
T3
T4
uimapaikat
T5 Haetaan
luettelopalvelusta
kohdetyyppej ja
attribuutteja, joiden
annotoinnissa on
kytetty lytyneit
ksitteit satamat

Haetaan infran
Uimapaikat: palveluista lytyneiden
Kohdetyyppi: bathingWater kohdetyyppien mukaisia
Kohteet: http://paikkatiedot.fi tietokohteita kyttjn
/so/uimapaikat/1234 rajaamalta alueelta
Satamat:
Kohdetyyppi: harbour
Kohteet: http://paikkatiedot.fi
/so/satamat/1234
 Data entity discovery and retrieval annotations on metadata and schema level
Kyttj (myrkkypstn
liittyv Paikkatietokohteiden hakuun
Aika evakuointisuunnitelmaa tekev suunniteltu karttapohjainen Luettelopalvelu Ontologiapalvelu Paikkatiedon tuottajat
pelastuslaitoksen sovellus
operaatiovastaava)

Tarve myrkkypstn Haku ksite- ja

T1 raportoinnille mm. spatiaalista rajausta
uimapaikkojen ja satamien
kytten
vastuutahoille
Tietotuoteskeemat Aineistojen ja Paikkati
- Inspire-skeemat palvelujen eto-
ontologi
Haetaan ksitteit - muut metatiedot
a
T2 paikkatieto-ontologiasta

Haetaan hakupalvelusta
aineistojen ja palvelujen
T3 metatiedot, joiden
annotoinnissa on
T4 kytetty lytyneit
ksitteit ja jotka
T5
sisltvt tietoa
kyttjn
mrittelemlt alueelta

Haetaan uimapaikat
luettelopalvelusta
kohdetyyppej ja
attribuutteja, joiden
Uimapaikat: annotoinnissa on
Aineisto uimapaikat, kytetty lytyneit
saatavilla palvelun B kautta ksitteit satamat
Kohdetyyppi: bathingWater
Kohteet: http://paikkatiedot.fi
/so/uimapaikat/1234 Haetaan hakupalvelun
Satamat: kautta lytyneist
Aineisto satamat, palveluista lytyneiden
kohdetyyppien mukaisia
saatavilla palvelun C kautta
tietokohteita kyttjn
Kohdetyyppi: harbour rajaamalta alueelta
Kohteet: http://paikkatiedot.fi
/so/satamat/1234
 Data entity discovery and retrieval annotations on data entities
Kyttj (myrkkypstn
Paikkatietokohteiden
liittyv evakuointisuunnitelmaa
Aika hakuun suunniteltu Ontologiapalvelu Paikkatiedon tuottajat
tekev pelastuslaitoksen
karttapohjainen sovellus
operaatiovastaava)

T1 Tarve myrkkypstn
raportoinnille mm.
uimapaikkojen ja satamien
vastuutahoille
Haku ksite- ja Paikkati
spatiaalista rajausta eto-
kytten ontologi
T2 a

Haetaan ksitteit
paikkatieto-ontologiasta
T3
T4 uimapaikat

T5
Haetaan lytyneill
ksitteill annotoituja
tietokohteita infran
palveluista

Uimapaikat: satamat
Kohteet: http://paikkatiedot.fi
/so/uimapaikat/1234
Satamat:
Kohteet: http://paikkatiedot.fi
/so/satamat/1234