2025 FOSS4G NA | KyFromAbove on AWS - Ian Horn
In this session from FOSS4G NA 2025, Ian Horn from the Kentucky Division of Geographic Information presents KyFromAbove on AWS: Transitioning to an Open Data Platform. Ian shares the story of how the Commonwealth of Kentucky moved its massive library of aerial imagery and elevation data from legacy FTP and physical storage systems to a cloud-native, open-data registry on AWS.
The presentation details the technical shift to cloud-optimized formats (COGs) and the implementation of a STAC (SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog) API, which now manages over 340 terabytes of data, including high-resolution 3-inch oblique imagery and statewide LiDAR. Ian provides a candid look at the lessons learned during this rapid migration—from mastering the AWS CLI and Python to the significant cost savings achieved by leveraging open data programs—while offering practical advice for other public agencies looking to modernize their data distribution.
Highlights:
🛰️ The Kentucky Advantage: Fun facts about why Kentucky is recognized as a leader in statewide LiDAR and topographic mapping
🔄 Moving Beyond FTP: The transition from 20 years of "zip and download" to a modern, streaming cloud-native architecture
🧩 Big Data Milestones: Managing 342 terabytes and 9.4 million objects, including three phases of statewide orthoimagery
⚙️ Implementing STAC: How Kentucky stood up a STAC API and browser to make their massive imagery archive searchable and interoperable
🌐 Financial Impacts: Saving an estimated $41,000 per month in storage and server costs by joining the AWS Open Data Registry
🏢 Lessons Learned: The importance of "starting with the end in mind" and why sync is superior to cp for massive bucket migrations
🏗️ User Feedback: Addressing the challenges of supporting legacy CAD users while moving toward cutting-edge cloud formats
For more content like this check out www.projectgeospatial.com
#Geospatial #FOSS4G #OpenData #AWS #STAC #LiDAR #Kentucky #CloudNative #GIS #AerialImagery #OpenSource #DataEngineering #ProjectGeospatial #PublicSector #DataModernization
