Re:MongoDB 1.8 (stable) released
by crux_ on Wednesday March 16, 2011 @05:10PM
(#2333938)
If by "location data" you have points, and the only location operations you need are distance or bounding-box searches, it may do the trick.
If you're interested in polygons, lines, etc; more physically accurate (and completely implemented) distance queries, spatial joins, aggregation, 3D and surveyor-annotated data, set-theoretic operations ... PostGIS is far and away the way to go. It's far more mature and debugged than any of the NoSQL geospatial stuff I've seen, not only WRT correctness but also performance.
As a point of reference: There's a growing legion of geographers who do all their vector work in SQL using PostGIS.
All that said, for some applications, being tied to the relational model is a deal breaker. Just know that in terms of capability and maturity on the geospatial front, you'll be trading off a Cadillac for a partially assembled rocket sled.
If you're interested in polygons, lines, etc; more physically accurate (and completely implemented) distance queries, spatial joins, aggregation, 3D and surveyor-annotated data, set-theoretic operations ... PostGIS is far and away the way to go. It's far more mature and debugged than any of the NoSQL geospatial stuff I've seen, not only WRT correctness but also performance.
As a point of reference: There's a growing legion of geographers who do all their vector work in SQL using PostGIS.
All that said, for some applications, being tied to the relational model is a deal breaker. Just know that in terms of capability and maturity on the geospatial front, you'll be trading off a Cadillac for a partially assembled rocket sled.