空间云计算

在21世纪数据、计算、并发访问以及时空都密集的情况下,地理信息科学面临着大量信息技术的挑战。这些挑战要求计算基础设施做好充足的准备。云计算提供了灵活的、按需计算的平台来整合观测系统、参数提取算法、现象模拟、分析可视化和决策支持,同时它的社会影响和用户反馈正是地理信息科学的必备要素。通过给出我们关于云计算如何支持地理信息科学,以及时空原理这个地理信息科学的核心如何利用云计算所带来的好处这两个方面的调查,我们讨论了云计算在地理信息科学上的应用。

Spatial Cloud Computing

Geospatial sciences face grand information technology （IT） challenges in the 21st century of data intensity, computing intensity, concurrent access intensity and spatiotemporal intensity. These challenges require the readiness of a computing infrastructure in many capacities. The emergence of cloud computing provides a potential solution with an elastic, on-demand computing platform to integrate—observation systems, parameter extracting algorithms, phenomena simulations, analytical visualization and decision support, and provide social impact and user feedback—the essential elements of geospatial sciences. We discuss the utilization of cloud computing to support the enablement of geospatial sciences by reporting from our investigations on how cloud computing could enable geospatial sciences and how spatiotemporal principles, the kernel of geospatial sciences, could be utilized to ensure the benefits of cloud computing. The paper concludes with a discussion of opportunities and challenges for spatial cloud computing.