We had a great time at Esri IMGIS 2023! It was fun to catch up with several of our existing customers and meet some new people. And we’re already on the calendar for next year!
It was amazing to see the amount of interest in our Utility Network Data Assessment. These are a few of the recurring questions we answered:
What types of tests do I need to run to help me with a data assessment?
GeoData Sentry offers a wide variety of tests for data assessment. These include Geometric Validation, Data Model Conformance Validation and Logical Connectivity Validation. Each test type detects a different type of issue that may cause problems migration into the Utility Network. Some tests (such as Duplicate Geometry and Duplicate Vertex tests) will detect errors that will always cause dirty areas in the Utility Network. Other test will identify errors, but they may not cause dirty areas—however they may still be significant. For instance, a domain test that finds an invalid manufacturer for a valve or transformer is not as significant as an invalid Pressure or KVA Rating. The greatest benefit of GeoData Sentry is that it can run a variety of test types on the entire geodatabase. This allows for a clear picture of the current data quality. It also allows for a prioritization of errors such as dirty area producing errors, and high consequence attribute errors. Once the errors are prioritized, let the data cleanup begin, and Sentry will be there to help you re-validate the data over time.
How long does it take to configure data assessment tests?
GeoData Sentry test generation gives you the capability to create hundreds, if not thousands of tests very rapidly. Tests are generated based on information that is stored in the geodatabase, such as domains, subtypes, relationships, geometric network connectivity rules. and the feature classes themselves. Sentry can generate Geometric Validation, Data Model Conformance and Logical Connectivity test suites in minutes so you can get to the important steps of prioritizing errors and cleaning up the database.
How can I track my data assessment progress?
Coming soon to GeoData Sentry, we’ll offer a report analysis tool to compare two test runs at different times. The comparison report clearly shows deltas between the two reports where corrected errors are highlighted in green, new errors are highlighted in red as well as the unchanged errors. This report shows change over time and is essential to determining database cleanup status, as well as is new errors are being propagated as old errors are being corrected. Sentry gives you the ability to get a clear understanding of the current state of the corrections, while helping prevent new errors from being created. Look for this functionality in our next release of GeoData Sentry.
How long does it take to run a basic data assessment test configuration?
Over the years, we have optimized GeoData Sentry not only to run on the entire geodatabase, but to run as quickly as possible. There are some test types that will run in seconds or minutes, while others may take longer. The volume of data, the test type, and the type of computer hardware factor into the speed of the testing. One of our largest customers runs about 8,000 tests every weekend between Saturday morning and Sunday morning so they have new reporting ready every Monday as they look to prepare their data for migration to the utility network.
As always, if you have any questions or want more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time!