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Components of GIS New

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25 views2 pages

Components of GIS New

gis

Uploaded by

devikarajendran2724
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Components of GIS

A working GIS consists of six key components. These are hardware, software, data,
people, methods, and network. These components must be well integrated for effective use of
GIS, and the development and integration of these components is an iterative, ongoing process.

Hardware
Hardware is the computer on which a GIS operates. Today, GIS runs on a wide range
of hardware types, from centralized computer servers to desktop computers used in standalone
or networked configurations. However, a computer with good processing capability, large hard
disk space, good-quality input and output devices, and fast network connectivity form the
hardware foundation of GIS. While advances in computing technology during the past decades
have substantially reduced the time required for most spatial analyses, computation times are
still unacceptably long in personal computers. The hardware components that are specifically
designed for use with spatial data include digitizers, scanners and plotters and printers.

Software
Software refers to the many free and commercial software packages that allow a GIS
user to perform GIS function such as storage, manipulation, query, analysis, display, and
effective dissemination of spatial information. The key software components include
applications to input and manipulation of geographic information, a database management
system (DBMS), applications to perform geographic query, analysis, and visualization, and a
simple graphical user interface (GUI) for easy access to tools. There are many public domain
and commercially available GIS software packages. While ArcGIS developed by the
Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) is an example of commercial software,
QGIS and GRASS (Geographic Resource Analysis Support System) are examples for open
source software. QGIS is an initiative under the Open Source Geospatial Foundation and the
software is a collaborative effort by a community of developers and users worldwide. QGIS is
free, stable, and the source code is available so that it can be extended as needed for specific
tasks
Data
The most important component of a GIS is the data. It refers to any and all spatial and
non-spatial information stored in a digital format on the computer. In GIS, data is stored as
geographical data (spatial data) and related tabular data (non-spatial data). GIS integrates
spatial and non-spatial data by using a Data base management System (DBMS). Even though
data comes in various formats, GIS can ingest any type of data in many different types of
formats.
Methods
To make a GIS system work properly requires not only the necessary investments in
Hardware, software, and data but also requires the knowledge to utilize the GIS technology.
Most GIS also require a set of protocols guiding how the GIS will be used. A successful GIS
operates according to a well-designed plan and business rules, which are unique to each
organization. Method in GIS includes how the data will be accessed, stored, managed,
processed, analysed, and presented as output.
People
GIS technology is of limited value without the people who manage the system and
develop plans for applying it to real world problems. GIS users range from technical specialists
who design and maintain the system to general users such as Planners, Scientists, Engineers,
and Decision Makers.
Network
Lastly, network refers to the computer network, either within an office or the internet.
Both of these networks assist in the transfer and dissemination of data and applications. Data
sharing in GIS is a quite common and useful operation. With the wide proliferation of sensors
(data collectors), and well-established network, there is more data available to us today than
ever before. Additionally, these networks allow for the display of information in the form of
web maps, and web applications.

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