Geodatabases and the production environments (Maritime Charting)

Before you determine how you are going to set up your nautical production environment, you must understand the different type of geodatabase options. The geodatabase is a "container" used to hold a collection of datasets. There are three types:

  1. File geodatabases—Stored as folders in a file system. Each dataset is held as a file that can scale up to 1 TB in size. The file geodatabase is recommended over personal geodatabases.
  2. Personal geodatabases—All datasets are stored within a Microsoft Access data file, which is limited in size to 2 GB.
  3. ArcSDE geodatabases—Also known as multiuser geodatabases. Stored in a relational database using Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2, IBM Informix, or PostgreSQL. These geodatabases require the use of ArcSDE and can be unlimited in size and numbers of users.

Learn more about file and personal geodatabases

Learn more about an ArcSDE geodatabase

Geodatabases and the enterprise production environment

If you are going to implement ArcGIS for Maritime: Charting in an enterprise production environment, the Nautical Information System (NIS) and product library geodatabases will need to be enterprise ArcSDE database, and you have a few options for setting up the production databases. Please refer to the table below.

Nautical enterprise production environment
Nautical enterprise production environment

Geodatabase

Storage environment

Nautical Information System (NIS) database

enterprise geodatabase
NoteNote:

The Maritime Charting supports Oracle 11g and Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise.

product library

enterprise geodatabase
NoteNote:

The Maritime Charting supports Oracle 11g and Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise.

production database

  • ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Desktop
  • ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Server Workgroup
  • enterprise geodatabase in SQL Server
This table describes the geodatabases used in the Maritime Charting in the enterprise production environment, and the storage environments.

See steps for setting up the NIS database in one of the following enterprise geodatabases.

Geodatabases and the desktop production environment

If you are going to implement Maritime Charting in a desktop production environment, have a few options for setting up the product library and production databases. Please refer to the table below.

The following image represents the geodatabase and the desktop S-57 and chart production environment.

Desktop S-57 and chart production environment
Desktop S-57 and chart production environment

The following image represents the geodatabase and the desktop DNC production environment.

Desktop DNC production environment
Desktop DNC production environment

Geodatabase

Storage environment

product library

  • Esri file geodatabase
  • ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Desktop
  • ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Server Workgroup
  • enterprise geodatabase in SQL Server
  • geodatabase in Oracle

production database for ENC, IENC, AML, and paper chart products

  • ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Desktop
  • ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Server Workgroup
  • enterprise geodatabase in SQL Server

production database for DNC

  • Esri personal geodatabase
This table describes the geodatabases used in the Maritime Charting in the enterprise production environment, and the storage environments.

The production database storage environments

Regardless of the production environment you choose to implement, there are three different production database storage approaches that you can choose: ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Server Workgroup or an enterprise geodatabase in SQL Server. With an ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Desktop or ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Server Workgroup, you manage the production databases on your local client machine through the SQL Server Express database management application. However, your production databases are dispersed throughout your client network and are not centrally managed and updated on a server. If all the production databases need to be centrally managed on a local or remote server, then you can use an enterprise geodatabase in SQL Server to store them. Each production database is stored on a server and editors are given access to the individual databases via a connection file that gets stored on the local client. The actual production databases remain on the server and the editors are just given access to their assigned production database.

Storage for production databases in an
Storage for production databases in an ArcSDE geodatabase
Storage for production databases in an
Storage for production databases in an enterprise geodatabase in SQL Server
2/17/2015