[MapServer-users] Is there a "best" source file format for serving WMS from raster layers?

[Jeff McKenna]

Hi Stefan,

I maintain 2 documents that try to handle those questions:

- raster optimization: https://mapserver.org/optimization/raster.html
- vector optimization: https://mapserver.org/optimization/vector.html

Formats are still important.  You'll notice that I had done a 
performance comparison for the vector types, which I still find applicable.

Assuming that you mean the source format of your data (and not the 
output format for the WMS service), for raster sources I still rely on 
the speed of a properly indexed GeoTIFF.  (yes the cool kids may use 
other formats ha)

In terms of output formats, I recently had some back-and-forth with an 
admin of an Esri WMS service, about their use of output formats in their 
WMS service - it seems the format discussion is never-ending, and as 
important today in year 2024 ha.

Hope your summer is going well,

-jeff




-- 
Jeff McKenna
GatewayGeo: Developers of MS4W, & offering MapServer Consulting/Dev
co-founder of FOSS4G
http://gatewaygeo.com/




On 2024-07-29 4:57 a.m., Stefan Gofferje via MapServer-users wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> considering performance, is there such a thing like a "best" source 
> format for WMS raster layers assuming a single source file for the whole 
> layer and some processing such as e.g. coloring or reprojecting?
> 
> E.g. is processing a GeoTIFF file faster or more efficient than a PNG 
> source?
> 
> -Stefan
>