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Microsoft SQL Server vs PostGIS: What are the differences?
Introduction
In this article, we will discuss the key differences between Microsoft SQL Server and PostGIS. These two database systems have their own strengths and features that make them suitable for different scenarios. Understanding their differences can help developers and database administrators make informed decisions when choosing a database system for their projects.
Spatial Data Handling: One of the major differences between Microsoft SQL Server and PostGIS is their ability to handle spatial data. While both databases support spatial data types and functions, PostGIS is specifically designed for handling and managing geospatial data. It provides advanced spatial functions, indexing capabilities, and support for various spatial data formats, making it an excellent choice for applications that heavily rely on geospatial data.
License: Microsoft SQL Server is a proprietary database management system developed by Microsoft and comes with a commercial license. On the other hand, PostGIS is an extension of the open-source PostgreSQL database system and is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). This means that PostGIS is free to use, modify, and distribute, making it a cost-effective option for organizations or projects with budget constraints.
Community Support: Another significant difference is the level of community support and resources available for each database system. Microsoft SQL Server has a large and active community, with extensive documentation, official forums, and support from Microsoft. This ensures that users can find help, solutions, and updates easily. PostGIS, being an open-source project, also has a vibrant community, but the level of support might vary depending on the specific use case or project.
Scalability and Performance: Microsoft SQL Server has features and optimizations specifically designed for handling large-scale databases, making it a preferred choice for enterprise-level applications with high volume and concurrency requirements. On the other hand, PostGIS, being an extension of PostgreSQL, inherits its scalability and performance capabilities. PostgreSQL has a reputation for excellent performance and can handle large datasets efficiently, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
Ecosystem and Integration: Microsoft SQL Server integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products and tools, such as the .NET framework and Visual Studio. This makes it a favorable choice for developers already working with Microsoft technologies. PostGIS, on the other hand, integrates well with the PostgreSQL ecosystem and is compatible with various GIS software and libraries, providing flexibility and interoperability for geospatial applications.
Platform Support: While Microsoft SQL Server primarily runs on Windows operating systems, it also has limited support for Linux distributions. PostGIS, being an extension of PostgreSQL, is compatible with a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. This cross-platform support allows developers to deploy their applications on different environments without worrying about compatibility issues.
In summary, the key differences between Microsoft SQL Server and PostGIS include their spatial data handling capabilities, licensing model, community support, scalability and performance optimizations, ecosystem and integration options, and platform compatibility. Each database system has its strengths and considerations, and the choice ultimately depends on the specific requirements and constraints of the project.
I am a Microsoft SQL Server programmer who is a bit out of practice. I have been asked to assist on a new project. The overall purpose is to organize a large number of recordings so that they can be searched. I have an enormous music library but my songs are several hours long. I need to include things like time, date and location of the recording. I don't have a problem with the general database design. I have two primary questions:
- I need to use either MySQL or PostgreSQL on a Linux based OS. Which would be better for this application?
- I have not dealt with a sound based data type before. How do I store that and put it in a table? Thank you.
Hi Erin,
Honestly both databases will do the job just fine. I personally prefer Postgres.
Much more important is how you store the audio. While you could technically use a blob type column, it's really not ideal to be storing audio files which are "several hours long" in a database row. Instead consider storing the audio files in an object store (hosted options include backblaze b2 or aws s3) and persisting the key (which references that object) in your database column.
Hi Erin, Chances are you would want to store the files in a blob type. Both MySQL and Postgres support this. Can you explain a little more about your need to store the files in the database? I may be more effective to store the files on a file system or something like S3. To answer your qustion based on what you are descibing I would slighly lean towards PostgreSQL since it tends to be a little better on the data warehousing side.
Hi Erin! First of all, you'd probably want to go with a managed service. Don't spin up your own MySQL installation on your own Linux box. If you are on AWS, thet have different offerings for database services. Standard RDS vs. Aurora. Aurora would be my preferred choice given the benefits it offers, storage optimizations it comes with... etc. Such managed services easily allow you to apply new security patches and upgrades, set up backups, replication... etc. Doing this on your own would either be risky, inefficient, or you might just give up. As far as which database to chose, you'll have the choice between Postgresql, MySQL, Maria DB, SQL Server... etc. I personally would recommend MySQL (latest version available), as the official tooling for it (MySQL Workbench) is great, stable, and moreover free. Other database services exist, I'd recommend you also explore Dynamo DB.
Regardless, you'd certainly only keep high-level records, meta data in Database, and the actual files, most-likely in S3, so that you can keep all options open in terms of what you'll do with them.
Hey Erin! I would recommend checking out Directus before you start work on building your own app for them. I just stumbled upon it, and so far extremely happy with the functionalities. If your client is just looking for a simple web app for their own data, then Directus may be a great option. It offers "database mirroring", so that you can connect it to any database and set up functionality around it!
Hi Erin,
- Coming from "Big" DB engines, such as Oracle or MSSQL, go for PostgreSQL. You'll get all the features you need with PostgreSQL.
- Your case seems to point to a "NoSQL" or Document Database use case. Since you get covered on this with PostgreSQL which achieves excellent performances on JSON based objects, this is a second reason to choose PostgreSQL. MongoDB might be an excellent option as well if you need "sharding" and excellent map-reduce mechanisms for very massive data sets. You really should investigate the NoSQL option for your use case.
- Starting with AWS Aurora is an excellent advise. since "vendor lock-in" is limited, but I did not check for JSON based object / NoSQL features.
- If you stick to Linux server, the PostgreSQL or MySQL provided with your distribution are straightforward to install (i.e. apt install postgresql). For PostgreSQL, make sure you're comfortable with the pg_hba.conf, especially for IP restrictions & accesses.
Regards,
I recommend Postgres as well. Superior performance overall and a more robust architecture.
Pros of Microsoft SQL Server
- Reliable and easy to use139
- High performance101
- Great with .net95
- Works well with .net65
- Easy to maintain56
- Azure support21
- Always on17
- Full Index Support17
- Enterprise manager is fantastic10
- In-Memory OLTP Engine9
- Easy to setup and configure2
- Security is forefront2
- Great documentation1
- Faster Than Oracle1
- Columnstore indexes1
- Decent management tools1
- Docker Delivery1
- Max numar of connection is 140001
Pros of PostGIS
- De facto GIS in SQL25
- Good Documentation5
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Cons of Microsoft SQL Server
- Expensive Licensing4
- Microsoft2
- Data pages is only 8k1
- Allwayon can loose data in asycronious mode1
- Replication can loose the data1
- The maximum number of connections is only 14000 connect1
Cons of PostGIS
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