OGC OWS Context Atom Encoding Standard, Version 1.0.

Abstract

This standard describes the Atom encoding of the OWC Context conceptual model. The goal of this standard is to provide a definition of how to encode a context document, which can be extended to allow a context referencing a fully configured service set to be defined and consistently interpreted by clients. The OGC Web Services Context Document standard (OWS Context) was created to allow a set of configured information resources to be passed between applications primarily as a collection of services (but also potentially in-line content). The objective is to support use cases such as the distribution of search results, the exchange of a set of resources in a common operating picture (COP) or delivery of a set of configured processing services to allow the processing to be reproduced on different nodes. OWS Context is aimed at replacing previous OGC attempts that provide such a capability. Web Map Context (WMC) has been reasonably successful but is limited to WMS. Other work on the Location Organiser Folder (LOF) was also taken into consideration. The concept of OWS Context and the first prototype document was produced as part of OWS-7 [OGC10-035r1], Information Sharing Engineering Report. A principle goal of the OWS Context SWG was to develop an encoding that would appeal to the mass market yet also provide facilities for more advanced uses. OWS-7 originally considered the application of existing encoding standards for OWS Context. The group that has produced this standard has concluded that multiple encoding formats can be defined and that each encoding format will be described in a separate OGC Extension to the Core model. This document concentrates on describing the encoding of the OWS Context Model that is described in abstract terms in a separate document. The goal of OWS Context has been to allow many types of OGC data delivery services to be referenced and therefore exploited (for example, not just OGC Web Map Service but also OGC Web Feature Service, OGC Web Coverage Service and OGC Web Processing Service) but it does not explicitly define the encoding of these services in the core, only the general approach to be used for different types of service interface.