Overview
Spatial Database Systems
Silvia Nittel
Room 334 Boardman Hall
silvia.nittel@maine.edu
Course Objectives
This course covers modern modular database system (DBS) architectures, including spatial database functionality. It introduces relational algebra, SQL and spatial SQL based on OCG-compliant data types, database design, 3rd normal form, and spatial database architecture. Practical labs are done with PostGIS, QGIS and Apache Spark. Further, storage structures such as file, record and index structures (including spatial index structures) are covered. Relational and spatial query operator algorithms, and optimizing query plans.
Lec. 3. Cr. 3.
Prerequisites: graduate standing, programming experience in Python (no other programming languages are required)
(Optional) Course Texts:
- Database Management Systems (3rd Ed), Raghu Ramakrishnan, Johannes Gehrke, McGraw Hill.
- Optionally: Spatial Databases: with Application to GIS, Philippe Rigaux, Michel Scholl, Agnes Voisard, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.
Powerpoint slides of lecture material will be available via Umaine Brightspace (http://courses.maine.edu/).
Software:
The course involves several programming assignments. Please make sure to have an up-to-date laptop available for class with sufficient RAM and disk space. For the database labs, we use
- PostgreSQL
- PostGIS
- QGIS
- Python (Geopandas, Shapely, etc.)
- Apache Spark and Apache Sedona
Distance Education:
The live class is available via Zoom. Link is published on Brightspace. Recordings are available on Brightspace.
D. Important Notices
- Important Disability Notice
- Contingency Plans in the Event of a Flue Epidemic
- Copyright Notice for Materials Accessible through this Website
- Introductory materials are available for those students interested in GIS Law issues
- Term Paper Formatting
- Book Review Instructions
E. Instructor Office Hours & Discussion Sessions
For discussions with the instructor, E-mail to silvia.nittel@maine.edu is often the simplest way to get a message through and a response and arrange for a meeting.
(last update: Aug 2024)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.