Extending a DBMS with spatial operations

Abstract

A central problem in modern database design is how to resolve spatial operations with normal database operations in an extended relational database environment. A data architecture that matches the requirements for efficient processing of spatial queries in the extended database environment is proposed. It provides an equal opportunity for both the spatial components and the non-spatial components of the data to participate in query processing and optimization. The notion of extended operators to integrate homogeneously both spatial and non-spatial operations is introduced. Although intended primarily for spatial data, extended operators also provide a proper interface for integrating multi-media data into a database environment. The implications of this data architecture are presented. They include their effects on standard database operations, how spatial operations are integrated into the database management system (DBMS) for efficient processing, and how query processing and optimization are performed in this architecture. The operations of insertion and deletion, relational-based selection and join, and spatial-based selection and join are redefined in terms of extended operators. Spatial query processing is also described using extended operators. This data architecture can be built on top of an extensible database management system. Since it is dedicated towards efficient spatial query processing, this architecture can be used for testing and validating the extensibility of such systems and their effectiveness for supporting spatial data.