ArcSDE
Encyclopedia
ArcSDE is a server-software sub-system (produced and marketed by Esri
) that aims to enable the usage of Relational Database Management System
s for spatial data. The spatial data may then be used as part of a geodatabase
.
DBMS. The president of Esri
, Jack Dangermond, announced SDE at the GIS'95 conference in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, and Esri purchased Salamanca Software in 1996. The software was re-branded as "ArcSDE" to follow the naming convention of other products from Esri.
ArcSDE grew to meet the need of users of geographic data for robust multi-user editing, storage and access of extremely large geospatial databases. ArcSDE supports the Esri geodatabase
implementation.
The product began as stand-alone software: ESRI integrated it into ArcGIS
version 9.2.
- part of the ArcGIS
family of software products which integrates geographic information query, mapping, spatial analysis, and editing within a multi-user enterprise DBMS environment.
.
ArcSDE is an application server that facilitates storing and managing spatial data (raster, vector, and survey) in a DBMS and makes the data available to many applications. ArcSDE allows one to manage spatial data in any of four commercial databases (IBM DB2
, Informix
, Microsoft SQL Server
and Oracle
). Starting with the 9.3 release, Esri added support for the open-source PostgreSQL
database.
ArcSDE serves data for the advanced ArcGIS Desktop products (ArcView
, ArcEditor
and ArcInfo
); the ArcGIS development products (ArcGIS Engine and ArcGIS Server), ArcView 3.x as well as ArcIMS
. It is a key component in managing a multi-user Esri-based GIS.
While traditional RDBMS software keeps track of the tables and records contained in the database, ArcSDE pushes the relational model higher so that client software can manage geographic data - which comprise several tables - seamlessly. The user need have no awareness of nor dealings with the particulars of the RDBMS. The GIS environment routes all connections to the database through the ArcSDE middleware
, which manages the storing and retrieval of data.
ESRI
Esri is a software development and services company providing Geographic Information System software and geodatabase management applications. The headquarters of Esri is in Redlands, California....
) that aims to enable the usage of Relational Database Management System
Relational database management system
A relational database management system is a database management system that is based on the relational model as introduced by E. F. Codd. Most popular databases currently in use are based on the relational database model....
s for spatial data. The spatial data may then be used as part of a geodatabase
Geodatabase
A geodatabase is a spatial database designed to store, query, and manipulate geographic information and spatial data of low dimensionality. It is a specialized type of spatial database often with optimizations for 2 and 3 dimensions, raster data and Euclidean distance.Within a spatial database,...
.
History
The database software, named Spatial DataBase Engine (SDBE), was first designed by Geographic Technologies Incorporated (GTI) in Australia. Development shifted to Salamanca Software Pvt Ltd., which developed the first production version. SDBE originally used the InterBaseInterBase
InterBase is a relational database management system currently developed and marketed by Embarcadero Technologies. InterBase is distinguished from other DBMSs by its small footprint, close to zero administration requirements, and multi-generational architecture...
DBMS. The president of Esri
ESRI
Esri is a software development and services company providing Geographic Information System software and geodatabase management applications. The headquarters of Esri is in Redlands, California....
, Jack Dangermond, announced SDE at the GIS'95 conference in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and Esri purchased Salamanca Software in 1996. The software was re-branded as "ArcSDE" to follow the naming convention of other products from Esri.
ArcSDE grew to meet the need of users of geographic data for robust multi-user editing, storage and access of extremely large geospatial databases. ArcSDE supports the Esri geodatabase
Geodatabase
A geodatabase is a spatial database designed to store, query, and manipulate geographic information and spatial data of low dimensionality. It is a specialized type of spatial database often with optimizations for 2 and 3 dimensions, raster data and Euclidean distance.Within a spatial database,...
implementation.
The product began as stand-alone software: ESRI integrated it into ArcGIS
ArcGIS
ArcGIS is a suite consisting of a group of geographic information system software products produced by Esri.ArcGIS is a system for working with maps and geographic information...
version 9.2.
ArcSDE 10.0
Esri sells the latest version, ArcSDE 10.0, as a component of ArcGIS ServerArcGIS Server
ArcGIS Server is the core server geographic information system software made by Esri. ArcGIS Server is used for creating and managing GIS Web services, applications, and data...
- part of the ArcGIS
ArcGIS
ArcGIS is a suite consisting of a group of geographic information system software products produced by Esri.ArcGIS is a system for working with maps and geographic information...
family of software products which integrates geographic information query, mapping, spatial analysis, and editing within a multi-user enterprise DBMS environment.
ArcSDE Alternative tools
After 2010, there are some alternative tools for connecting ArcMap with DBMS Postgres, SQL Server.. such as ST-Links PgMap.Functionality
ArcSDE enables organisations to move from a traditional approach — managing a separate collection of geographic data files — to an integrated environment in which one can manage spatial data as a continuous database: accessible to the entire organisation simultaneously and easily publishable on the WebWorld Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
.
ArcSDE is an application server that facilitates storing and managing spatial data (raster, vector, and survey) in a DBMS and makes the data available to many applications. ArcSDE allows one to manage spatial data in any of four commercial databases (IBM DB2
IBM DB2
The IBM DB2 Enterprise Server Edition is a relational model database server developed by IBM. It primarily runs on Unix , Linux, IBM i , z/OS and Windows servers. DB2 also powers the different IBM InfoSphere Warehouse editions...
, Informix
Informix
IBM Informix is a family of relational database management system developed by IBM. It is positioned as IBM's flagship data server for online transaction processing as well as integrated solutions...
, Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database server, developed by Microsoft: It is a software product whose primary function is to store and retrieve data as requested by other software applications, be it those on the same computer or those running on another computer across a network...
and Oracle
Oracle database
The Oracle Database is an object-relational database management system produced and marketed by Oracle Corporation....
). Starting with the 9.3 release, Esri added support for the open-source PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL, often simply Postgres, is an object-relational database management system available for many platforms including Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, MS Windows and Mac OS X. It is released under the PostgreSQL License, which is an MIT-style license, and is thus free and open source software...
database.
ArcSDE serves data for the advanced ArcGIS Desktop products (ArcView
ArcView
ArcView 3.x was a geographic information system software product produced by ESRI.-History:ArcView started as a graphical program for spatial data and maps made using ESRI's other software products. Over time more and more functionality was added to ArcView and it became a real GIS program capable...
, ArcEditor
ArcEditor
ArcEditor is the midlevel software suite designed for advanced editing of spatial data published in the proprietary Esri format. It is part of the ArcGIS product. It provides tools for the creation of map and spatial data used in Geospatial Information Systems...
and ArcInfo
ArcInfo
ArcInfo is a full-featured geographic information system produced by Esri, and is the highest level of licensing in the ArcGIS Desktop product line. It was originally a command-line based system...
); the ArcGIS development products (ArcGIS Engine and ArcGIS Server), ArcView 3.x as well as ArcIMS
ArcIMS
ArcIMS is a Web Map Server produced by Esri. It is a GIS that is designed to serve maps across the Internet. Sometimes these maps are just static images allowing simple panning and zooming, while others are more complex pages...
. It is a key component in managing a multi-user Esri-based GIS.
While traditional RDBMS software keeps track of the tables and records contained in the database, ArcSDE pushes the relational model higher so that client software can manage geographic data - which comprise several tables - seamlessly. The user need have no awareness of nor dealings with the particulars of the RDBMS. The GIS environment routes all connections to the database through the ArcSDE middleware
Middleware
Middleware is computer software that connects software components or people and their applications. The software consists of a set of services that allows multiple processes running on one or more machines to interact...
, which manages the storing and retrieval of data.