[Geoserver-users] Image Mosaicking Plugin and UNC paths

Roger_Bedell · February 22, 2009, 2:45pm

Apparently UNC paths cannot be used with the Image Mosaicking Plugin. This is a problem in Windows when using network drives when GeoServer is running as a service. Running NOT as a service, this works:

file:F:\GeoServer_Coverages\NAIP_2008\mosaic.shp

where F: is a network drive mapped to drive letter F:

When I run it as a service (even logged in as me), it can’t see F: and fails to display the imagery.

I did some searching, and apparently Microsoft makes it really difficult, and actively discourages the use of mapped drive letters for services. See this:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms685143(VS.85).aspx

Excerpt: “A service (or any process running in a different security context) that must access a remote resource should use the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) name to access the resource.”

Ok, so I tried this:

file:\Ogisrv103\ogisrv103_F\GeoServer_Coverages\NAIP_2008\mosaic.shp

Doesn’t work, either as a service or not. I get this message when setting up the CoverageStore:
"Invalid url: ‘file:\Ogisrv103\ogisrv103_F\GeoServer_Coverages\NAIP_2008\mosaic.shp’ for format type:‘ImageMosaic’.

I also looked at the Wrapper docs, and they don’t have any suggestions. Any help? Can this be fixed?

Thanks!
Roger Bedell, Sylvan Ascent Inc.

Roger_Bedell · February 23, 2009, 7:48am

By accident, I learned another fact about this problem. While playing around with things, I made the paths within the Mosaic DBF-SHP use UNC paths to the network drive, but put the DBF, SHP, Properties, PRJ file on a local drive, and it works. So, it isn’t as big a problem as I first thought. Still, it would be nice if it gets fixed properly sometime.

So the workaround is:

Imagery files are on a network drive, accessible via UNC path from the GeoServer host machine
Tell GDALTINDEX to insert the UNC paths into the SHP-DBF file.
Copy the SHP-DBF-SHX-properties-prj files to a local drive on the GeoServer host machine.
Set up the GeoServer Image Mosaicking Plugin CoverageStore using the SHP file on the local drive.
GeoServer mosaicked imagery will be pulled from the network drive using the UNC path, even while running as a service.

Roger

From: Roger Bedell
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 3:45 PM
To: geoserver-users@anonymised.com.sourceforge.net
Subject: [Geoserver-users] Image Mosaicking Plugin and UNC paths

Apparently UNC paths cannot be used with the Image Mosaicking Plugin. This is a problem in Windows when using network drives when GeoServer is running as a service. Running NOT as a service, this works:

file:F:\GeoServer_Coverages\NAIP_2008\mosaic.shp

where F: is a network drive mapped to drive letter F:

When I run it as a service (even logged in as me), it can’t see F: and fails to display the imagery.

I did some searching, and apparently Microsoft makes it really difficult, and actively discourages the use of mapped drive letters for services. See this:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms685143(VS.85).aspx

Excerpt: “A service (or any process running in a different security context) that must access a remote resource should use the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) name to access the resource.”

Ok, so I tried this:

file:\Ogisrv103\ogisrv103_F\GeoServer_Coverages\NAIP_2008\mosaic.shp

Doesn’t work, either as a service or not. I get this message when setting up the CoverageStore:
"Invalid url: ‘file:\Ogisrv103\ogisrv103_F\GeoServer_Coverages\NAIP_2008\mosaic.shp’ for format type:‘ImageMosaic’.

I also looked at the Wrapper docs, and they don’t have any suggestions. Any help? Can this be fixed?

Thanks!
Roger Bedell, Sylvan Ascent Inc.

Open Source Business Conference (OSBC), March 24-25, 2009, San Francisco, CA
-OSBC tackles the biggest issue in open source: Open Sourcing the Enterprise
-Strategies to boost innovation and cut costs with open source participation
-Receive a $600 discount off the registration fee with the source code: SFAD
http://p.sf.net/sfu/XcvMzF8H

Geoserver-users mailing list
Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geoserver-users

Mike_Sharp · February 23, 2009, 11:15am

Roger,

Do you see this having any impact on performance as compared to having a direct connection?

Mike

From: Roger Bedell [mailto:sylvanascent@anonymised.com]
Sent: Mon 2/23/2009 1:48 AM
To: geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net; Dave Lowther; Mike Sharp; Todd Fagin; Nick Huber
Subject: Re: [Geoserver-users] Image Mosaicking Plugin and UNC paths

By accident, I learned another fact about this problem. While playing around with things, I made the paths within the Mosaic DBF-SHP use UNC paths to the network drive, but put the DBF, SHP, Properties, PRJ file on a local drive, and it works. So, it isn’t as big a problem as I first thought. Still, it would be nice if it gets fixed properly sometime.

So the workaround is:

Imagery files are on a network drive, accessible via UNC path from the GeoServer host machine

Tell GDALTINDEX to insert the UNC paths into the SHP-DBF file.

Copy the SHP-DBF-SHX-properties-prj files to a local drive on the GeoServer host machine.

Set up the GeoServer Image Mosaicking Plugin CoverageStore using the SHP file on the local drive.

GeoServer mosaicked imagery will be pulled from the network drive using the UNC path, even while running as a service.

Roger

From: Roger Bedell

Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 3:45 PM

To: geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net

Subject: [Geoserver-users] Image Mosaicking Plugin and UNC paths

Apparently UNC paths cannot be used with the Image Mosaicking Plugin. This is a problem in Windows when using network drives when GeoServer is running as a service. Running NOT as a service, this works:

file:F:\GeoServer_Coverages\NAIP_2008\mosaic.shp

where F: is a network drive mapped to drive letter F:

When I run it as a service (even logged in as me), it can’t see F: and fails to display the imagery.

I did some searching, and apparently Microsoft makes it really difficult, and actively discourages the use of mapped drive letters for services. See this:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms685143(VS.85).aspx

Excerpt: “A service (or any process running in a different security context) that must access a remote resource should use the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) name to access the resource.”

Ok, so I tried this:

file:\Ogisrv103\ogisrv103_F\GeoServer_Coverages\NAIP_2008\mosaic.shp

Doesn’t work, either as a service or not. I get this message when setting up the CoverageStore:

"Invalid url: ‘file:\Ogisrv103\ogisrv103_F\GeoServer_Coverages\NAIP_2008\mosaic.shp’ for format type:‘ImageMosaic’.

I also looked at the Wrapper docs, and they don’t have any suggestions. Any help? Can this be fixed?

Thanks!

Roger Bedell, Sylvan Ascent Inc.

Open Source Business Conference (OSBC), March 24-25, 2009, San Francisco, CA
-OSBC tackles the biggest issue in open source: Open Sourcing the Enterprise
-Strategies to boost innovation and cut costs with open source participation
-Receive a $600 discount off the registration fee with the source code: SFAD
http://p.sf.net/sfu/XcvMzF8H

Geoserver-users mailing list
Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geoserver-users

Andrea_Aime3 · February 23, 2009, 11:15pm

Roger Bedell wrote:

By accident, I learned another fact about this problem. While playing around with things, I made the paths within the Mosaic DBF-SHP use UNC paths to the network drive, but put the DBF, SHP, Properties, PRJ file on a local drive, and it works. So, it isn't as big a problem as I first thought. Still, it would be nice if it gets fixed properly sometime.

Mumble, it might just be the UI checking the .shp path exists and doing
that in a way that does not allow for UNC paths.
Mind to add a fix request on jira.codehaus.org? Otherwise we're going
to forget.

Cheers
Andrea

Jukka_Rahkonen · February 23, 2009, 11:57pm

Hi,

I just wonder if this could have something in common with standard MapServer installation, that behaves so that Apache server cannot be run as a Windows service if there are network drives included in the configuration. Reason is in Windows user rights management system. Excerpt from Apache documentation:
"By default, all Apache services are registered to run as the system user (the LocalSystem account). The LocalSystem account has no privileges to your network via any Windows-secured mechanism, including the file system, named pipes, DCOM, or secure RPC. It has, however, wide privileges locally."

What account Geoserver is using if installed as Windows service?

-Jukka Rahkonen-

-----Alkuperäinen viesti-----
Lähettäjä: Andrea Aime [mailto:aaime@anonymised.com]
Lähetetty: ti 24.2.2009 1:15
Vastaanottaja: Roger Bedell
Kopio: Todd Fagin; Dave Lowther; geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net; Nick Huber
Aihe: Re: [Geoserver-users] Image Mosaicking Plugin and UNC paths

Roger Bedell wrote:

By accident, I learned another fact about this problem. While playing
around with things, I made the paths within the Mosaic DBF-SHP use UNC
paths to the network drive, but put the DBF, SHP, Properties, PRJ file
on a local drive, and it works. So, it isn't as big a problem as I first
thought. Still, it would be nice if it gets fixed properly sometime.

Mumble, it might just be the UI checking the .shp path exists and doing
that in a way that does not allow for UNC paths.
Mind to add a fix request on jira.codehaus.org? Otherwise we're going
to forget.

Cheers
Andrea

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open Source Business Conference (OSBC), March 24-25, 2009, San Francisco, CA
-OSBC tackles the biggest issue in open source: Open Sourcing the Enterprise
-Strategies to boost innovation and cut costs with open source participation
-Receive a $600 discount off the registration fee with the source code: SFAD
http://p.sf.net/sfu/XcvMzF8H
_______________________________________________
Geoserver-users mailing list
Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geoserver-users