GeoServer

Overview

GeoServer is an open-source server written in Java that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. It implements Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards including Web Map Service (WMS), Web Feature Service (WFS), and Web Coverage Service (WCS), making it a cornerstone of open-source GIS infrastructure.

Key Features

Feature	Description
OGC Compliant	WMS, WFS, WCS, WMTS, WPS
Data Sources	Shapefile, PostGIS, GeoPackage, Oracle, SQL Server
Styling	SLD (Styled Layer Descriptor)
Security	Role-based access control
REST API	Configuration via REST
Web Admin	Browser-based administration

Supported Services

Service	Description
WMS	Rendered map images
WMTS	Cached tile pyramids
WFS	Vector feature access and editing
WCS	Raster coverage access
WPS	Server-side geoprocessing
CSW	Catalog and metadata services

Data Sources

Format	Type	Notes
PostGIS	Vector	Recommended for production
GeoPackage	Vector/Raster	Good for file-based
Shapefile	Vector	Legacy support
GeoTIFF	Raster	Standard raster
ImageMosaic	Raster	Large imagery collections
Oracle Spatial	Vector	Enterprise
SQL Server	Vector	Enterprise

REST API Examples

Get Layers

curl -u admin:geoserver \
  "http://localhost:8080/geoserver/rest/layers.json"

Create Workspace

curl -u admin:geoserver -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"workspace":{"name":"myworkspace"}}' \
  "http://localhost:8080/geoserver/rest/workspaces"

Publish PostGIS Layer

curl -u admin:geoserver -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "featureType": {
      "name": "parcels",
      "nativeName": "parcels",
      "srs": "EPSG:4326"
    }
  }' \
  "http://localhost:8080/geoserver/rest/workspaces/myworkspace/datastores/postgis/featuretypes"

Docker Deployment

# docker-compose.yml
version: '3'
services:
  geoserver:
    image: kartoza/geoserver:2.24.0
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    environment:
      - GEOSERVER_ADMIN_PASSWORD=geoserver
    volumes:
      - geoserver-data:/opt/geoserver/data_dir
 
volumes:
  geoserver-data:

Alternatives

Server	Best For
GeoServer	Full OGC stack, enterprise
pg_tileserv	Simple vector tiles from PostGIS
pg_featureserv	Simple OGC Features from PostGIS
MapServer	High-performance WMS
QGIS Server	QGIS project publishing

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Appendix

Created: 2024-12-23 | Modified: 2024-12-23

See Also

• MOC - Geospatial
• List - OGC Web Service Standards
• PostGIS
• Web Map Service (WMS)
• Web Feature Service (WFS)

Backlinks

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