Optimizing Data Base for GeoData

[Doug Nebert]

Chris Fuhrman wrote:


> The main problem I'm having is data base performance.  I've tinkered with
> the data base and have added enough indexes to make a considerable
> difference in performance.  I've also limited the number of layers I'm
> drawing when my scale is above a certain point.
> 
> Finally, if anyone wishes to use PostgreSQL as a low-cost solution for
> writing a GIS type application, I can heartily recommend it.  It comes
> with some nice geographic data types and functions.  It also plays well
> with Perl.
Chris:

Did you investigate the use of Sybase, Informix, DB2, or Oracle 8i for 
the Linux platform? Almost all of these are available for Linux now at 
no or low cost (Sybase came with RedHat 6.1; Oracle can be obtained with 
an unexpiring demo license) and most/all? support stored procedures and 
extensible data types. My understanding is that PostgreSQL is intended 
for research and demo applications but was never tuned for performance, 
just a testbed of features. It would seem to me that one of these other 
databases could be rigged to store each primitive with a searchable, 
indexed bounding envelope to return the feature as a BLOB. Or, for a 
chunk of change you could use tuned tools such as Oracle Spatial or SDE...

What are others' experience? It would be very nice to have a low cost 
database engine to feed the mapserver. It would be even nicer if folks 
built their interfaces following the OpenGIS "Simple Features via SQL" 
access model. Then different brands of compatible databases could be 
accessed using the same SQL calls. This doesn't eliminate the need for 
database tuning, but allows for a common request interface.

Doug.

> 
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--
Douglas D. Nebert
Clearinghouse Coordinator
FGDC Secretariat	Phone: +1 703 648 4151	Fax: +1 703 648-5755	
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