Chapter 3

Geo-database Management
 Objectives of the chapter

At the End of the chapter, the student will be able to

understand:-
 About geo-database
 Designing geo-database
 Data management in geo-database
 Editing spatial data
 Geographic information

 A spatial data infrastructure (SDI) is a framework of spatial data,

metadata, users and tools that are interactively connected in order
to use spatial data in an efficient and flexible way;
 Geo-data is information about geographic locations that is stored in
a format that can be used with a geographic information system
(GIS).
 It can be stored in several formats and storage systems:
 Database
 Geo-database
 Shape file
 Coverage
 Database and geodatabase

 A database is an organized collection of data

 A geodatabase is a database, in which some of the content is
spatially enabled.
 Geo-databases have a comprehensive information model for
representing and managing geographic information.
 ArcGIS geodatabase is a collection of geographic datasets of various
types held in:
 a common file system folder (File Geodatabase)
 a Microsoft Access database (Personal Geodatabase)
 a multiuser relational DBMS, such as Microsoft SQL Server,
PostgreSQL and several others (Enterprise Geodatabase)
 How geo-database works?
 At the core of the geodatabase is a standard relational database
schema.
 Within the geodatabase, there are two primary sets of tables:
 System tables:-the geodatabase system tables keep track of the
contents of each geodatabase.
 They essentially describe the geodatabase schema that specifies all
dataset definitions, rules, and relationships.
 Dataset tables :-each dataset in the geodatabase is stored in one
or more tables.
 The dataset tables work with the system tables to manage data.
 Key Geodatabase Personal types andFile comparison ArcSDE
characteristics geodatabase geodatabase geodatabase
some readers and many readers or one multiuser
N. of users one writer writer per feature
dataset
Microsoft Access File folder DBMS
Storage format
file
2 GB per Access 1 TB for each dataset DBMS limits
database (but
Size limits
performance issues
if > 500 MB)
Versioning Check-out Check-out Full
support One-way One-way
Windows file Operating file system Provided by
Security
system security security DBMS
Windows file File system DBMS functions
Database system management management for backup,
administration recovery,
replication, etc.
 ArcSDE Geodatabases types and comparison
Desktop Workgroup Enterprise
Scenario Small or 1 user Small-medium Large scale
Data storage SQL Server SQL Server SQL Server, Oracle,
Express Express Postgres….

Management ArcCatalog ArcCatalog ArcCatalog, ArcSDE

Interface DBMS, command line
Storage Capacity 10 GB 10GB Depends on the server
Number 1 editor and 3 10 editors and Unlimited editors and
Concurrent Users readers readers readers
Network Local Network Intranet and Intranet and Internet
application Internet
Characteristics Versioning Versioning, Versioning, Multiuser
Multiuser editing editing, Enterprise IT
Integration
 Geodatabase user data (dataset tables)
 All GIS users usually work with three
fundamental dataset types.
 A set of feature classes; a number of
attribute tables; a large set of imagery and
raster datasets to work with.  
 Geometries are stored and managed in
attribute columns along with traditional
tabular attribute fields. © ESRI, 2014

 The geodatabase has a number of additional data elements and

dataset types that can be used to extend this fundamental
collection of datasets.
 (e.g. attribute domains, relationship classes, subtypes, versioning,
feature datasets, topology etc.)
 Feature class basics
 Feature classes are homogeneous
collections of common features, each
having the same spatial representation
(points, lines, polygons or annotations)
and a common set of attribute columns
 Each feature class is managed in a single table. A shape column in
each row is used to hold the geometry or shape of each feature
 Feature datasets
 A feature dataset is a collection of feature classes, with common
characteristics with respect to:
 Spatial reference
 Vertical coordinate system
 Geometric tolerance: xy, z, m
 Spatial Resolution: xy, z, m
 Geometric tolerance (in ESRI’s world) is the distance that
coordinates are allowed to be adjusted by the software during
various processing operations
 Spatial resolution (in ESRI’s world) is the numeric precision
used to store the coordinate values.
 Precision is important for accurate feature representation, analysis,
and mapping.
Feature datasets
 Database access in ArcGIS
 You can connect to databases from ArcGIS to view, query, and
analyze the data they contain.
 In order to access to a database, you must create a connection
file, specific for the DBMS you want to access, providing
database instance name, authentication type and credentials,
database name

© ESRI, 2014
 Create Users
Users can be created into the GeoDatabase using an ArcToolbox.

1. Start ArcCatalog or ArcMap

2. Open the ArcToolBox.

3. Select Database Management tool

4. Select Geodatabase Administration

5. Launch the Create Database User tool

6. Fill-in information below and click OK to create the user and assign it
the right role:
Input Database Connection: Specify the connection file to the
enterprise
geodatabase, which is made as a database administrator
(the connection file created with sde user)
Database User: “Type the name you want to give to the user”
Database User Password: “Type the password you want to assign to the
user
Role: “type the name of the group to which you want to associate the
user
 Grant and Revoke privileges to users

 If you want to let other database users view or modify the contents
of any data in a database, you must grant them the privileges to do
so.
 You can grant just select privileges, meaning the user can read and
select from but not modify the contents of a dataset.
 You can also grant update, insert, and delete privileges, which
allow the user to modify the contents of a dataset.
 To grant and revoke privileges in the GeoDatabase you can use the
Privileges Dialag Box
 NOTE: You must be the owner of that dataset to modify privileges
 Grant and Revoke privileges to users
1.Connect to the GeoDatabase that contains the data you own and for
which you want to grant or revoke privileges.
2.Right-click the Feature class, Feature Dataset or Raster Dataset or
Table, point to Manage, and click Privileges. The Privileges dialog
box opens.
3.If the user or role whose privileges you want to change is already in
the list, check or uncheck the boxes for the privileges you want to
grant or revoke, and then click OK to apply your change
4.If the user or role is not already in the list, do the following: Click
Add to open the User/Role dialog box.
 Grant and Revoke privileges to users
5.You can choose the database users or roles you want to add from the
list by checking the box next to their names;
6.Click OK to close the User/Role dialog box.
7.Check the boxes of the privileges you want each new user or role to
have and click OK.
 Geodatabase maintenance
Geodatabase main maintenance tasks include:
 Locks management – GeoDatabases use locks system to prevent users to modify feature
classes structure while other users are using them.
 Database backup and recovery - The data stored in your geodatabase must be protected
from loss or corruption
 Update statistics - As the data and components within the geodatabase change, table and
index statistics become outdated. This is a problem because the database uses the statistics
to process queries from users or client applications.
 Compress versioned geodatabases - As edits are made to versioned geodatabases, the
number of states and rows in the delta tables grows, slowing database performance
 Synchronize replicated data with parent geodatabase
 Upgrading the geodatabase - To take advantage of new functionality, you will
periodically need to upgrade your software by either installing a newer version or
installing a service pack or patch
 Database performance improvement
 To maintain database performance, the geodatabase administrator must periodically run a
compress operation to remove unused data.
 The frequency with which you need to perform a compress operation is based on the
amount of editing that takes place in your geodatabase.
 If you have a high volume of edits, you should probably compress the geodatabase once a
day. For average or low edit volumes, you should compress at least once a week.
Database compression
You can run the database compression through ArcMap or ArcCatalog following the steps
below.

1. Connect to your geo-database using the administrative user (sde)

2. Right-click the database connection in the Catalog tree, point to Administration, then
click Compress Database
3. Click Yes to confirm that you want to run the compression operation on the selected
geodatabase.
 Database performance improvement

 Database management systems determine the most efficient way to

execute the queries sent to them based on database statistics.
 Therefore, for optimal performance of datasets created within
Enterprise geo-databases, you need to keep the database statistics
current by frequently updating them.
 Database performance improvement
Analyze datasets - update statistics
 To open the Analyze Datasets tool from the Catalog tree in
1. Start ArcMap or ArcCatalog;
2. Navigate to the Analyze Datasets geoprocessing tool in the
geodatabase Administration toolset in the Data Management toolbox;
3. Use the database connection file created with the owner of the datasets
you want to analyze. (ex. sudan – NOT THE SDE CONNECTION);
4. From the Datasets to Analyze list, choose the tables, feature classes,
feature datasets, raster catalogs, for which you want to update
statistics.
5. Leave the three checkboxes checked.
6. Click OK to run the tool.
 Geodatabases: multiuser functionality
 VERSIONING: mechanism that enables the geodatabase to manage
and maintain multiple states while preserving database integrity.
 It is the basis for multiple users accessing and editing data
simultaneously.
 REPLICATION: enables GIS data to be shared across two or more
geo-databases.
 Data changes can be made in each geo-database, then synchronized.
 Geodatabases: versioning
VERSIONED EDITING

 Ability to manage conflict resolution

 Supports undo/redo capability
 Supports the full geodatabase model
 Supports geodatabase archiving and replication
 Supports long transactions
 Persistent record of changes
NON-VERSIONED EDITING

 Editing of source data directly

 Last edit is final
 No ability to undo/redo changes
 Geodatabases: replication
 Is built on top of the versioning environment
 Supports the full geodatabase data model, including topologies and
geometric networks
 Can work in an asynchronous model (The replication is loosely
coupled so that each replicated geodatabase can work independently
and still synchronize changes with one another.)
 Does not require a uniform DBMS across replicas
 Works in a connected or disconnected environment
 Can utilize local geodatabase connections as well as geodata
services
 Geodatabases: replication
 Checkout/Check-in replication: Checkout/Check-in replication
allows you to make edits to the child replica data, then synchronize
these changes with the parent.
 Once the data has been synchronized, you can no longer
synchronize additional edits.
 If additional edits are required, you must create a new checkout
replica.
 For a checkout replica, the parent must be hosted in ArcSDE while
the child can be hosted in either an ArcSDE, file, or personal
geodatabase.
 Geodatabases: replication
 ONE_WAY REPLICATION: allows data changes to be sent
multiple times from the parent replica to the child replica.
 Changes cannot be sent from the child replica to the parent replica.
The parent replica's data is editable, but the data in the child replica
is considered read-only.
 One-way replication is only supported between ArcSDE
geodatabases.
 It requires the data in the parent to be versioned but has an option
that allows the data in the child to be un-versioned.
 Geodatabases: replication

 TWO_WAYS REPLICATION: allows data changes to be sent

multiple times from the parent replica to the child replica or from
the child replica to the parent replica.
 Two-way replication is only supported between ArcSDE geo-
databases.
 The data must be versioned in both the parent and the child.
 Geodatabases: replication

 Geodatabase replication is supported on both connected (LAN or

WAN) and
 disconnected systems.
 A disconnected system is one in which the replica geo-databases are
not on the same network.
 If disconnected, replica creation and synchronization are
accomplished through workflows involving file transport.
 Connected systems involve local connections on a LAN or using
ArcGIS Server for remote access on a WAN.
Thank You
For Your Attention!!