HSR Texas Geo Database Benchmark

The HSR Spatial Database Benchmark - A Proposal

Status: Call for Comments.

Introduction

This is a propoal for a spatial database benchmark from the University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil (HSR). A study of existing database benchmarks revealed that there exists no information publicly available which compares spatial database systems regarding their performance. Spatial databases typically form the persistence layer of a geographic information system (GIS).

Thus the Institute for Software at the University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil (HSR) decided to propose such a benchmark. This benchmark was called The HSR Spatial Database Benchmark. It was conducted and verified a first time on two database management systems software (DBMS), one commercially available an one under an Open Source license.

The benchmark is based on a predefined set of queries. These queries consist of simple spatial queries, defined in the OpenGIS(tm) 'Simple Features Interface Standard (SFS)'. The queries are performed on different-sized data sets for monitoring the behavior on various loads as well as on different hardware systems.

Methodology

The benchmark follows the below defined rules of engagement.

• Each test runs three times in a row, the results of the third run are used for the comparison: this benchmark assumes full system caches ('hot' benchmark).
• Each test takes place on the same machine.
• The other DBMS are shut down while the tests are running.
• The respective default installation of one DBMS is used.
• There is no tuning.
• Each DBMS has the same data.
• The spatial records used are spherical (geographical data) and come from real world data sets.
• Each test uses bounding box or point variables which are the same for the respective systems in the test. These variables are chosen at random from within the subset space.