Geodatabase: Difference between revisions
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Many geodatabases have custom functions that allow the spatial data to be manipulated and [[spatial query| queried]] using [[SQL]], for example to find all the residents of an area within an exposure zone for a potential environmental hazard. However the spatial data in some geodatabases can only be accessed by using specialized client software. |
Many geodatabases have custom functions that allow the spatial data to be manipulated and [[spatial query| queried]] using [[SQL]], for example to find all the residents of an area within an exposure zone for a potential environmental hazard. However the spatial data in some geodatabases can only be accessed by using specialized client software. |
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Within a [[geographic information system]] (GIS) a spatial database is one component that can be used to store and manipulate data. Typically a complete system will also include client software to view and edit the data stored within the database. Like other spatial data formats geodatabases can also be used to serve data directly to [[web map server]] software, such as ESRI's ArcGIS [[Internet Map Server]], [[MapServer]] and Google's mapping API. |
Within a [[geographic information system]] (GIS) a spatial database is one component that can be used to store and manipulate data. Typically a complete system will also include client software to view and edit the data stored within the database. Like other spatial data formats geodatabases can also be used to serve data directly to [[web map server]] software, such as ESRI's ArcGIS [[Internet Map Server]], [[MapServer]] and Google's mapping API. The term GIS-Centric, however, has been specifically defined as the use of the [[Esri]] ArcGIS geodatabase as the asset/feature data repository central to [[Computerized Maintenance Management Systems]] (CMMS) as a part of [[Enterprise Asset Management]] and analytical software systems. GIS-centric certification criteria has been specifically defined by NAGCS, the National Association of GIS-Centric Solutions. http://www.nagcs.org/index.asp |
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The primary advantage of spatial databases, over file-based data storage, is that they let a GIS build on the existing capabilities of [[relational database management system]]s (RDBMS). This includes support for [[SQL]] and the ability to generate complex [[spatial query|geospatial queries]]. Also, a database's client/server architecture supports multiple users simultaneously and lets them view, edit, and query the database without conflict. |
The primary advantage of spatial databases, over file-based data storage, is that they let a GIS build on the existing capabilities of [[relational database management system]]s (RDBMS). This includes support for [[SQL]] and the ability to generate complex [[spatial query|geospatial queries]]. Also, a database's client/server architecture supports multiple users simultaneously and lets them view, edit, and query the database without conflict. |
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Revision as of 21:16, 9 September 2011
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A geodatabase is a spatial database designed to store, query, and manipulate geographic information and spatial data of low dimensionality. It is a specialized type of spatial database often with optimizations for 2 and 3 dimensions, raster data and Euclidean distance.
Within a spatial database, spatial data is treated as any other data type. Vector data can be stored as point, line or polygon data types, and may have an associated spatial reference system. A geodatabase record can use a geometry data type to represent the location of an object in the physical world and other standard database data types to store the object's associated attributes. Some geodatabases, such as Rasterlite[1] and those used by ESRI in their ArcGIS software, also include support for storing raster data.
Many geodatabases have custom functions that allow the spatial data to be manipulated and queried using SQL, for example to find all the residents of an area within an exposure zone for a potential environmental hazard. However the spatial data in some geodatabases can only be accessed by using specialized client software.
Within a geographic information system (GIS) a spatial database is one component that can be used to store and manipulate data. Typically a complete system will also include client software to view and edit the data stored within the database. Like other spatial data formats geodatabases can also be used to serve data directly to web map server software, such as ESRI's ArcGIS Internet Map Server, MapServer and Google's mapping API. The term GIS-Centric, however, has been specifically defined as the use of the Esri ArcGIS geodatabase as the asset/feature data repository central to Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) as a part of Enterprise Asset Management and analytical software systems. GIS-centric certification criteria has been specifically defined by NAGCS, the National Association of GIS-Centric Solutions. http://www.nagcs.org/index.asp
The primary advantage of spatial databases, over file-based data storage, is that they let a GIS build on the existing capabilities of relational database management systems (RDBMS). This includes support for SQL and the ability to generate complex geospatial queries. Also, a database's client/server architecture supports multiple users simultaneously and lets them view, edit, and query the database without conflict.
History
Early GIS systems separated spatial data from attribute data and linked related records through a common identifier. Using specialized file-structures (such as node/chain) for handling spatial data was necessary for efficient storage and processing. Attribute data was commonly in a file or RDBMS. Examples of this architectures are the Arc/Info coverage and Shapefile.
The early implementations to store both spatial and attribute data in a database used middleware to store spatial data using a traditional datatype such as BLOB, to implement spatial indexing and to provide a spatial-query interface to applications. The IBM Geographic Database System (GDBS) in the mid-1980s used the IBM IMS hierarchical database and the IBM GeoManager in 1990 used the IBM DB2 relational database management system.
An early development in storing spatial data in a modified relational database management system resulted in a modified Oracle v.4 during the late 1980s and early 1990s; this eventually led to the productizing of Oracle Spatial.
In the late 1990s Object-relational databases (ORDBMS) allowed for adding geometry types to additional databases. Some ORDBMSs were also extended with custom functions for the processing of spatial data using SQL. R-tree indexes allow efficient querying of such spatial data.
Implementations
By the mid-2000s, a variety of commercial and open source database management systems had the ability to store geospatial data, including Boeing/Sybase Spatial Query Server, IBM DB2, Microsoft Access, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, SQLite and Oracle. It can be manipulated using extensions such as IBM DB2 Spatial Extender, Oracle Spatial, PostGIS, Intergraph's GeoMedia, SpatiaLite, ESRI's ArcGIS or ArcSDE and Informix Spatial DataBlade.
See also
Further reading
- ESRI Press.Modeling Our World: The ESRI Guide to Geodatabase Design
- Apress.Pro Oracle Spatial, 2004, Springer-Verlag, Ravi Kothuri, Albert Godfrind, and Euro Beinat.
- Designing Geodatabases: Case Studies in GIS Data Modeling , 2005 Ben Franklin Award winner, PMA, The Independent Book Publishers Association.
- Rigaux, P., Scholl, M., and Voisard, A. (2002) Spatial Databases: with application to GIS. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.
- OGC Simple Features Specification for SQL - Open Geospatial Consortium standard for types and functions in a spatial database.