Rumsliga databaser

AG2425 Spatial Databases

Course Examiner(s):

Gyözö Gidofalvi

Lecturer(s):

Gyözö Gidofalvi, KTH, gyozo.gidofalvi(a)abe.kth.se (GG)

Teaching Assistant:

TBA

Literature:

Reading instructions and a list of optional literature will be handed out during the lectures. 

Course Description:

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are being used in a wide variety of applications. A key component of any GIS application is the underlying spatial database which must be designed to support efficient data storage, access and analysis operations.This course focuses on the design and development of spatial databases. Particular emphasis will be placed on the use of data modeling techniques to design a GIS database for a specific application. Students will work in small groups to develop a conceptual design for a GIS database and will then work individually to build a spatial database using digital data available through digital library as well as data digitized from existing maps, imagery and field data collected using GPS. The resulting database will be used to perform some basic spatial analysis.

The course covers the following topics:

The goals of this course are to enable students to develop a good understanding of the principles and techniques of spatial databases. Students will learn how to apply these principles and techniques in designing and building a spatial databases; and use spatial databases to perform common types of queries and spatial analyses.
The main content of this course will include: 

• Conceptual and logical data models for spatial databases
• Physical data storage, data access method, query processing and optimization
• Design of conceptual data models for spatial databases using a ER diagram approach
• Processing and retrieval of geographic data from spatial databases using OGIS/SQL1999 interface and other specific interface (SDK) from database vendors
• Optimization of spatial database by applying spatial indexing technologies, pyramid structure, data compressing, etc.
• Basic operations of the Oracle Spatial databases and PostGIS/PostgreSQL open-source spatial database
• Introduction to modern commercial and open-source (free) spatial databases products, e.g. Oracle Spatial, ArcSDE, PostGIS / PostgreSQL, etc.
• Advantages and trends in spatial databases: network data model, spatio-temporal data model, spatial data mining, etc
• Guest lectures on applications of spatial databases

Disposition:

The course is composed of lectures, laboratory exercises, and a project. 

Prerequisites:

• AG2411 GIS Architecture and Algorithms, or equivalent

Examination and requirements for final grade:

• Written exam (TEN2; 3 ECTs; Grade scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F)
• Successful project work and presentation (PROJ1; 1.5 ECTs; Grade scale: P, F)
• Approved exercise reports (LAB2; 3 ECTs, Grade scale: P, F)

Bonus points:

Students can receive one bonus point for each lab that they finish (submit and get approved) before the deadline. Lab results (reports) can also be submitted after the deadline, but no bonus point is given for such labs. The sum of the bonus points is incorporated in the final grade of students on top of the exam grade.