Oracle Locator

B Oracle Locator

Oracle Locator (also referred to as Locator) is a feature of Oracle Database Standard Edition. Locator provides core features and services available in Oracle Spatial and Graph.

It provides significant capabilities typically required to support Internet and wireless service-based applications and partner-based GIS solutions. Locator is not designed to be a solution for geographic information system (GIS) applications requiring complex spatial data management. If you need capabilities such as linear referencing, advanced spatial functions, or Spatial and Graph web services, use Oracle Spatial and Graph instead of Locator.

Like Spatial and Graph, Locator is not designed to be an end-user application, but is a set of spatial capabilities for application developers.

Locator is available with the Standard Edition One, Standard Edition, and Enterprise Edition of Oracle Database, and with Oracle Database XE (Express Edition). Spatial and Graph is a priced option available only with Oracle Database Enterprise Edition. Spatial and Graph includes all Locator features as well as other features that are not available with Locator.

While the definitive list of features that are not permitted for use with Oracle Locator is in Table B-2, you can remove most of these features by following the instructions in Installing and Deinstalling Locator or Spatial and Graph Manually. For licensing information about Spatial and Graph and Locator, see Oracle Database Licensing Information.

Note:

Some underlying components only available for use with Spatial and Graph may be installed in Locator to support certain Locator features. (Table B-2 lists features that are not permitted for use with Oracle Locator.)

The installation of Locator depends on the successful and proper installation of Oracle Multimedia. Oracle Multimedia is installed and configured with Oracle Database. During the installation of Oracle Multimedia, Locator is installed.

In general, Locator includes the data types, operators, and indexing capabilities of Oracle Spatial and Graph, along with a limited set of the subprograms (functions and procedures) of Spatial and Graph. The Locator features include the following:

An object type (SDO_GEOMETRY) that describes and supports any type of geometry
A spatial indexing capability that lets you create spatial indexes on geometry data
Spatial operators (described in Spatial Operators ) that use the spatial index for performing spatial queries
Geometry subprograms (SDO_GEOM package, described in SDO_GEOM Package (Geometry))
Spatial aggregate functions (described in Spatial Aggregate Functions)
Coordinate system support for geometry and layer transformations (SDO_CS package, described in SDO_CS Package (Coordinate System Transformation) )
Tuning subprograms (SDO_TUNE package, described in SDO_TUNE Package (Tuning))
Spatial utility functions (SDO_UTIL package, described in SDO_UTIL Package (Utility))
Classes in the oracle.spatial.geometry (sdoapi.jar) and oracle.spatial.util (sdoutil.jar) packages of the Spatial and Graph Java API (described in Oracle Spatial and Graph Java API Reference)

For information about spatial concepts, the SDO_GEOMETRY object type, support for SQL Multimedia types annotation text, and indexing and loading of spatial data, see Chapters 1 through 5 in this guide. For reference and usage information about features supported by Locator, see the chapter or section listed in Table B-1.

Table B-1 Features Included with Locator

Feature	Described in
Spatial operators, including SDO_JOIN but not including SDO_POINTINPOLYGON. (SDO_JOIN and SDO_POINTINPOLYGON are technically table functions, but they are documented with the operators.)	Spatial Operators
SDO_GEOM package subprograms	SDO_GEOM Package (Geometry)
Spatial aggregate functions	Spatial Aggregate Functions
Coordinate system transformation subprograms (SDO_CS package)	SDO_CS Package (Coordinate System Transformation)
Implicit coordinate system transformations for operator calls where a window needs to be converted to the coordinate system of the queried layer	Spatial Operators
Function-based spatial indexing	SDO_GEOMETRY Objects in Function-Based Indexes
Table partitioning support for spatial indexes (including splitting, merging, and exchanging partitions and their indexes)	Using Partitioned Spatial Indexes and Exchanging Partitions Including Indexes
Geodetic data support	Geodetic Coordinate Support and Legacy Tables and Views
SQL statements for creating, altering, and deleting indexes	SQL Statements for Indexing Spatial Data
Parallel spatial index builds (PARALLEL keyword with ALTER INDEX REBUILD and CREATE INDEX statements) (new with release 9.2)	SQL Statements for Indexing Spatial Data
SDO_GEOMETRY object type methods	SDO_GEOMETRY Methods
SQL Multimedia spatial types (ST_xxx types)	SQL Multimedia Type Support
SQL Multimedia functions (ST_xxx functions) whose Oracle Spatial and Graph counterparts are supported for Locator	ST_xxx Functions and Spatial and Graph Counterparts
Annotation text	Annotation Text Type and Views
Package (SDO_MIGRATE) to upgrade data from previous Spatial and Graph releases to the current release	SDO_MIGRATE Package (Upgrading)
Tuning subprograms (SDO_TUNE package)	SDO_TUNE Package (Tuning)
Spatial utility functions (SDO_UTIL package)	SDO_UTIL Package (Utility)
Classes in the `oracle.spatial.geometry` (`sdoapi.jar`) and `oracle.spatial.util` (`sdoutil.jar`) packages of the Spatial and Graph Java API	Oracle Spatial and Graph Java API Reference
Object replication	Oracle GoldenGate documentation

Table B-2 lists Spatial and Graph features that may not be used if only Locator is installed, with the chapter in this guide or the separate manual that describes the feature.

Table B-2 Features Not Included with Locator

Feature	Described in
Linear referencing system (LRS) feature (SDO_LRS package). (Note that the LRS feature may be installed to enable other Locator features, but it may not be used by users without Spatial and Graph.)	Linear Referencing System (concepts and usage) and SDO_LRS Package (Linear Referencing System) (reference)
Three-dimensional geometry-related: the use of 3D spatial indexing, 3D operators, and subprograms on 3D data is not permitted for Locator.	Three-Dimensional Spatial Objects (3D concepts and usage)
Spatial analysis and mining subprograms (SDO_SAM package)	SDO_SAM Package (Spatial Analysis and Mining)
OpenLS, including use of geocoding, mapping, business directory (Yellow Pages), and driving directions (routing) services	OpenLS Support and SDO_OLS Package (OpenLS) . See also: Geocoding Address Data and SDO_GCDR Package (Geocoding) Business Directory (Yellow Pages) Support Routing Engine
Web feature service (WFS) feature (SDO_WFS_PROCESS and SDO_WFS_LOCK packages)	Web Feature Service (WFS) Support (concepts and usage), and SDO_WFS_PROCESS Package (WFS Processing) and SDO_WFS_LOCK Package (WFS) (reference)
Catalog services for the Web (CSW) feature (SDO_CSW_PROCESS package)	Catalog Services for the Web (CSW) Support (concepts and usage) and SDO_CSW_PROCESS Package (CSW Processing) (reference)
Location tracking server support (SDO_TRKR package)	Location Tracking Server (concepts and usage) and SDO_TRKR Package (Location Tracking) (reference)
Triangulated irregular network (TIN) and point cloud (PC) data types and related subprograms	Three-Dimensional Spatial Objects (concepts and usage), and SDO_TIN_PKG Package (TINs) (SDO_TIN_PKG reference) and SDO_PC_PKG Package (Point Clouds) (SDO_PC_PKG reference)
Creating a composite B-tree spatial index on point data	Creating a Composite B-tree Spatial Index on Points
SDO_POINTINPOLYGON (technically a table function but documented with the operators)	Spatial Operators
GeoRaster	Oracle Spatial and Graph GeoRaster Developer's Guide
Topology data model	Oracle Spatial and Graph Topology Data Model and Network Data Model Graph Developer's Guide
Network data model graph	Oracle Spatial and Graph Topology Data Model and Network Data Model Graph Developer's Guide
Classes in packages other than the `oracle.spatial.geometry` (`sdoapi.jar`) and `oracle.spatial.util` (`sdoutil.jar`) packages of the Spatial and Graph Java API	Oracle Spatial and Graph Java API Reference

Although Locator is available on both the Standard and Enterprise Editions of Oracle Database, some Locator features require database features that are not available or are limited on the Standard Edition. Some of those Locator features and their availability are listed in Table B-3.

Table B-3 Feature Availability with Standard or Enterprise Edition

Feature	Standard/Enterprise Edition Availability
Parallel spatial index builds	Enterprise Edition only.
Multimaster replication of SDO_GEOMETRY objects	Enterprise Edition only. (Single master/materialized view replication for SDO_GEOMETRY objects is supported with both Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition.
Partitioned spatial indexes	Requires the Partitioning Option with Enterprise Edition. Not supported with Standard Edition.

Installing and Deinstalling Locator or Spatial and Graph Manually

Parent topic: Supplementary Information

B.1 Installing and Deinstalling Locator or Spatial and Graph Manually

To install Spatial and Graph or to use any features that are specific to Spatial and Graph but not Locator, you must meet the licensing requirements for Spatial and Graph. For licensing information about Spatial and Graph and Locator, see Oracle Database Licensing Information.

Note:

If you install and configure Oracle Multimedia with Oracle Database, then Oracle Locator is also installed.

Scripts are available to perform certain installation and deinstallation operations relating to Locator and Spatial and Graph:

mddins.sql manually deinstalls Spatial and Graph and leaves only Locator, thus "installing" only Locator. This removes most features that are available only with Spatial and Graph.
mdinst.sql manually installs Spatial and Graph, so that you are able to use all features available with Spatial and Graph and Locator.

If you want to install only Locator features, but Spatial and Graph is already installed, run the mddins.sql script, as follows:

Ensure that Oracle Multimedia is installed.
Connect to the database as the SYS user with SYSDBA privileges (SYS AS SYSDBA, and enter the SYS account password when prompted).
Start SQL*Plus, and enter the following statement:
- Linux: @$ORACLE_HOME/md/admin/mddins.sql
- Windows: @%ORACLE_HOME%\md\admin\mddins.sql

If you need to be able to use Spatial and Graph, you can run the mdinst.sql script, as follows:

Connect to the database as the SYS user with SYSDBA privileges (SYS AS SYSDBA, and enter the SYS account password when prompted).
Start SQL*Plus, and enter the following statement:
- Linux: @$ORACLE_HOME/md/admin/mdinst.sql
- Windows: @%ORACLE_HOME%\md\admin\mdinst.sql

Parent topic: Oracle Locator