APP servers can be deployed into a cluster configuration, thus providing scalability by adding more processors or more memory to cluster units and/or by adding more units to a cluster configuration. This way it is possible to add required number of application servers to meet the needs in case of increased demand. Scaling, as well as server update, is performed live without any interruption to the system, thus reducing the downtime to a zero.

Full time server availability is of paramount importance. IGS components can be configured to provide server redundancy in order to insure safe failover in case of failure caused by power shortage, natural disaster, fire... The downtime is reduced to a zero.

Communication between a client user and the database is conducted over a long transaction. A long transaction is a transaction that includes many database (short) transactions while avoiding locks in the database. Long transactions are a necessity in case of editing geographical data by multiple concurrent editors because locking mechanisms of short transactions (that ensure data consistency) would prevent other users from simultaneously accessing the data that is edited by another user until such user completes the task. Since editing of geographical data can take up quite some time it would significantly restrict other users from accessing the data. On the other hand, long transactions allow the access to multiple simultaneous users to a same area without locking while potential conflicts are handled by other means (see the next passage).

Since long transactions avoid locks in the database, another method has to be in place in order to detect and resolve potential conflicts between multiple concurrent client users and to insure data consistency. This is achieved by implementing versioning and optimistic concurrency control method.

Besides its main goal, versioning also enables engineers and technicians to create different design options (versions) and test them against the database before selecting the final design. Number of versions is not limited. Once the final design is chosen all others designs (versions) are dropped.

Telecommunications infrastructure objects within GIS database can be locked in order to prevent users from editing them. Furthermore, locking can be imposed from other systems. This is especially important in case of integration with other systems because those systems can prevent changes or removal of the objects that they themselves depend on, thus ensuring the data consistency across the systems.

Another example of versioning implementation, this time with the goal to achieve the project workflow:

An engineer or a technician (appointed with user rights to edit) creates a project, downloads required telecommunications network elements and edits them. Upon completion of the work he sends the data for audit.Data is sent to the database (version is created) but they are only visible to the person appointed with user rights to audit. He can either finally accept the project (commit) at which point the changes become visible to all other users or he can choose to return the project for further editing. This sending of project back and forth between the editor and the auditor goes on (effectively creating version of a version of a version...) until the auditor is satisfied with the results of editor's work. (Note: single user can play both roles. See: User Access rights).

IGS enables work in offline mode (another benefit from long transactions). This means that user can download objects from database than edit them without being connected to the database. After completion of work user once again connects to the database and sends in the changes. At this point IGS detects and resolves all conflicts, if they occur, making sure that the integrity of the database is maintained.

Users from various departments of a business organization can access the database. These users can be assigned with different access rights based on:

• Territory,
• Type of infrastructure (optics, conduit, route),
• Type of job (add new, edit existing, delete existing),
• Type of project (new design, as-built...),
• Role (edit, audit, admin).

Various combinations are possible.

All application (business) logic is positioned on IGS. This way IGS is in effect turned into a gate keeper who insures that all data that goes into the database is absolutely correct. Rollback is enabled. If there are any errors during the process of sending data to the database everything goes back to the state it was in before sending was attempted. Error massage, which helps to isolate the problem, is displayed to a user. After resolving the errors, a user can one again send data to the database..

There are other advantages too, for example: any change in the business logic (caused by APP server update) will immediately affect all client users regardless of their own update status.

making it available to a third party applications. INOVA GIS platform can be integrated with any internet mapping server that supports OGC WMS and WFS standards.

IGS is service oriented

Data model is easily extendable.