Databases
Databases, and particularly spatial databases as a piece of GIS software, play a crucial role in storing and accessing geospatial data. Multiple relational database management systems can be extended to support spatial databases, while common geospatial data formats like GeoPackage and Esri’s Geodatabase are self-contained databases.
Understanding how databases and how to query them efficiently with SQL, is an extraordinarily useful skill when working with geospatial data.
How to create and access MySQL and PostgreSQL databases on DRI systems - Video
Geospatial Analysis with SQL : UBC Library | WorldCat
Practical SQL : UBC Library | WorldCat
SQL All-in-One for Dummies : UBC Library | WorldCat
Getting Started with SQL and Databases: Managing and Manipulating Data with SQL : UBC Library | WorldCat
DuckDB
When running memory-intensive workloads, DuckDB is a powerful tool to have on hand. Unlike many other database management systems, which focus on data storage, DuckDB focuses on data analysis, and it includes easy installation methods for Python, R, and JavaScript environments.
Getting Started with DuckDB : UBC Library | WorldCat
DuckDB: Up and Running : UBC Library | WorldCat
PostgreSQL
Due to the PostGIS extension, PostgreSQL is one of the most commonly used database management systems for storing and accessing geospatial data. GIS software, like GeoServer and QGIS, provide tight integrations around PostGIS-enabled databases.
Learn PostgreSQL : UBC Library | WorldCat
PostgreSQL Query Optimization : UBC Library | WorldCat
Hosting
While it’s possible to host a PostgreSQL database on your local machine, to take full advantage of a relational database management system, you’ll want to host the database on its own server. The Digital Research Alliance provides free database hosting for researchers based in Canada through their cloud computing services, and alternatively, many commercial cloud computing and software-as-a-service providers include specialized services for hosting databases.
Alliance
Cloud / SaaS Providers
GIS Extensions / Libraries
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PostGIS in Action : UBC Library | WorldCat
PostGIS Cookbook : UBC Library | WorldCat
Mastering PostGIS : UBC Library | WorldCat
MySQL and MariaDB
While not nearly as a popular in geospatial computing as PostgreSQL, MySQL and its closely-related fork, MariaDB, are extraordinarily popular database management systems, which remains a fundamental building block for many open-source web applications, like WordPress, Drupal, Omeka-S, and Scalar.
Hosting
Similar to PostgreSQL, both the Alliance cloud and numerous commercial cloud providers include support for hosting and managing instances of a MySQL server.