WhereGroup

Geodatabases are central elements in spatial data infrastructures. The choice of Open Source solutions for this domain is currently limited to two software packages one of which offers the complete functional range. This is due to the fact that database systems are pretty well established technology.

PostgreSQL is the furthest developed object-relational Open Source database. PostgreSQL is being developed by an international corporate consortium and is in productive use at a global level. The WhereGroup runs projects with more than 200 million polygon geometries and answer times of fractions of a second with more than a hundred concurrent users (as an example). We recommend individual consultancy to reach these or better figures

PostGIS

The PostGIS extension adds support for spatial objects to the PostgreSQL object-relational database. In effect, it enables PostgreSQL to act as a central and standardized source of data for spatial data infrastructures. Full interoperability is gained by implementing OGC Simple Features specification. Just like UMN MapServer PostGIS relies on the PROJ4-library for coordinate transformation algorithms.

MySQL

MySQL is the most popular Open Source database server. It is completely laid out for high performance and simple administration. Since version 4.1, MySQL offers partial support for OGC simple features for spatial data. MySQL runs on Linux, Unix, MacOS X and Windows. MySQL is frequently used in conjunction with CMS and Wiki software.

Integration of Software with Proprietary Licenses

In many cases, databases turn out to be the most important, central and strategic component of an information system. Thus it should be of utmost importance, to avoid dependency on a specific proprietary system, which often ends up in vendor lock-in. However, in many cases this decision was taken years ago, in many cases without a known alternative. The result can be a strong dependency on a specific system, i.e. one specific vendor.

For this reason, the WhereGroup holds substantial knowledge about the proprietary database Oracle and offers professional and certified support. The modular approach of spatial data infrastructures is perfect to begin a gentle introduction and long-term shift towards Open Source technology.