Building the Infrastructure for an Integrated Information System for the Property and Cadastral Registers

S&T Bulgaria was recently awarded a contract financed by the World Bank valued at over a million euros: S&T has been commissioned to design and implement the hardware infrastructure for an information system in which the cadastral and property registers in Bulgaria will be integrated and numerous associated functions will be implemented. This system will form the technological basis for the creation by 2015 of a cadastral and a property register covering the whole sovereign territory of Bulgaria, using the most up-to-date technology.

The information system is to consist of three components: the cadastral register, which will be created and maintained by the Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Agency, the property register, for which the Registry Agency is responsible, and a web portal, which will allow users to search for data in the cadastral and property title registers, submit queries and obtain documents. The primary and most challenging task of the project is to integrate the cadastral and the property title registers into the system. These currently use different applications and have different data structures. Once the cadastral and property registers have been integrated, in stages, information required for the realization of investment projects, regional planning etc. will be up to date, comprehensive, authentic and harmonized. The data will be securely stored and maintained in order to provide access to a wide range of user groups from both the private and public spheres. Once the information system has been fully implemented it is envisaged that it will be possible to obtain all services related to the cadastral and property title registers from a single source, either online, via e-mail or following subscription.

Clear Objective

The complex information system must provide the highest levels of security at the access points from public and private networks, although it should also guarantee a high level of availability and reliability for all critical appliances. All key components must be characterized by high performance and efficiency as well as the ability to distribute loads. The system must also be scaleable, easy to operate and allow future development. “We are proud that S&T has been selected to build the whole infrastructure and ensure realization of this important task. Our experts in Bulgaria can make good use of their extensive experience and skills in this project“, comments Christian Rosner, CEO S&T.

Two Identical Data Centers

The project involves the establishment of two completely identical and interchangeable data centers. Each one will function as the main data center for one of the agencies and as a backup data center for the other agency. This is also the case for external users (OSS) – one center will act as the main one and the other as a backup. This concept allows the efficient use of all hardware and software components and also guarantees continuous operations, complete security and disaster recovery. Both data centers have a so called “active – active” status. This means that they each fulfill different functions but, if an emergency should arise at one of the centers or if one of the systems should malfunction, the other center is ready and able to take over operation of any of the functions affected, thus restoring the standard functioning of the overall system. Communication between the two centers takes place via an optical connection in the administration network. This forms the basis for the establishment of a VPN (Virtual Private Network), which enables confidential transfer of data, high security and real-time data exchange. Access to the data centers is provided through several networks. The main means of transfer for both agencies will be the WAN network. The Internet is considered to provide a backup. All remote users accessing the OSS services will use the public-access global network as their primary connection. The power supplied to the centers is provided by two cables connected to completely separate and independent power supply points. It is envisaged that each center will be equipped with an uninterrupted three phase power supply. It is also planned to construct the centers with two separate power circuits to which the redundant power supply for the server and further appliances can be connected. A local diesel generator will be integrated in order to provide cover in the event of a general loss of power and the outage of both independent power feeds.

Continuous and Uninterrupted Service

The benefits for the respective agencies and the users are obvious. System applications will function regardless of possible system breakdowns or disasters. In cases of disaster, the data can be recovered at the location of the loss within minutes and the interruption to applications is also limited to a maximum of just a few minutes rather than hours. This means that users can submit all manner of queries and obtain digital copies of the requested documents online from any location.