GIS and Spatial ETL: Complementary Spatial Data Technologies

GIS and Spatial ETL: Complementary Spatial Data Technologies
IntroductionThere are two complementary technologies within the geographic spatial data community: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that provide the backbone for spatial data processing, and Spatial Extract, Transform and Load (spatial ETL, or simply SETL) that populates and makes data available to GIS.
While GIS has been around for several decades, spatial ETL is only now coming of age due to the unprecedented volume of GIS data being collected and distributed and the multiple formats involved. Its maturity is being hastened as GIS moves from the hands of specialists for project-based work and into those of the Information Systems (IS) department for business decision support. Before any GIS can actually use data, however, it must be interoperable with that data. Interoperability can be achieved either through format-to-format translation or through direct read capabilities. The role of spatial ETL is to make available spatial data to GIS applications. To further understand the complementary role of these twin technologies, we must examine the non-spatial world of Management Information Systems (MIS) and the role ETL plays in that domain.
MIS and ETLWithin the non-spatial world of MIS, ETL tools are now is to move data back and forth between these twoproduced by a mature industry comprising many systems, ensuring that the data is structured anddifferent players: Informatica, Pervasive Software presented as required to all systems.(formerly Data Junction), IBM and Oracle, to name but four. Unsurprisingly, ETL tools followed the advent of MIS ? Initial data loading: When moving data to a newlyand can be best regarded as "information pipes" that integrated system, data is often scattered acrossconnect two systems. multiple older systems. The ETL tool's job to migrate this data into the new system.Expanding this analogy further, these "information pipes" can be used as follows: ? Multi-vendor solutions: Many organizations have solutions that cross vendor boundaries or have? Format translation: The "information pipe" is used to requirements for data to be shared between systems. move data from one or more source data tanks to one or more destination data tanks. A data tank is simply a ? Data sharing: Some organizations may need to share dataset in a particular format or system. Once the data with other organizations. These organizations may destination data tanks are full, the target system is run. be suppliers, customers or business partners. ETL tools? Direct access: The "information pipe" is used to move ensure that the data sharing between these different data directly from one or more source data tanks to systems occurs easily and accurately. the system that needs the data. ? Quality Assurance: This is not typically thought of asBoth of the above are necessary, and while there are an ETL function, but it is often easier to have the ETLtimes when direct access is essential or desirable, there tool identify data issues before they are moved to theare other times when it is not. ETL tools include, but are new system. For more information about not restricted to, performing the following functions: Safe Software, call us at? Direct Read: Providing a unified interface so that 604-501-9985 or visit our ? Supporting legacy applications: Often, when an applications can directly access data from other website at www.safe.com organization moves to new technology, older legacy systems may have great impact. Here, the "T" applications continue to be supported instead of (Transform) in ETL can be immensely valuable as immediately replaced. The task of the ETL application applications typically require the data be presented in
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a specific schema (or view) before using it. What is GIS?Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are built so that As stated earlier, MIS/database systems form the organizations can compile, study, and manage spatial destination for data and ETL is nothing more than the data in order to make better decisions. GIS is the pipe through which they are moved. found... [download for more]