| Abstract: | The emergence of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as an important tool in the analysis of spatial phenomena has been mirrored by the evolution of the data models underpinning such systems. When considering vector‐based solutions, such developments have seen a migration from single‐user, file‐based, topological hybrid models to multi‐user database management system (DBMS) based integrated formats, often with no inherent topology. With all these solutions still being readily available, the decision of which to employ for a given application is a complicated one. This study analyses the performance of a number of vector data storage formats for use with ESRI's ArcGIS, with the aim to facilitate the ‘intelligent selection’ of an appropriate solution. Such a solution will depend upon the application domain and both single‐user and multi‐user (corporate) scenarios are considered. Findings indicate that single‐user ESRI coverages and multi‐user ArSDE/Oracle strategies perform better when considering the range of GIS operations used to evaluate data store performance. |
