[Cartoweb-users] Shapefile size and speed DB or native?

[Nicolas Ribot]

> I have a 1 GB shapefile (yes, 1 GB!), as it is the footprints for  
> ALL the IKONOS satellite imagery for the entire world.  Other than  
> breaking up the file, using the native shapefile in Cartoweb and  
> querying it would probably take a LONG time.  Is storing this file  
> in a PostgreSQL/PostGIS Spatial database any faster?  I understand  
> you can index the file in the database version to speed up searches  
> etc., but is this file just way too big to begin with no matter  
> which method I use?
>
> Anyone have experience with working with a shapefile this big and  
> trying to access it over Cartoweb?  Or the speed difference using a  
> spatial DB?
>

Hi
I think it is worth reading this postgis post regarding this issue:

http://postgis.refractions.net/pipermail/postgis-users/2007-April/ 
015461.html

Personnally, I think using postgis as repository is a good choice.
Well crafted index will help querying the data

Nicolas