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File download services

This section provides a detailed explanation of GeoNetwork file download services. These are the services you would use if you want to download a file attached to a metadata record as 'Data for Download' (usually in onlineResources section of an ISO record) or perhaps as a gmx:FileName (where allowed).

The two services, used together, can be used to create a simple click through licensing scheme for file resources attached to metadata records in GeoNetwork.

xml.file.disclaimer

Retrieves information from the metadata about constraints or restrictions on the resources attached to the metadata record. The information is xml and an xhtml presentation of the constraints and restrictions.

Note: only users that have download rights over the record will be able to use this service. To obtain these rights your application will need to use xml.user.login - see xml.user.login.

Request

Called with a metadata id or uuid, one or more file names (if more than one file is attached to the metadata record as 'data for download') and access (which is almost always private). Example:

<request>
    <uuid>d8c8ca11-ecc8-45dc-b424-171a9e212220</uuid>
    <fname>roam-rsf-aus-bathy-topo-contours.sff</fname>
    <fname>mse09_M8.nc</fname>
    <access>private</access>
</request>

Response

The service returns a copy of the request parameters, a copy of the metadata record xml and an HTML version of the license annex generated from the metadata record by the XSL metadata-license-annex.xsl (in the INSTALL_DIR/web/geonetwork/xsl directory).

Example of an xml.file.disclaimer response for a GeoNetwork node (Note: the and elements are not shown in full as they are too big):

<response>
    <id>22</id>
    <uuid>d8c8ca11-ecc8-45dc-b424-171a9e212220</uuid>
    <fname>roam-rsf-aus-bathy-topo-contours.sff</fname>
    <fname>mse09_M8.nc</fname>
    <access>private</access>
    <metadata>
        <gmd:MD_Metadata xmlns:gmd="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gmd" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:gco="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gco" xmlns:gts="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gts" xmlns:gsr="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gsr" xmlns:gss="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gss" xmlns:gmx="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gmx" xmlns:srv="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/srv" xmlns:gml="http://www.opengis.net/gml" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:geonet="http://www.fao.org/geonetwork">
            <!--.........-->
        </gmd:MD_Metadata>
    </metadata>
    <license>
        <html>
            <head>
                <link href="http://localhost:8080/geonetwork/favicon.ico" rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" />
                <link href="http://localhost:8080/geonetwork/favicon.ico" rel="icon" type="image/x-icon" />
                <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://localhost:8080/geonetwork/geonetwork.css" />
                <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://localhost:8080/geonetwork/modalbox.css" />
            </head>
            <body>
                <!--.........-->
            </body>
        </html>
    </license>
</response>

The idea behind this service is that you will receive an HTML presentation of the constraints/restrictions on the resource that you can show to a user for an accept/decline response.

The HTML presentation is controlled by the server so together with the xml.file.download service, this is the way that GeoNetwork can be used to provide a simple click-through licensing system for file resources attached to metadata records.

To signify acceptance of the license and download the resources you should use the xml.file.download service.

If an exception occurred then the service returns HTTP status code 500 and an XML document describing what went wrong. An example of such a response is:

<error id="metadata-not-found">
  <message>Metadata not found</message>
  <class>MetadataNotFoundEx</class>
  .......
</error>

See Exception handling for more details.

Errors

  • IllegalArgumentException: Request must contain a UUID or an ID parameter.
  • MetadataNotFoundException: Metadata not found.
  • OperationNowAllowedException: you don't have download permission over this record.

xml.file.download

After your application has received any license conditions that go with the file resources attached to the metadata record from xml.file.disclaimer, you can use this service to download the resources.

Note

only users that have download rights over the record will be able to use this service. To obtain these rights your application will need to use xml.user.login - see xml.user.login.

Note

this service is protected against users and/or applications that do not go through the xml.file.disclaimer service first.

Request

Called with a metadata id or uuid, one or more file names (if more than one file is attached to the metadata record as 'data for download'), access (which is almost always private) and details of the user who has accepted the license and wants to download the files. Example:

<request>
    <uuid>d8c8ca11-ecc8-45dc-b424-171a9e212220</uuid>
    <fname>roam-rsf-aus-bathy-topo-contours.sff</fname>
    <fname>mse09_M8.nc</fname>
    <access>private</access>
    <name>Aloyisus Wankania</name>
    <org>Allens Butter Factory</org>
    <email>A.Wankania@allens.org</email>
    <comments>Gimme the data buddy</comments>
</request>

Response

The service returns HTTP status code 200 along with a zip archive containing:

  • the file resources requested in the fname parameter(s)
  • a copy of the metadata record (as a mef) - called metadata.zip
  • a copy of the html license generated (as provided by the xml.file.disclaimer service) - called license-annex.html

If an exception occurs or the xml.file.disclaimer service has not been executed by the same user, then a zero-length file will be returned. Unlike other GeoNetwork services, no other indication of an exception is given.