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:
- 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.
- Personal geodatabases—All datasets are stored within a Microsoft Access data file, which is limited in size to 2 GB.
- 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.
Geodatabase | Storage environment |
---|---|
Nautical Information System (NIS) database | enterprise geodatabase Note: The Maritime Charting supports Oracle 11g and Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise. |
product library | enterprise geodatabase Note: The Maritime Charting supports Oracle 11g and Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise. |
production database |
|
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.
The following image represents the geodatabase and the desktop DNC production environment.
Geodatabase | Storage environment |
---|---|
product library |
|
production database for ENC, IENC, AML, and paper chart products |
|
production database for DNC |
|
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.