Explore Core Features ⍓

Multi-Protocol Map & Data Services

GeoServer's core rendering engine supports OGC standards out-of-the-box. Configure complex SLD/SE styles, manage layer groups, and serve vector tiles or raster tiles via optimized pipelines.

Standards

WMS 1.3.0, WFS 2.0, WCS 2.1, WMTS, GeoJSON, Vector Tiles

Renderers

Mapnik, JMapViewer, SVG, PDF, PNG, GeoTIFF

Style Engine

SLD 1.1, SLD 1.2, SE (Symbolizer Encoding), CSS4 Mapbox

# Example: SLD Color Ramp Configuration
<Rule> <Title>Vegetation Density</Title>
  <RasterSymbolizer>
    <ColorMap>
      <ColorMapEntry color=\"#00ff00\" quantity=\"0.3\" />
      <ColorMapEntry color=\"#ffff00\" quantity=\"0.7\" />
    </ColorMap>
  </RasterSymbolizer>
</Rule>

Real-Time Spatial Data Streaming

Ingest and broadcast GeoJSON, WFS-T, or MQTT payloads with sub-200ms latency. Supports WebSocket push, HTTP Server-Sent Events, and Kafka integration for high-throughput IoT and telemetry pipelines.

Protocols

WebSockets, SSE, WFS-T, MQTT, Kafka Connect

Throughput

Up to 50k features/sec per node (clustered)

Buffering

Redis-backed stateless session management

# Client WebSocket Connection
const ws = new WebSocket('wss://api.geoserver.io/stream/live');
ws.onmessage = (evt) => {
  const feature = JSON.parse(evt.data);
  mapLayer.addFeature(feature);
};

Granular Security & Access Control

Role-based access control (RBAC) with namespace, workspace, and layer-level permissions. Integrates with OAuth2, SAML 2.0, LDAP/Active Directory, and supports JWT token validation for API gateways.

Auth Providers

OAuth2, OIDC, SAML, LDAP, AD, JWT, Basic

Granularity

Workspace → Datastore → Layer → Feature Attribute

Auditing

Full request logging, IP allowlisting, rate limiting

# Role: field_operator
permissions:
  workspaces: ['survey_team', 'external_partners']
  actions: [read, query, update:owned_features']
  filters: "geom && bounding_box(current_region)"

Built-In Spatial Analytics

Run server-side spatial operations without pulling data to the client. Supports ST_Distance, ST_Intersects, buffer analysis, geohash indexing, and statistical aggregation over large feature collections.

Functions

ST_*, Geohash, H3, PostGIS compatibility layer

Performance

Indexed spatial queries, partitioned tile caching

Output

GeoJSON, CSV, Parquet, aggregated tilesets

RESTful Configuration API

Manage workspaces, stores, layers, and security programmatically. Idempotent endpoints, OpenAPI 3.0 spec, and SDK support for Python, Node.js, and Go. Ideal for CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code.

Endpoints

/rest/workspaces, /rest/layers, /rest/security, /rest/services

Formats

JSON, XML, GeoJSON, OpenAPI/Swagger

CLI Tools

geoctl, terraform-provider-geoserver, ansible module

Auto-Scaling Infrastructure

Stateless worker architecture with shared GeoTIFF caches and distributed session storage. Deploy across AWS, GCP, Azure, or Kubernetes with automatic failover and horizontal scaling.

Architecture

Stateless API + Shared Object Store + Redis Cluster

Scaling

KEDA/HPA triggered by QPS, CPU, or WebSocket connections

DR

Multi-region active-active, automated backups, point-in-time recovery

Technical Specifications

Standards & Compatibility

Full compliance matrix and third-party integration support.

Standard / Protocol	Version Support	Status	Notes
WMS (Web Map Service)	1.1.1, 1.3.0	Native	Full GetMap, GetFeatureInfo, GetLegendGraphic
WFS (Web Feature Service)	2.0, 1.1.0	Native	Transaction (WFS-T), locked feature support
WCS (Web Coverage Service)	2.1, 1.1.2	Native	Subsetting, CRS reprojection, coverage metadata
WMTS (Web Map Tile Service)	1.0.0	Native	Matrix sets, tile caching, XYZ/KMZ export
OGC API - Features	1.0 (Draft)	Preview	RESTful alternative to WFS, pagination, filters
Vector Tiles (MVT)	PBF, GeoJSON	Native	Mapbox GL JS, Deck.gl, Leaflet compatibility
Authentication	OAuth2, OIDC, SAML	Native	Keycloak, Auth0, Azure AD, Okta providers

Common Questions

Feature FAQ

Can I run GeoServer entirely on-premise?

Yes. GeoServer is fully self-hostable. You can deploy the Docker image, Helm chart, or binary packages on your own infrastructure with zero external dependencies required.

How does the streaming pipeline handle data loss?

The streaming engine uses at-least-once delivery guarantees with Redis-backed message queues. Optional exactly-once semantics are available via Kafka integration with idempotent feature keys.

Is the REST API versioned?

Yes. The configuration API follows semantic versioning (v1/v2). Breaking changes are only introduced in major releases, and a migration guide is provided for each update.

What databases are supported for spatial data stores?

PostGIS, Oracle Spatial, MySQL/MariaDB, SQLite, GeoPackage, Shapefile, and direct S3/GCS object store connections for raster data.

Ready to Architect Your Spatial Pipeline?

Access full documentation, SDKs, and deployment templates. Start building in minutes.

Read Full Documentation →