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Release notes: GEE 5.0

This document includes the following information about the Google Earth Enterprise 5.0 release:

Overview

GEE 5.0 introduces a flexible and dynamic approach to publishing maps and globes. When publishing, you specify unique options for a map or globe at a given URL; the map or globe can then be easily published multiple times at different URLs with different configurations. Likewise, particular configurations can quickly be unpublished or modified.

Virtual hosts (previously called virtual servers) now only specify a security protocol and can be associated with multiple published globes and maps. This decouples the task of setting up security protocols from publishing maps and globes.

Associating search sets and snippets at the time of publishing allows you to present different versions on the same underlying Fusion database, which can then be made available at different URLs and under different security protocols. For example, to protect one set of searchable data but display it on the same globe as you do an unprotected set of searchable data. You might then publish the database at one URL with the sensitive search and a secured virtual host, then publish the same database at a different URL with a non-sensitive search and public virtual host.

All of this can be done in a matter of seconds from the new GEE Server Admin console, and no longer requires interaction with Fusion. We hope that this new publishing approach makes your life easier and maybe even a little more fun!

Supported Platforms

The Google Earth Enterprise 5.0 release is supported on 64-bit versions of the following operating systems:

GEE 5.0 is compatible with Google Earth Enterprise Client (EC) and Plugin versions 7.0.1 - 7.1.1.1888 for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

New Features

GEE Server:

Fusion:

GEE version 5.0 alpha mask

Addition of secondary database with worldwide lower-resolution imagery
  • Build a new view for your globes from multiple databases that use different terrain resolutions. 
  • Support for GeoTIFF files larger than 4GB.
  • Google Earth Enterprise Server cutting feature:

    New Directory Structure for Google Maps Javascript Maps API:

      Native WMS from GEE Server:

    Google Earth Enterprise Server 5.0 supports the GetCapabilities and GetMap requests for WMS versions 1.1.1 and 1.3.0. To enable WMS for a database you want to publish:

    1. In the GEE Server Admin console, click Databases.
    2. Check the box next to the database you want to publish.
    3. Click Publish.
    4. Next to Serve WMS, select On.

    Serve Flat maps as Mercator:

    The GEE Server doesn’t let you serve Plate Carrée (flat) maps, but WMS can rebuild your Plate Carrée maps as Mercator maps. If you republish your maps, WMS serves your Plate Carrée imagery tiles as Mercator. You can use Fusion to build your own Mercator vector layer to overlay on the imagery tiles. The client combines the layers when it displays the map. Note: The Google Maps API uses the Mercator projection and Google’s iOS and Android apps only display Mercator maps.

    Change your projection:

    You can use a third-party application like MapServer to reproject your native WMS on-the-fly (for example, to change your projection from Mercator to Finnish National Coordinate System). GEE supports most GDAL projections. 

    Third-party Library Updates:

    Known Issues

    Number Description Workaround
    7239735  If libc.so.6 is located in a directory other than /lib, the installer and uninstaller display a message that /lib/libc.so.6 is missing. No known problems are associated. Ignore the message and continue to install or uninstall. 
    7531358 Each terrain project (even terrain insets) must have worldwide resource. If not, the build fails with a "Fusion Fatal: Empty inset stack" error. This error is typically caused by the terrain project not having a base terrain resource with complete global coverage. Include a low-resolution global terrain resource such as Gtopo (land only) or Etopo (bathymetry and land) with the terrain project, and then rebuild the database.
    11715339 The Preview option in the GEE Server Admin console Databases window fails to display any preview for Fusion 3D databases.
    1. Make a backup of /opt/google/gehttp/htdocs/earth /earth_local.html.
    2. Change line 84 in that file from:
      earthArgs = {database: GEE_BASE_URL + window.location.href};
      to
      earthArgs = {database: window.location.href};

    Resolved Issues

    Number Description Resolution
    7443814 Certain polygon datasets with invalid geometries cause Fusion processing to hang. Fixed in Fusion vector processing pipeline.
    7442639 GEE supports only one field per custom Search tab in EC 6.2 and later. If you want to include multiple fields in your Search tabs, use EC 6.1. 

    The 5.0 release supports EC 7.0 and later. To include multiple Search tab fields for EC 7.0 or later:

    1. Go to GEE Server admin console at http://localhost/admin.
    2. Click Search tabs.
    3. Click Create new.
    4. Enter your first field definition, then click Add field. You can add as many fields as you want.
    6888196 Publish fails with "Unable to parse POI file" in log. Fixed in POI-file parsing scheme and POI data managing.
    5570955 Postgres service running after GEE Server installer exits. Fixed in installer.
    7521159 A double slash in the -o option breaks genewterrainproject. Fixed in asset managing scheme.
    885079 Ability to assign dbroot snippets at database and virtual server level. Fixed with new publisher.
    6611496 geserveradmin reports successful delete for nonexistent entities. Fixed in publisher back end.