Is Spatially Extending the DBMS the Right Way To Go?
July 17, 2006
OK, so I’m starting to post and straight off it’s nothing to do with the UK (I’m having doubts about this approach anyway). As part of my distance learning course (read more about me) I am currently half way through a database module, and the assignment may be an interesting topic to post. Please note I am not seeking answers/trying to plagerise etc, merely posting my thoughts.
The assignment has asked us to consider ways in which we would like to spatially extend MySQL (looking at Oracle Spatial and PostgreSQL/PostGIS was one of the first things I did), but the question assumes that is what we want to do anyway. But is it?
At this early stage, I can’t help but feel that it is not the best way to go. Whilst I can see a few advantages, there is something in the back of my mind that doesn’t feel right about spatially extending the DBMS.
Are they not for managing the data, that is what they do best. Leave the spatial operations to the GISoftware (ideally get rid of middleware into the GIS software), and use the DBMS for storage only. If current trends continue, will we not end up with Oracle competing against ESRI rather than complementing each other (As Oracle creates a DBMS GIS, and ESRI creates a GIS DBMS)?
I accept that storage of geometry types is one advantage of a spatially extended DBMS, and am prepared to give in to that one.
As I say, it early days yet, and as I investigate the literature this week will hopefully add a bit more. You never know I may give up swimming against the tide by the end…
technorati tags:GIS, DBMS, spatial
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July 18, 2006 at 10:32 am
Hi Anthony,
Very briefly, I look at this from two perspectives:
1. Spatial data is enterprise data, just like all the rest, so it should be in the same database.
2. Access to the data should be as open as possible because the data is the valuable asset, not the software. Using spatial middleware restricts your choices.
Think of creating a report based on spatial criteria. If I have to go through some spatial middleware then chances are a developer has to write procedural code to get the data I want in the report. That takes time to create and the cost of change is high.
If I can get the same answer directly from a spatial database using a declarative SQL statement the effort to create and maintain the report is reduced and therefore lower cost. No developer required.
Andrew
July 18, 2006 at 6:16 pm
Hi andrew, thank you for dropping by and leaving a comment.
As I read more am starting to see more than my initial desire to ‘prove the lecturers wrong’
Will post my summary at the weekend once I have the final assignment drafted.
July 26, 2006 at 7:31 pm
I thought MySQL was already spatially extended?
July 28, 2006 at 7:45 am
It is – sort of. They have support for storage of geometry types but is still far short of functionality available in oracle spatial and postgis.
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