WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF INFORMATICS

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Spatial purpose database system assignment

PREPARED BY

NAME ID
1. Abdulhafiz Kemal SOI/R/191/10
2. Abdullaziz Omar SOI/R/093/10
3. Adanech Tadege SOI/R/059/10
4. Sisagegn Samuel SOI/R/178/10
5. Melkam Mamo SOI/RT/006/12
6. Hawultu Wale SOI/R/033/10

Submitted: - to MR. Tizita Obsa (M.Sc.)

 1. Explain the difference between spatial and attribute
data model.
The main difference between attribute data and spatial data is that the attribute
data describes the characteristics of a geographical feature while spatial data
describes the absolute and relative location of geographic features.

Attribute data are descriptions or measurements of geographic features. It refers

to detailed data that combines with spatial data. Attribute data helps to obtain
the meaningful information of a map. Every feature has characteristics that we
can describe. For example, assume a building. It has a built year, the number of
floors, etc. Those are attributes. Attributes are the facts we know, but not visible
such as the built year. It can also represent the absence of a feature. Usually, a
table helps to display attribute data. Each row represents a single feature. In a
GIS, clicking on the row will highlight the corresponding feature on the map.

Spatial data consists of points, lines, polygons or other geographic and geometric
data primitives that we can map by location. It is possible to maintain spatial data
as vector data or raster data. Each provides information connected to
geographical locations. Vector data consist of sequential points or vertices to
define a linear segment. It has an x coordinate and a y coordinate. Furthermore,
raster data consists of a matrix of cells or pixels arranged into rows and columns.
Each cell contains a value representing information.

Attribute data refers to the characteristics of geographical features that are

quantitative and/or qualitative in nature while spatial data refers to all types of
data objects or elements that are present in a geographical space or horizon.
Thus, this is the main difference between attribute data and spatial data.

1
 2. Mention the advantages of the raster model:
• It is very simple data structure.

• Compatible with remotely sensed imagery

• Continuous features are best represented using raster.

• Overlay analysis is easy to perform with raster model.

• A simple data structure—a matrix of cells with values, representing a

coordinate, and sometimes linked to an attribute table.

• A powerful format for intense statistical and spatial analysis.

2
• The ability to represent continuous surfaces and perform surface analysis.

• The ability to uniformly store points, lines, polygons, and surfaces.

• Capability to perform faster overlays (than vector datasets) with complex data.

• The same cell-based structure is used to represent all feature types; therefore,
all feature types may be treated the same. This uniform structure allows you to
combine a variety of geographic features in one geoprocessing operation (for
example, query, overlay, or expression). You can combine a surface (elevation)
with area features (forestry), linear features (rivers and roads), and point features
(wells) in the same analysis.

• The ability to compress the datasets using either a lossy or lossless compression.

• Compatible with remote sensing images and all results images of spatial data
scanning.

• The application software is cheaper.

3. Explain hierarchical and network data model with

examples.
Hierarchical data model
A hierarchical database model is a data model in which the data are organized into a tree-like
structure. The data are stored as records which are connected to one another through links. A
record is a collection of fields, with each field containing only one value. The type of a record
defines which fields the record contains.

The hierarchical database model mandates that each child record has only one parent, whereas
each parent record can have one or more child records. In order to retrieve data from a
hierarchical database, the whole tree needs to be traversed starting from the root node.

When we want to design the database, there is a variety of database models. Relational and
network models are famous models. You can read the tutorial about these topics here by
clicking the model name. In this tutorial, we will explore the database hierarchical model.
According to the hierarchical model, all the records have a parent to child relationship.

The hierarchical database model uses the hierarchic sequence that always starts at the left side
of the tree. The most widely used database model is relational model.

3
Example of hierarchical data model:-

Network data model

The network model is a database model conceived as a flexible way of
representing objects and their relationships. Its distinguishing feature is that the
schema, viewed as a graph in which object types are nodes and relationship types
are arcs, is not restricted to being a hierarchy or lattice. The network model allows
each record to have multiple parent and child records, forming a generalized
graph structure.

4
Examples of network data model:-

5
 4. Mention the specification of hardware requirements for
spatial database
RAM
To run intensive GIS data processes or complex spatial analysis, it is important for
your computer to have an adequate amount of RAM. For running ArcGIS
software, make sure you have at least 8GB of RAM but preferably 16GB or higher.
CPU Speed
Make sure your computer’s CPU speed is adequate. The ArcGIS 10.2 system
requirements recommend: “2.2 GHz minimum; Hyper-threading (HHT) or Multi-
core”.
Hard Drive Storage
Make sure your hard drive is large enough to store GIS data. If you are working
with a large geographic area or are using high resolution satellite imagery, you
will need plenty of space to store GIS data that can easily be 1GB or larger. A SSD
drive has been reported by many GIS users to be a more robust option.
64-bit Processing
Starting with version 10.1 SP1, ArcGIS can now perform 64 bit background
geoprocessing. To use this, your machine will need to be having a 64-bit
operating system. Additionally, this post by Esri’s staff notes, “32bit applications,
such as ArcGIS Desktop, can access almost twice as memory when run on the
64bit operating system (due to being Large Address Aware).”
Graphics Card
If you plan to work within a 3D GIS environment, make sure you have a graphic
card capable of handling 3D display. Esri requires OpenGL-compatible graphics
cards to run 3D Analyst.

5. List down any three software for GIS database

 Arc map
 Arc view
 Esri ArcGIS.
 BatchGeo.
 Google Earth Pro.

6
 Maptitude.

6. What is GPS? And list down the components of GPS.

GPS is a satellite navigation system used to determine the ground position of
an object. GPS technology was first used by the United States military in the
1960s and expanded into civilian use over the next few decades. Today, GPS
receivers are included in many commercial products, such as automobiles,
smartphones, exercise watches, and GIS devices.
The GPS system includes 24 satellites deployed in space about 12,000 miles
(19,300 kilometers) above the earth's surface. They orbit the earth once every
12 hours at an extremely fast pace of roughly 7,000 miles per hour (11,200
kilometers per hour). The satellites are evenly spread out so that four satellites
are accessible via direct line-of-sight from anywhere on the globe.
Each GPS satellite broadcasts a message that includes the satellite's current
position, orbit, and exact time. A GPS receiver combines the broadcasts from
multiple satellites to calculate its exact position using a process called
triangulation. Three satellites are required in order to determine a receiver's
location, though a connection to four satellites is ideal since it provides greater
accuracy.
In order for a GPS device to work correctly, it must first establish a connection
to the required number of satellites. This process can take anywhere from a
few seconds to a few minutes, depending on the strength of the receiver. For
example, a car's GPS unit will typically establish a GPS connection faster than
the receiver in a watch or smartphone. Most GPS devices also use some type
of location caching to speed up GPS detection. By memorizing its previous
location, a GPS device can quickly determine what satellites will be available
the next time it scans for a GPS signal.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a U.S.-owned utility that provides users
with positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services. This system consists of
three segments: the space segment, the control segment, and the user
segment. The U.S. Space Force develops, maintains, and operates the space
and control segments.

7
The components of GPS are:
Satellite or Space segment
Control stations or Control segment
Receiver or User segment

7. Mention sources of data for GIS database

Based on their source, geographic data are classified into two kinds:
 primary data and
 Secondary data.
PRIMARY DATA SOURCES
Primary data are direct measurements
Primary data collection is necessary when a researcher cannot find the data
needed in secondary sources
Three basic means of obtaining primary data are:
observation, surveys and experiments. 
SECONDARY DATA SOURCES
Secondary data is data which has been collected by individuals or agencies for
purposes other than those of our particular research study.
Secondary data are data derived by processing primary data or other secondary
data.
Secondary data is data which has been collected by individuals or agencies for
purposes other than those of our particular research study.
Secondary data are data derived by processing primary data or other secondary
data.
The most common general sources for data for GIS database are:
 Satellite images
 Map data,
 Tabular data and
 survey and records
8
 Hard copy maps
 Aerial photographs
 Remotely-sensed imagery
 Point data, samples from surveys
 And existing digital data files
 Existing hard copy maps
E.g. sometimes referred to as analogue maps, provide the most popular source
for any GIS project.

8. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of relational

database model
Advantages:
1. Ease of use: The revision of any information as tables consisting of rows and
columns is much easier to understand.
2. Flexibility: Different tables from which information has to be linked and
extracted can be easily manipulated by operators such as project and join to
give information in the form in which it is desired.
3. Precision: The usage of relational algebra and relational calculus in the
manipulation of the relations between the tables ensures that there is no
ambiguity, which may otherwise arise in establishing the linkages in a
complicated network type database.
4. Security: Security control and authorization can also be implemented more
easily by moving sensitive attributes in a given table into a separate relation
with its own authorization controls. If authorization requirement permits, a
particular attribute could be joined back with others to enable full information
retrieval.
5. Data Independence: Data independence is achieved more easily with
normalization structure used in a relational database than in the more
complicated tree or network structure.
6. Data Manipulation Language: The possibility of responding to query by
means of a language based on relational algebra and relational calculus e.g
SQL is easy in the relational database approach. For data organized in other

9
 structure the query language either becomes complex or extremely limited in
its capabilities.
Disadvantages:
1. Performance: A major constraint and therefore disadvantage in the use of
relational database system is machine performance. If the number of tables
between which relationships to be established are large and the tables
themselves effect the performance in responding to the sql queries.
2. Physical Storage Consumption: With an interactive system, for example an
operation like join would depend upon the physical storage also. It is,
therefore common in relational databases to tune the databases and in such a
case the physical data layout would be chosen so as to give good performance
in the most frequently run operations. It therefore would naturally result in
the fact that the lays frequently run operations would tend to become even
more shared.
3. Slow extraction of meaning from data: if the data is naturally organized in a
hierarchical manner and stored as such, the hierarchical approach may give
quick meaning for that data.

9. Mention the types of selection in the GIS database

The three selection processes in GIS database are:
 Select by Attribute: which uses the values, or attributes, of features to make a
selection in the attribute table (or other non-spatial data table), 
Select by Location: which uses spatial relationships and interactions to make a
selection, regardless of attributes, and
 Interactive Selection: where we use a tool in ArcGIS to click on features in the
map, resulting in a selection.

10. Mention application areas of GIS system

Major application areas of GIS system are as follows.

10
Facilities Management
Large scale and precise maps and network analysis are used mainly for utility
management. AM/FM is frequently used in this area.

Environment and Natural Resources Management

Medium or small scale maps and overlay techniques in combination with aerial
photographs and satellite images are used for management of natural resources
and environmental impact analysis.

Street Network
Large or medium scale maps and spatial analysis are used for vehicle routing,
locating house and streets etc.

Planning and Engineering

Large or medium scale maps and engineering models are used mainly in civil
engineering.

Land Information System

Large scale cadaster maps or land parcel maps and spatial analysis are used for
cadaster administration, taxation etc.

11