An overview of possibilities of using selected NoSQL databases to manage spatial data

Michał Wyszomirski
ORCID: 0000-0002-5407-0536
Warsaw University of Technology
Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography
Department of Cartography
Poland

Abstract

Relational databases have a well-established conceptual foundation and are still holding a strong market position. It is worth noting, however, that the underlying concept was created in the early 1970s, taking into account parameters of then-available computers. Today's personal computers have technical features that allow to store much larger amounts of data and process them in an incomparably faster way. Despite the evolution of relational database management systems, and adaptation them to ever-changing needs, alternative solutions have emerged that offer different features and capabilities for storing and processing even more data. Their development is due in part to the need to eliminate relational database constraints, and in part to the increasing availability of computer hardware. This type of solution is called the NoSQL database. They are open source solutions based on a non-relational data model and adaptation to a distributed environment. Their popularity grows fast enough so that attention should be paid to their usefulness for management and analysis of spatial data. The objective of this paper is to present the main advantages and disadvantages of NoSQL databases in the context of ability to manipulate spatial data. For designers and users of GIS systems based on popular platforms such as "Oracle Spatial and Graph" and "PostGIS", basic concepts related to database management are: geometric types of data, spatial indexes, spatial operators, spatial functions and procedures, topological and network models. The basic concepts used in NoSQL are significantly different. The paper presents the literature review with a minimal number of examples aiming only at signalling the NoSQL database operations.

Received 3.10.2017 Accepted 18.12.2017 Published 15.02.2018

Keywords:

databases; spatial data; NoSQL

Full Text:

PDF (Polish)

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