Overview
ISO 19106:2004, Geographic information - Profiles, defines what a profile is for the ISO geographic information standards (the ISO 19100 series developed by ISO/TC 211) and provides guidance for creating, identifying, managing and standardizing such profiles. A profile is a deliberate subset or selection of one or more base standards (choices of clauses, classes, options and parameters) used to meet the needs of a particular application domain. ISO 19106 explains how profiles relate to base standards, how to document conformance, and how profiles can be processed and adopted internationally or at national/organizational levels.
Key topics and requirements
- Definition of profile: A profile is comprised of one or more ISO geographic information standards or subsets thereof, selected to accomplish a particular function.
- Conformance classes: Two classes are defined:
- Class 1 - a pure subset of ISO geographic information standards (can be processed as an ISO standard).
- Class 2 - profiles that include permitted extensions or non-ISO standards (may be managed by the creating organization rather than processed as an ISO standard).
- Profile content and structure: Guidance on the elements, characteristics and document structure of a profile, including multi-part profiles.
- Conformance and testing: Profiles must satisfy requirements in the abstract test suite (Annex A) and follow the conformance methodology (Annex C).
- Relationship to implementations: Profiles are distinct from implementation specifications for specific computing environments (e.g., CORBA, web services); application schemas (ISO 19109) are not profiles by definition but may include profiles.
- Governance: Advice for establishing, managing and standardizing profiles at international or national levels.
Practical applications and who uses it
ISO 19106 is practical for organizations that need consistent, interoperable geographic information standards tailored to specific use cases:
- GIS project leads and data custodians defining a constrained metadata set or exchange format (e.g., cadastral, environmental).
- National standards bodies and liaison organizations creating nationally adopted profiles.
- Software vendors and systems integrators implementing compliant GIS components and documenting their Implementation Conformance Statements (ICS).
- Standards managers and QA/test teams developing conformance test suites for GIS products.
Benefits include clearer interoperability, reduced ambiguity when implementing parts of the ISO 19100 series, and a standardized route to formalize and publish profiles.
Related standards
- ISO 19101:2002 - Geographic information - Reference model
- ISO 19105:2000 - Geographic information - Conformance and testing
- ISO 19109 - Rules for application schemas (distinguishes schemas from profiles)
- ISO/IEC TR 10000-1 / -3 - Framework and taxonomy of standardized profiles (applicable principles)
Keywords: ISO 19106, geographic information profiles, ISO 19100 series, ISO/TC 211, profile conformance, GIS standards, metadata profiles, application schema.
