2.3. Setup workstation

2.3.1. Required Software

2.3.1.1. Install QGIS

Client side components are:

  • QGIS (2.14+)

  • QGIS extensions (depending on specific use case)

The exact required configuration is very dependant on the data sizes and complexity of rendering. However, water network data tend not to be huge volumes, and the minimal required configuration is not really high. For smooth map rendering, it is advised to use recent hardware, good video card and enough RAM though.

A comfortable configuration would be:

  • 4x core Intel processor

  • 8GB of RAM

  • SSD storage

  • Good video card (recent onboard Intel are ok, or dedicated NVidia/AMD)

  • Minimum requirement 2.14

Note

We recommend using the latest LTR version: 2.18. which often offers a better experience in combination with QWAT. For Windows installation, download the OSGeo4W Installer

2.3.1.2. Optional plugin

QWAT uses a data historization process. The pg history viewer plugin allows you to view the changes made and replay some of them.

2.3.2. Database configuration

To tell a workstation, where the database is (on the local system or on a network server) you will have to create some files initially on every device on which you will have QGIS/QWAT running. It is not required to do that on the server itself.

These instructions depend on your operating system.

2.3.2.1. Windows pg_service

Create a new directory where you want to store the configuration in. (E.g. a new folder pgconfig in your home folder). This directory will be referred to as PGSYSCONFDIR in this guide.

Set the environment variable PGSYSCONFDIR to the path to PGSYSCONFDIR.

Inside this folder, there will be two files

  • pg_service.conf

  • pgpass (If you do not want to enter the password for the db every time)

Attention

On Windows, you need to save pg_service.conf in Unix format in order to work. One way to do it is to open it with Notepad++ and Edit --> EOL Conversion --> UNIX Format --> File save .

2.3.2.2. Unix pg_service

On Unix-like systems (linux/macOS/*BSD etc.) you may put the files .pg_service.conf and .pgpass into your home folder (normally /home/[username]).

2.3.2.3. All systems

Put the following content in the file pg_service.conf or .pg_service.conf. You may have to adapt the variables for your setup.

[qwat]
host=localhost
port=5432
dbname=qwat
user=qwatuser

To save the password as well on the system you may use the file pgpass.

localhost:5432:*:qwatuser:password

Note

If you don’t have the database on your local machine replace any occurence of localhost with the network address of your database server.