1. Implementing Geodatabase Technology
Kay Anderson &
Kendis Scharenbroich
Cass, County, ND & Pro-West & Associates

2. What Is A Geodatabase? A container for spatial and attribute data
Shapefiles, coverages, raster, CAD
Personal Geodatabase
2G size limit
Stored in an Access database
SDE Geodatabase
Stored in a RDBMS (Oracle, SQL, etc)
Connect through a SDE Server or Direct Connect
Scalable based on solution: personal vs. sde
Connect using a database connection

3. Benefits of A Geodatabase
Intelligent Behavior
Spatial & attribute data integrity
Centralized Data Storage
Advanced analysis capabilities
Flow analysis
Multi-user editing environment

4. Terminology Feature Dataset Feature Class
Data goes from being stored in separate folders/files to being managed in a single database. Easy to access and easy to publish to the web.

5. What Is SDE?
Software that allows a user to manage spatial & tabular data housed within DB2, Informix, SQL Server or Oracle databases.
GIS
SQL
SDE
Storage
Interpreter
View/Analyze
Server-side processing, so performance is faster. SDE is optimized for performance

6. SDE SQL ArcIMS MapObjects ArcInfo ArcView ArcExplorer
Use with numerous applications. No matter what you are using now, this format can be used.
Centralized for distribution locally and to the web.
ArcIMS can read personal with the arcmap server, but it’s slow
SQL

7. Geodatabase Highlights
SDE Geodatabase
Multi-user editing
Data Integrity
Subtypes, domains, rules, etc
Stores Raster Data
Need ArcEditor or ArcInfo to edit
Disconnected Editing
Check-in/out process
Personal Geodatabase
Single user editing
Data Integrity
Domains(AV), rules (AI)
Stores Raster Data
Edit in ArcView
Versioning: multiple representations of the same database without making copies of the data,
number of versions does not slow down performance
Integrity: easier to set up rules to ensure spatial/att integrity is maintained.
connectivity/topology rules only set and edited in ArcInfo, AV can handle domains
Topology: parcels are not allowed to overlap
Connectivity: Hydrants can only snap to hydrant laterals
when editing, a service line can be added to a mainline without splitting the line.

8. Multi-user Editing Versioning Default Database Planning Version Edit
Snapshot of default database
Stores edits only
Not a database replication
Multiple users can access a
single version

9. Domains/Subtypes Subtype: Distinguish features within a single layer
Water Main
Force, Gravity, Temp
Domain:
Identify attribute values
Subtypes: may have different default values, such as pipe diameters or material, must be a long or short integer field
Created by right clicking a feature class in arccatalog

10. Disconnected Editing Mobile Mapping Applications
PDA Units, Tablet Computers, Offsite Editing
Check out from ArcMap
Check in from ArcMap or ArcCatalog
Extract: no check in functionality, can do in personal geodatabases
Can extract shapefiles for Arcpad use using the arcpad toolbar in ArcMap

11. Design 101 Organize Use Feature Datasets only when you need to
Topology or Geometric Networks
Several feature datasets with a limited number of feature classes is better for performance
Choose Spatial Reference carefully
Start with a personal geodatabase
Set rules
TEST TEST TEST!
Versioning: multiple representations of the same database without making copies of the data
Integrity: easier to set up rules to ensure spatial/att integrity is maintained.
Personal: only can extract data and only supports domains

12. Is SDE Right for You?
Do you have the need for multiple people editing the same piece of data?
Is mobile mapping in your future?
Do you have more than 2G of data to transfer into a geodatabase?
Do you want a better way to maintain your data?
Answering yes, puts you into position to strongly consider SDE.
Modeling our world is a good reference.

13. ESRI Data Models
Make implementation to the geodatabase environment easier
Create consistency between organizations
Support existing FGDC standards
Designed with both Users and ESRI
TIP
You do not need to use the entire model

14. Why should Cass County make the switch to Geodatabases?
Volume of data to be managed keeps increasing
Shared updates & maintenance of datasets with The City of Fargo
Increasingly unable to represent reality e.g. apartments, mobile home & multi-units
Complex data access needs from multiple users on two networks

15. Geodatabase Benefits
Cass County will have the ability to maintain data more efficiently through Topology, subtypes and domains
All available data sets will be accessible in a uniform repository
Multi-user editing

16. Planning Consultations started in May with Pro-West & City of Fargo
2005 Budget numbers needed for hardware & software
Recognized needs for intranet based GIS application & more interactive IMS site

17. Challenges Existing GIS data server almost past sell by date!
150gb of 1ft color Orthophotos arriving the next 2 months need a home!
Cass & Fargo need to access and edit the same data across two networks divided by a robust firewall

18. The Nuts & Bolts! Which spatial domain is appropriate?
Cass data & imagery in State Plane North Dakota South, Fargo has highly accurate customized projection – who compromises?!
Where will the editable version reside?
Who will have editing rights?
How to replicate the data?

19. Possible Solutions
One GDB with separate Feature Datasets for Cass & Fargo allows different coordinates to be set
How will this data behave when pulled in to IMS & intranet browser…need to test the scenarios

20. What have we done? 2005 budget finalized
Multiple Storage Array Network installed with 1 TB free space for GIS
Experimenting with Cass data in Personal GDB
Test different combinations of feature data sets, relationships, subtypes, domains etc.
Education – review white papers, best practices, data models, text books

21. 2005 Plans Install SDE & SQL Set up permissions and import data
Test & refine processes
Establish requirements for intranet based GIS application & IMS site
Migrate users to new version later in the year

22. Questions? Kay Anderson: andersonk@co.cass.nd.us 701-241-5762
Kendis Scharenbroich:
x106