2008 User Conference Presentations – Geodatabase Essentials: Parts 1 & 2

The Geodatabase Essentials presentations are designed to introduce the main concepts integral to the geodatabase and its use.

Colin Zwicker and I will be presenting the first part, introducing the concept of the geodatabase and offering a high level overview of the datasets that can be contained within.

Colin elaborates: “The Geodatabase Essentials Part I tech workshop is geared towards introducing new users to what a Geodatabase is, what some of the features are, and why users would want to use them. The topics range from what types of Geodatabases are available to how some of the datasets apply Geodatabase business logic for added functionality. I’ll be walking through some demos to highlight a few of the key topics. The Geodatabase Essentials Part I will focus mainly on single user Geodatabases. We will introduce the concepts and build the foundation for the second installment, Geodatabase Essentials Part II, which will focus more on ArcSDE geodatabases and their functionality.”

Brent had this to say about the second part of the presentation:
“The goal of this session is to tell the ArcSDE geodatabase story. ArcSDE geodatabases are a very powerful technology and we think this session will go a long way in explaining what ArcSDE geodatabases are and how they can be used. The target audience for this session is anyone who is using or thinking about using ArcSDE geodatabases. The content will be given at a very high level as we have a number of low level sessions dealing with specific aspects of the enterprise geodatabase throughout the week.”

Here are the outlines for the two presentations to give you an idea of what we’ll be talking about down in San Diego.

Geodatabase Essentials Part I – An Introduction to the Geodatabase
Colin Zwicker; Jonathan Murphy

Goals of the workshop:

• Explain what a geodatabase is and why you would want to use it
• Describe data management via the geodatabase
• Demonstrate geodatabase functionality
• Explore the geodatabase data model

Major topics covered:

• Introduction to the geodatabase: the data storage and data management framework for ArcGIS
• Benefits of the geodatabase: Storing data in a DBMS, it supports open standards, implement business logic and data integrity, allow multi-user editing and data distribution.
• Geodatabase data management: leverages RDBMS architecture, spatially continuous datasets, version management, supports multiple data sources
• Types of geodatabases: Explaining the differences between personal, file and ArcSDE geodatabases and the benefits of each type

Each of the following geodatabase elements will also be introduced:

• Objects and object classes: entities with properties and behavior, tables with a unique ObjectID column
• Features and feature classes: An object class that models spatial features, has an ObjectID and a Shape column
• Feature datasets: container for other datasets with the same spatial reference
• Domains: ensure attribute integrity, there are two types – Range and Coded
• Subtypes: separate feature classes into like groups
• Relationship classes: create associations between two object classes
• Annotation: create labels, text and other graphics on the map
• Dimension features: display distances and measures on the map
• Geometric Networks: model network systems, trace network flows
• Network datasets: model complex, multimodal transportation datasets
• Terrains: dataset for modeling 3D surfaces and massive point datasets
• Topology: manage a set of features that share geometry or spatial coincidence, define integrity rules and constraints for associated feature classes
• Raster: import imagery, mosaic images, create raster catalogs
• XML Export / Import: transfer schema and/or features, export a subset of a geodatabase, import into an existing geodatabase

Geodatabases Essentials Part II – An Introduction to ArcSDE Geodatabases
Craig Gillgrass; Gary MacDougall; Brent Pierce
Room 4
Wednesday, August 6 - 8:30am – 9:45am
Thursday, August 7 - 8:30am – 9:45am
Friday, August 8 - 8:30am – 9:45am

Goals of the workshop:

• Compare and contrast the different types of geodatabases, focusing on ArcSDE geodatabases
• Provide a clear explanation of ArcSDE geodatabases including when to consider their use and what advantages they provide
• Explain ArcSDE specific functionality, focusing on versioning, archiving and geodatabase replication
• Review best practices for each of these areas
• Discuss some of the functionality in ArcGIS 9.3 for ArcSDE geodatabases

Major topics covered:

• What are ArcSDE Geodatabases
• Versioning
• Introduce versioning and its basic concepts
• How does multi user editing work with versioning
• Using reconcile and post
• Archiving
• Introduction and description of how it works
• Problems that archiving can help solve
• Geodatabase Replication
• Define geodatabase replication and describe use cases where it can be used
• The types of replication available
• Creating and synchronizing replicas
• Best practices for creation, synchronizing and maintaining replicas
• What’s new in 9.3 for the geodatabase