Geodatabase files at ArcGIS 9.2

Written by VidaGIS

Tuesday, 04 November 2008 15:58

ArcGIS desktop 9.2 has just been launched to the market since the end of 2006 with the purpose of improving the quality; ArcGIS 9.2 has many advanced usefulness and additional functionalities.

Especially, in the database part, ESRI introduces new geodatabase file that is not only more powerful than Microsoft Access personal geodatabase, but also better than Shapefile in displaying and query. Sometimes its users, however, are easy to make mistake with geodatabase files in editing and managing ArcGIS data under management level.

Therefore, users should be able to differentiate three geodatabase types as follows:

Personal Geodatabase
File Geodatabase
ArcSDE Geodatabase

The types of Geodatabase are managed and edited in ArcGIS. However, they are different from organizational method and management system. Personal geodatabase is the first standardized format managed in Microsoft Access file that is used to analyze, display data in personal desktop with 2Gb volume.

File Geodatabase is managed under the form of folder containing systematic file to improve volume, query quality and to display data. These two formats, besides the above difference, are also distinguishable in creating SQL command while users query data in ArcMap. ESRI still maintains personal geodatabase format, however, consumers are advised to use File Geodatabase one.

When managing database with high volume and concurrent use in server using ArcSDE, geodatabase is called ArcSDE geodatabase. It is divided into three types with three different management levels:

ArcSDE personal geodatabase – uses ArcGIS Desktop as ArcEditor, ArcInfo installed ArcSDE personal Edition and Microsoft SQL Server Express 2005. These two products are currently free and enclosed in ArcGIS Desktop 9.2 package. With ArcSDE personal geodatabase, data is allowed three people concurrently logging in, but only one of them could edit data when connecting Database Server in ArcCatalog.
ArcSDE workgroup geodatabase – uses ArcGIS Desktop installed ArcSDE workgroup. ArcSDE workgroup is enclosed in ArcGIS Server Workgroup package. Database of ArcSDE workgroup allows 10 people concurrently logging in and editing through connection with Database Server in ArcCatalog.
ArcSDE enterprise geodatabase – uses ArcGIS Desktop installed ArcSDE enterprise. ArcSDE enterprise is enclosed in ArcGIS Server Enterprise package. Database ArcSDE enterprise allows many people concurrently logging in and editing unlimited quantity through connection with database in ArcCatalog.

Diagram of Comparison of geodatabase types:

Key Characteristics	ArcSDE Geodatabase	File Geodatabase	Personal Geodatabase
Description	Format for ArcGIS stored and managed in a relational database.	A collection of various types of GIS datasets held in a file system folder	Original data format for ArcGIS geodatabases stored and managed in Microsoft Access data files
Number of Users	Multiuser, many readers and many writers	Single user, some readers and one writer	Single user and small workgroups with smaller datasets Some readers and one writer. Concurrent use eventually degrades for large numbers of readers.
Storage Format	- Oracle - Microsoft SQL Server - IBM DB2 - IBM Informix	Each dataset is a separate file on disk A file geodatabase is a file folder that holds its dataset files.	All the contents in each personal geodatabase are held in a single Microsoft Access file (.mdb).
Size Limits	Up to DBMS limits	One TB for each dataset. Each file geodatabase can hold many datasets Each feature class can scale up to hundreds of millions of vector features per dataset.	Two GB per Access database
Versioning Support	Fully supported	Not supported	Not supported

Compares the types of ArcSDE geodatabase:

Feature	Personal	Workgroup	Enterprise
Underlying database	SQL Server Express	SQL Server Express	Any of the Workgroup, Standard, Developer, or Enterprise editions of SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, or Informix
Type of client to database connection	Direct connect	Direct connect	Direct connect or ArcSDE application server (ArcSDE service)
Maximum number of concurrent connections to a database server instance	3	10	No limit imposed by ArcGIS
Maximum number of concurrent ArcGIS editing sessions in a geodatabase	1	10	No limit imposed by ArcGIS
Maximum total data per database	4 GB	4 GB	Limited only by operating system and DBMS used
Database administration	ArcSDE database server connection trong ArcCatalog	ArcSDE database server connection trong ArcCatalog	ArcSDE Administration Commands; some tasks possible in DBMS administration software and in ArcCatalog through a database connection

Information and the diagram of the above type category help user classify clearly the types of geodatabase in ArcGIS and the types of ArcSDE geodatabase in data management for higher level as well. User can understand simultaneously at least the relevant requirement of software product to manage and edit these geodatabases.

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