FME Server Key Capabilities and Features

FME Server is a scalable and efficient spatial ETL solution that provides users with access to spatial data - where, when and how they need it. Here are the top 10 capabilities and features available in FME Server:

1. Enable On-the-Fly Data Transformation via the Web

FME ServerFME Server’s on-the-fly data remodelling capabilities eliminate the need to physically integrate data into a unified schema. Data is dynamically transformed based on individual user requests and presented to users via the web. FME Server supports a variety of popular formats from your GIS, CAD, raster, BIM, 3D, database and web systems. With FME Server, your end users benefit from immediate access to custom views of spatial data, while your team benefits from more free time.

2. Create a Spatial Data Download Service

With FME Server, you can create an online spatial data download service to efficiently meet the needs of CAD and GIS Professionals throughout your organization. Using a web browser, data consumers request spatial data in the format and projection of their choice. FME Server quickly makes the resulting data set available for download. Clip, zip and ship – it’s that easy.

For rapid deployment requirements, FME Server offers an optional spatial data download application, SpatialDirect. FME SpatialDirect includes the components and interfaces you need to get up and running fast.

3. Deliver Spatial Data as a Web Streaming Service

With FME Server, you can dynamically transform spatial data into web-friendly formats like GeoRSS, KML (Google Earth), and GeoJSON, as well as popular raster formats, such as PNG, GIF, TIFF, and JPEG. Then stream the resulting data set directly into your mashups and web applications to give end users immediate access to the most current spatial data. FME Server supports the output formats required by many web mapping services and applications, for example:

  • ESRI ArcGIS® Server
  • Google™ Earth
  • Google™ Maps
  • Microsoft® Virtual Earth™
  • OpenLayers

4. Participate in Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) Initiatives

FME Server offers a scalable foundation for SDIs, providing project members with a cost-effective way to exchange and share their spatial data assets. Its non-intrusive approach enables members to provide different user communities with unique views of their spatial data while eliminating the need to first transform and integrate their data into a common schema. Data contributors simply make their spatial data available to FME Server so it can be automatically transformed into the community-accepted data model and then federated on-the-fly based on individual users’ requests. This enables contributors to participate in SDI projects but still maintain ownership of their data models.

5. Share Common Spatial ETL Tasks across the Organization

FME ServerFME Server provides an efficient solution for sharing the power of FME’s data conversion capabilities more broadly across the organization, but still ensuring your team maintains control over the spatial ETL process. FME workspaces (created by the Workbench component in FME Desktop) can be published directly to FME Server so CAD, GIS and other professionals throughout your organization can access and run them right over the web.

6. Experience Scalable, High Throughput Data Conversion

Processing spatial ETL jobs doesn’t need to overload your team’s bandwidth or your systems. Based on a scalable, services-oriented architecture (SOA) using standards such as XML and GML, FME Server provides high throughput data conversion capabilities. As user demand grows, you can deploy additional FME engines to increase processing power.  

7. Load Balance Large Translation Jobs

With built-in load balancing, FME Server automatically allocates data translation, transformation and integration tasks across multiple FME engines. Large spatial ETL jobs can even be separated and allocated to run in parallel for faster processing.

8. Create a Spatial Data Quality Assurance Service

With the ever-increasing reliance on spatial data in the decision making process, data quality is critical. FME Server adds an extra level of assurance for organizations that need to collect and load spatial data from multiple contributors. You can use FME Server to create a web-based data quality service that enables data contributors to quickly perform geometric and attribute quality checks on spatial data. This ensures that only the highest quality data is loaded into your spatial databases.

9. Integrate FME into your Current Web Environment

FME Server includes Java and C++ API’s so you can tightly integrate its powerful data transformation and distribution capabilities with your current web environment, including 3rd party web mapping applications, such as:

  • Autodesk MapGuide®
  • ESRI ArcGIS® Server
  • ESRI ArcIMS®
  • Intergraph GeoMedia® WebMap
  • MapInfo MapXtreme®

10. Benefit from Expert Service and Support

Whether your team needs expert deployment advice, hands-on training, or technical support, Safe Software’s Professional Services team is here to help. Committed to helping your organization succeed in getting the most value out of FME, the team is comprised of individuals chosen for their in-depth knowledge as well as extensive practical experience in information technology and spatial data management.