Oracle Spatial
Encyclopedia
Oracle Spatial forms a separately-licensed option component of the Oracle Database
. Oracle Spatial aids users in managing geographic and location-data in a native type within an Oracle database, potentially supporting a wide range of applications — from automated map
ping/facilities-management and geographic information systems (GIS), to wireless location services and location-enabled e-business.
schema
(named by default "MDSYS", where "MD" stands for "Multi Dimensional") and functions that facilitate the storage, retrieval, update, and query of collections of spatial features in an Oracle database. Oracle Spatial consists of:
The spatial component of a spatial feature consists of the geometric representation of its shape in some coordinate space
— referred to as its "geometry".
Oracle Spatial also includes Semantic
Database features including an RDF
triple store, ontology
management, inferencing, the Web Ontology Language
(OWL), and SPARQL
query language.
A companion visualization component and web map server, Oracle Fusion Middleware MapViewer, is available as a feature of Oracle WebLogic Server.
(CHS). A joint development team of CHS and Oracle personnel subsequently redesigned the Oracle kernel, resulting in the "Spatial Data Option" or "SDO" for Oracle 7. (The SDO_ prefix continues in use within Oracle Spatial implementations.) The spatial indexing system for SDO involved an adaptation of Riemannian hypercube
data-structures, invoking a helical
spiral through 3-dimensional space, which allows n-size of features. This also permitted a highly efficient compression of the resulting data, suitable for the petabyte
-size data repositories that CHS and other major corporate users required, and also improving search and retrieval times. The "helical hyperspatial code", or HHCode
, as developed by CHS and implemented by Oracle Spatial, comprises a form of space-filling curve
.
Since Oracle 8, Oracle Corporation
marketing has dubbed the spatial extension simply "Oracle Spatial". The primary spatial indexing system no longer uses the HHCode
, but a standard r-tree
index.
Oracle Database
The Oracle Database is an object-relational database management system produced and marketed by Oracle Corporation....
. Oracle Spatial aids users in managing geographic and location-data in a native type within an Oracle database, potentially supporting a wide range of applications — from automated map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
ping/facilities-management and geographic information systems (GIS), to wireless location services and location-enabled e-business.
Components
Oracle Spatial provides a SQLSQL
SQL is a programming language designed for managing data in relational database management systems ....
schema
Logical schema
A Logical Schema is a data model of a specific problem domain expressed in terms of a particular data management technology. Without being specific to a particular database management product, it is in terms of either relational tables and columns, object-oriented classes, or XML tags...
(named by default "MDSYS", where "MD" stands for "Multi Dimensional") and functions that facilitate the storage, retrieval, update, and query of collections of spatial features in an Oracle database. Oracle Spatial consists of:
- A schema that prescribes the storage, syntax, and semantics of supported geometricGeometryGeometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
data typeData typeIn computer programming, a data type is a classification identifying one of various types of data, such as floating-point, integer, or Boolean, that determines the possible values for that type; the operations that can be done on values of that type; the meaning of the data; and the way values of...
s. - A spatial indexing system.
- Operators, functions, and procedures for performing area-of-interest queries, spatial join queries, and other spatial analysisSpatial analysisSpatial analysis or spatial statistics includes any of the formal techniques which study entities using their topological, geometric, or geographic properties...
operations. - Functions and procedures for utility and tuningDatabase tuningDatabase tuning describes a group of activities used to optimize and homogenize the performance of a database. It usually overlaps with query tuning, but refers to design of the database files, selection of the database management system , operating system and CPU the DBMS runs on.The goal is to...
operations. - A topologyTopologyTopology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
data modelData modelA data model in software engineering is an abstract model, that documents and organizes the business data for communication between team members and is used as a plan for developing applications, specifically how data is stored and accessed....
for working with data about nodeVertex (graph theory)In graph theory, a vertex or node is the fundamental unit out of which graphs are formed: an undirected graph consists of a set of vertices and a set of edges , while a directed graph consists of a set of vertices and a set of arcs...
s, edges, and faceFace (geometry)In geometry, a face of a polyhedron is any of the polygons that make up its boundaries. For example, any of the squares that bound a cube is a face of the cube...
s in a topologyTopologyTopology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
. - A network data model for representing capabilities or objects (modeled as nodeNode (networking)In communication networks, a node is a connection point, either a redistribution point or a communication endpoint . The definition of a node depends on the network and protocol layer referred to...
s and linkData linkIn telecommunication a data link is the means of connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving information. It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a transmitter and a receiver and the interconnecting data telecommunication circuit...
s) in a network. - A GeoRaster feature to store, index, query, analyze, and deliver GeoRaster data (raster image and gridded data and its associated metadataMetadataThe term metadata is an ambiguous term which is used for two fundamentally different concepts . Although the expression "data about data" is often used, it does not apply to both in the same way. Structural metadata, the design and specification of data structures, cannot be about data, because at...
). - Data types and operators for 3-Dimensional objects including Triangulated Irregular Networks (TINs)Triangulated irregular networkA triangulated irregular network is a digital data structure used in a geographic information system for the representation of a surface...
, Point CloudsPoint cloudA point cloud is a set of vertices in a three-dimensional coordinate system. These vertices are usually defined by X, Y, and Z coordinates, and typically are intended to be representative of the external surface of an object....
and LiDARLIDARLIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
data sets. - A Geocoder to convert locations and addresses data into formal geographic coordinates.
- A Routing engine to create routes based on commercial and publicly available street network data.
- OpenGeospatial Consortium compliant Web Services.
The spatial component of a spatial feature consists of the geometric representation of its shape in some coordinate space
Coordinate space
In mathematics, specifically in linear algebra, the coordinate space, Fn, is the prototypical example of an n-dimensional vector space over a field F. It can be defined as the product space of F over a finite index set.-Definition:...
— referred to as its "geometry".
Oracle Spatial also includes Semantic
Semantic Web
The Semantic Web is a collaborative movement led by the World Wide Web Consortium that promotes common formats for data on the World Wide Web. By encouraging the inclusion of semantic content in web pages, the Semantic Web aims at converting the current web of unstructured documents into a "web of...
Database features including an RDF
Resource Description Framework
The Resource Description Framework is a family of World Wide Web Consortium specifications originally designed as a metadata data model...
triple store, ontology
Ontology
Ontology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations...
management, inferencing, the Web Ontology Language
Web Ontology Language
The Web Ontology Language is a family of knowledge representation languages for authoring ontologies.The languages are characterised by formal semantics and RDF/XML-based serializations for the Semantic Web...
(OWL), and SPARQL
SPARQL
SPARQL is an RDF query language; its name is an acronym that stands for SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language. It was made a standard by the RDF Data Access Working Group of the World Wide Web Consortium, and considered as one of the key technologies of semantic web...
query language.
Availability
Spatial is an option for Oracle Enterprise Edition, and must be licensed separately. It is not included in the Standard Edition and Standard Edition One. However, the latter two editions allow the use of a subset of Spatial (called Oracle Locator) at no extra cost. The functions allowed in Locator are specified in an appendix of the Oracle Spatial manual .A companion visualization component and web map server, Oracle Fusion Middleware MapViewer, is available as a feature of Oracle WebLogic Server.
History
The Oracle RDBMS first incorporated spatial-data capability with a modification to Oracle 4 made by scientists working with the Canadian Hydrographic ServiceCanadian Hydrographic Service
The Canadian Hydrographic Service is Canada's hydrographic office, with responsibility for performing hydrographic surveys and publishing paper and electronic nautical charts...
(CHS). A joint development team of CHS and Oracle personnel subsequently redesigned the Oracle kernel, resulting in the "Spatial Data Option" or "SDO" for Oracle 7. (The SDO_ prefix continues in use within Oracle Spatial implementations.) The spatial indexing system for SDO involved an adaptation of Riemannian hypercube
Hypercube
In geometry, a hypercube is an n-dimensional analogue of a square and a cube . It is a closed, compact, convex figure whose 1-skeleton consists of groups of opposite parallel line segments aligned in each of the space's dimensions, perpendicular to each other and of the same length.An...
data-structures, invoking a helical
Helix
A helix is a type of smooth space curve, i.e. a curve in three-dimensional space. It has the property that the tangent line at any point makes a constant angle with a fixed line called the axis. Examples of helixes are coil springs and the handrails of spiral staircases. A "filled-in" helix – for...
spiral through 3-dimensional space, which allows n-size of features. This also permitted a highly efficient compression of the resulting data, suitable for the petabyte
Petabyte
A petabyte is a unit of information equal to one quadrillion bytes, or 1000 terabytes. The unit symbol for the petabyte is PB...
-size data repositories that CHS and other major corporate users required, and also improving search and retrieval times. The "helical hyperspatial code", or HHCode
HHCode
A Helical Hyperspatial Code, also known as an HHCode, is a data storage format for very large spatio-temporal datasets.The development of HHCode can be traced to efforts by scientists working for the Canadian Hydrographic Service's Atlantic regional offices at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography...
, as developed by CHS and implemented by Oracle Spatial, comprises a form of space-filling curve
Space-filling curve
In mathematical analysis, a space-filling curve is a curve whose range contains the entire 2-dimensional unit square...
.
Since Oracle 8, Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
marketing has dubbed the spatial extension simply "Oracle Spatial". The primary spatial indexing system no longer uses the HHCode
HHCode
A Helical Hyperspatial Code, also known as an HHCode, is a data storage format for very large spatio-temporal datasets.The development of HHCode can be traced to efforts by scientists working for the Canadian Hydrographic Service's Atlantic regional offices at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography...
, but a standard r-tree
R-tree
R-trees are tree data structures used for spatial access methods, i.e., for indexing multi-dimensional information such as geographical coordinates, rectangles or polygons. The R-tree was proposed by Antonin Guttman in 1984 and has found significant use in both research and real-world applications...
index.
Additional reading
- Euro Beinat, Albert Godfrind & Ravikanth V. Kothuri. Pro Oracle Spatial. Apress (2004) ISBN 1-59059-383-9
- Euro Beinat, Albert Godfrind & Ravikanth V. Kothuri. Pro Oracle Spatial for Oracle Database 11g. Apress (2007) ISBN 1-59059-899-7
See also
- OGRGDALGDAL is a library for reading and writing raster geospatial data formats, and is released under the permissive X/MIT style free software license by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation. As a library, it presents a single abstract data model to the calling application for all supported formats...
– The OGR Simple Feature Library is an open source interface to Oracle Spatial data
External links
- Spatial and location data – Oracle Corporation's official website
- http://fdo.osgeo.org/fdooracle/index.html – Open Source FDO interface to Oracle Spatial data
- Feature compare of Oracle 11GR2 Spatial/Locator, PostGIS PostgreSQL, and SQL Server 2008 R2