Generic AAA Architecture for Geospatial Web Service Dissemination Based on Open-Source API Gateway

Geospatial web services adhering to OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) and OSGeo (Open Source Geospatial Foundation) standards are widely used for distributing raster and vector geospatial data on the web. These standards ensure interoperability across various desktop and web GIS platforms, making geospatial web services increasingly accessible. However, the ease with which these services can be anonymously accessed and disseminated raises concerns about protecting them from unauthorized use, particularly when data providers intend to share sensitive information with specific individuals or groups. Consequently, there is a growing need for implementing AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accountability) measures to ensure secure and legitimate usage of geospatial web services. Traditional approaches for implementing AAA measures typically rely on Web Servers/Reverse Proxy Servers or open-source software like GeoServer, MapServer, and Mapnik. However, these approaches face limitations in supporting diverse AAA methods, which pose challenges in terms of implementation, usability, scalability, and resource intensity. Additionally, their dependence on geospatial web service generation and dissemination software adds significant complexity, particularly when services are distributed through various Map Servers or Web Servers. To address these constraints, this paper proposes a generic architecture that leverages state-of-the-art open-source API Gateway technology. This architecture facilitates the implementation of widely adopted industry-standard AAA methods for WMS (Web Map Service) and TMS (Tile Map Service) standards. It represents a novel approach by operating independently from geospatial web service generation and dissemination software while effectively implementing AAA measures.