OGC Seeks Public Comment on the GeoPackage Conceptual Model Candidate Standard

New OGC Standard separates and standardizes the Conceptual and Logical Models of GeoPackage to enable future use-cases and computing environments.

27 April 2022: The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) seeks public comment on the GeoPackage Conceptual Model Candidate Standard. Comments are due by 27 May, 2022.

GeoPackage is an open, standards-based, platform-independent, portable, self-describing, compact format for transferring geospatial information. To date, GeoPackage uses a SQLite database container. The GeoPackage Conceptual Model Candidate Standard documents an OGC Conceptual and Logical Model Standard for encoding geospatial information in other containers, specifically:

• vector features;
• tile matrix sets of imagery and raster maps at various scales;
• attributes (non-spatial data); and
• extensions.

The Conceptual Model and Logical Model are Platform Independent Models (PIMs). The Conceptual Model is a high-level description of the concepts involved in the standard, while the Logical Model is an abstract representation of an interface or data model that can be used to produce implementations.

As such, neither the GeoPackage Conceptual nor Logical Models can be implemented directly. Rather, they serve as the base for Platform Specific Models (PSM). A PSM adds to the PIM the details needed to fully define the model for use with a specific technology. The PSM can then be used to generate artifacts such as schemas needed to build GeoPackage implementations. These artifacts include table definitions, integrity assertions, format limitations, and content constraints.

The GeoPackage Conceptual Model Candidate Standard was developed retroactively from the GeoPackage Encoding Standard (GES) v1.3.0. At the time, it was not deemed prudent to develop the Conceptual or Logical Models as the GES was intended specifically for the SQLite database format. However, as SQLite’s inherent limitations became more apparent, stakeholders determined that it would be beneficial to the community to standardize the Conceptual and Logical Models so that other PSMs could potentially be supported in the future. As a result, the candidate standard remains agnostic to its potential uses. The submitters of the candidate standard believe that GeoPackage now has the potential to evolve to support use cases and computing environments that go beyond what was originally conceived for the GeoPackage Encoding Standard.

OGC Members interested in staying up to date on the progress of this standard, or contributing to its development, are encouraged to join the GeoPackage SWG via the OGC Portal.

The GeoPackage Conceptual Model Candidate Standard is available for review and comment on the OGC Portal. Comments are due by 27 May, 2022, and should be submitted via the method outlined on the GeoPackage Conceptual Model Candidate Standard’s public comment request page.

About OGC

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is a collective problem-solving community of experts from more than 500 businesses, government agencies, research organizations, and universities driven to make geospatial (location) information and services FAIR - Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.

The global OGC Community engages in a mix of activities related to location-based technologies: developing consensus-based open standards and best-practice; collaborating on agile innovation initiatives; engaging in community meetings, events, and workshops; and more.

OGC's unique standards development process moves at the pace of innovation, with constant input from technology forecasting, practical prototyping, real-world testing, and community engagement.

OGC bridges disparate sectors, domains, and technology trends, and encourages the cross-pollination of ideas between different communities of practice to improve decision-making at all levels. OGC is committed to creating an inclusive and sustainable future.

Visit ogc.org for more info on our work.