Creating a Modern Cloud-hosted Platform

Created: 11 October 2023 Updated: 11 October 2023

Date of Announcement:  11 October 2023

Functionality Affected: Creating a Modern Cloud-hosted Platform

Date of Change: Autumn 2023

The DSP platform has always been built around open data standards but has previously provided this data via proprietary services as well. Following the procurement of a new supplier, we are moving the DSP to a new platform that provides modern cloud-hosted open data technology. With the new platform you’ll notice an improved user experience and continuous improvements. 

The Defra Data Services Platform makes data from across Defra group (including environmental, animal and plant health, farming, biosecurity, and operational) openly available to the public. It is used by thousands of users to assess flood risk, check protected sites, manage river catchments, identify bathing water quality and much more. The DSP was set up in 2009 and has since grown significantly, with 1.8 billion data requests received in 2021 alone.  

Creating a modern cloud-hosted platform  

The DSP platform has always been built around open data standards but has previously provided this data via proprietary services as well. Following the procurement of a new supplier, we are moving the DSP to a new platform that provides modern cloud-hosted open data technology. With the new platform you’ll notice an improved user experience and continuous improvements. 

There will also be some changes which you may have already read about on the Data Services Platform.   

What is changing?  

The DSP Service Desk has moved to the new supplier with new features including improved download functionality for the provision of large data.

DSP will continue to provide data through open APIs and offer geospatial data through Web Map Services, Web Feature Service and through several downloadable geospatial data formats, including Esri shapefiles. Looking to the future we will adopt the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) as they become available.

The current provision of proprietary geospatial services (Esri REST APIs including Esri REST Services and Esri Image Services) will be phased out over time. The Esri Image Services currently used to supply some LiDAR datasets will be replaced by OGC Web Coverage Services.

DSP will also provide linked open data to enable machine-readable data connections enhancing data exploitation and analysis.

The open data approach provides several benefits, including the provision of free and openly accessible data. However, the impact of provisioning open data is that users do not have to register to use the service. Therefore, we are not able to track our customers and capture all customer requirements, and in this case, regarding the use of Esri REST end points.   

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