[postgis-users] PostGIS vs Oracle Spatial/MS SQL2008

[Peter Hopfgartner]

Based on my current project, I would split down the decision as:

1) Is there any know how on administering PostgreSQL or Oracle at your 
client side?

The human factor is crucial. Databases are often vital and the 
confidence that you have in dumping/restoring/optimizing/planning 
deployment is an important factor.

2) Which tools will be used for accessing the database. PostGIS is 
typically better supported in Open Source tools. You can directly access 
PostGIS in QGIS, gvSIG, MapServer etc., whereas for Oracle you typically 
have to recompile (MapServer) or use some plugin (gvSIG), which may not 
be up to date, etc.

3) Which features do you need. Oracle has some features that might take 
it apart, among those are: robust topology implementation, routing 
(pgRouting is the PostGIS-based alternative), raster (will come with 
PostGIS in some future version), geography (earth as a sphere, instead 
as a plane, but will be included in the next version of PostGIS, too).

4) Which platform will host your database. If you run some common Linux 
distro, PostgreSQL/PostGIS is much better integrated and updating is a 
no minder. For running Oracle you will have to change some kernel 
parameters, disable SE-Linux and have some "blog" that lives completly 
outside of your well managed RPM packging. If you use some kind of 
Ubuntu, Oracle is not certified. On Windows, this is not an issue.

My very personal  impression is, that PostgreSQL/PostGIS has fewer 
features, but does them very well and I find it's SQL implementation 
more elegant  and consistent. Oracle frequently feels like a 
many-tons-truck, which is ok, if you need a many-tons-truck. But not, if 
you are fine with a lighter vehicle.

Peter
Bruce Foster wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm in middle of making a decision for a client of mine, where I'm
> inclined to PostGIS.
>
> Now to convince the client, I really need to show the value that out
> weight Oracle Spatial and MS SQL2008. We are not talking cost here, so
> that option is not considered.
>
> I searched for some comparison on net but not much to my delight. So,
> let me ask the user community and I really hope to get some
> interesting facts about PostGIS so I can hold to my thesis with the
> customer.
>
> a. Read somewhere on Topology. Hope someone throw more light on this.
> b. Versioning, which is not available in Postgres
>
> On a related note, can we edit directly on PostGIS using MapInfo,
> ArcGIS Desktop, AutoCad Map3D etc.
>
> uDIG, QGIS allow direct connectivity to PostGIS, hope they allow
> direct file editing too.
>
>
>   


-- 
 
Dott. Peter Hopfgartner
 
R3 GIS Srl - GmbH
Via Johann Kravogl-Str. 2
I-39012 Meran/Merano (BZ)
Email: peter.hopfgartner at r3-gis.com
Tel. : +39 0473 494949
Fax  : +39 0473 069902
www  : http://www.r3-gis.com

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