How it works

View a live InstantAtlas Server demonstration application.

View a live demonstration of a Local Information System (LIS) / Data Observatory style solution using InstantAtlas Server.

1. Load and manage data »

  1. Use the Excel Data Manager to compile and structure data and metadata and create XML files. This free Excel tool can be used by any organisation to create data XML files to load into IA Server.
  2. Import data XML files and manage all content through the web-based Administration Console. This provides a powerful set of tools for data staging and live promotion, structuring data into Themes and defining Data Views comprising specific sets of Indicators required by your users.
  3. Alternatively, using our Administration Console, connect your IA Server database to one or more third party applications to pull data in either via 'live links' or scheduled copies.  This is ideal where you need to take regular refreshes of data from third party sources.

If you already have an application that holds this type of data then it is likely that we can migrate this data into our database structure without any significant manual data processing work.

2. Create tailored outputs »

Use the Administration Console to:

  1. Create a suitable Theme based hierarchy for presenting your data.
  2. Build your outputs as Profiles and Data Views.
  3. Add documents and links as Resources.
  4. Apply your own user group permissions to your outputs (if you have the User Management Module)

3. Publish your outputs »

IA Server provides multiple options for making your data, metadata and other resources available depending on your audience, their requirements and their skills.  Access to these outputs can be carefully controlled through rights granted to user groups.

  1. Profiles: these are ready-built reports available for one area or multiple areas.  They are highly flexible and can combine maps, charts, tables, text, images, metadata and content from third party web services.  These elements are structured into Sections that can be used in multiple profile reports.
  2. Data Views: They have two primary functions: they allow expert users to quickly and easily view data available and download it for use offline; and they provide a more exploratory environment for users to interact with the data and gain a better understanding of it.  There are two primary interfaces: (a) Tables where users can build custom tables of any indicators in the Data View and then download the data; and (b) InstantAtlas dynamic reports to visualize and explore the data interactively.
  3. Advanced Data Views: This functionality offers users greater flexibility to create custom outputs that meet their needs.  Users can mix and match any combination of indicators, available at a one geographic level, in the system and tabulate the result.  You can then chart, map or filter the results.
  4. Resources: This allows you to upload relevant documents and URL links to the site with associated metadata so they can be searched effectively by end-users.
  5. Metadata: The Explorer Module allows you to search all metadata (Documents and Data) to locate any resources of interest.

4. Customise and re-brand your site »

There are many options for customisation of our end-user pages.  If you are using our user interface for delivery of the solution you can quickly re-brand these pages to suit your corporate style.  Often our pages are embedded into a separate web site.  If you are using your own user interface then you can create relevant links, potentially using your own web Content Management System (CMS), to all pre-defined outputs like Data Views and Profiles.

5. Add additional Modules »

If you did not purchase all the available IA Server Modules up-front then you have the options to add others as your needs evolve.  The modular nature of the IA Server solution enables you to build up the functionality of your solution in stages over time as user requirements evolve. See Features for information on all our Modules.