[postgis-users] Re: Massive Lidar Dataset Datatype Suggestions?

[Yves Moisan]

 Hi, 

I am also still pondering how the heck I will be storing potentially large amounts of water quality [point] data.  Integrating on space as Paul suggests is interesting, but other integration schemes could be useful, one being integration of the data "by object" (e.g. sensor, station ...). 

In the example I am thinking of, a bunch of point data could be boxed both by time and sensor in the form of a single netCDF file (integration on object=sensor) for an arbitrary time bin (e.g. a day, a week ...). 

I am still very hesitant as to what path is best.  Wouldn't a netCDF file allow me to put all the relevant metadata as well that I could make sure meets some standard (e.g. FDGC-CSDGM) instead of potentially having to put that metadata in postgreSQL or an XML database ?  Would the spatial querying machinery be efficient if the data were stored in netCDF files, e.g. could I still use just the coordinates of my data points in postGIS with a 3rd field being some sort of pointer to a BLOB in the form of a netCDF file ?  I think if it is just for spatial queries, such a set up would be fine.  But what if I wanted to further parametrize my queries by some attribute data (e.g. give me all point measurements < valueOrParameter=A > valueOrParameter=B) ?  I guess depending on volume netCDF files could be opened from within postgreSQL without it being too heavy an operation ? 

Your problem is one of sheer data volume and calls for some integration mechanism, but I think one doesn't have to have a data volume problem to realize that data integration is, in my opinion, a much more general problem for all of us. 

Let us know what solution you chose.  I am too very much interested. 

Yves Moisan 

Gerry Creager N5JXS wrote: 

  Hmmm... Can we start thinking in terms of a NetCDF data structure? 
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