Manifold System  Enterprise Edition

Manifold System Enterprise Edition is the most modern and reliable GIS package ever created for collaborative GIS work using centralized storage of GIS data in enterprise-class databases.  Manifold Enterprise Edition is the first choice for organizations where many users need to work with shared data, or for individual users who have larger data holdings or who need to re-cycle common data within many different projects.

"Last week I received the Enterprise version of your software and have to say that in 12 years of GIS experience I've never seen so much value in any software." - User Comment

Enterprise Edition includes all Professional Edition and in addition extends Manifold so users can save and share drawings, images, tables, maps, scripts, and other components within geospatial databases hosted in multi-user DBMS products like Oracle, SQL Server, IBM DB2, MySQL and many others. Enterprise Edition includes direct connections to Oracle Spatial data using the Oracle Call Interface for maximum performance. Enterprise Edition allows multiple users to share the same components and to edit them without fear of multi-user conflicts.  Enterprise Edition also adds the ability to write ArcInfo .e00 files for easy data interchange with legacy GIS packages.  Finally, Enterprise Edition includes an option to turn off the "Powered by manifold.net" banner embedded in Manifold IMS (Internet Map Server) pages.

Enterprise Edition is the perfect way to leverage the enterprise class DBMS systems that are provided on the Manifold System DVD, using IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle for centralized geospatial data storage.   Enterprise Edition is $395 per license.  Professional Edition licensees may upgrade to Enterprise Edition for $200.

Compare Manifold System Editions - See a simplified table that compares the three Manifold editions.

Key Features

Flexible Storage  - Enterprise Edition supports simultaneous use of direct desktop storage, classic enterprise-level server storage and a new "shared" Enterprise Server model that combines the advantages of centralized server storage with the simplicity of desktop storage.  All three models may be used simultaneously within the same project, if so desired.  This sophisticated yet easy to use storage capability provides the most flexible and user friendly storage options of any enterprise-class GIS.

Direct to DBMS Connections  - Unlike older products such as ArcSDE which require proprietary "middleware," Manifold Enterprise Edition connects direct to industry-standard DBMS products like Oracle Spatial without interposing any layer of proprietary nonsense.  By storing geospatial data using existing, widely-supported industry standards (like Oracle Spatial or OGC WKB) Manifold preserves the open, interoperable nature of your enterprise data.  Hundreds of applications can interoperate using standards like Oracle Spatial so your data won't be held hostage by some proprietary middleware package like ArcSDE.  By connecting directly using DBMS vendor protocols, such as Oracle OCI connection direct to Oracle databases, Manifold provides the highest possible performance without slow-downs caused by middleware.

Architectural Flexibility - While Manifold Enterprise Edition can connect directly to premium Oracle Spatial data types like Oracle's SDO_GEOMETRY or GeoRaster, Manifold can also connect to geospatial data stored in non-spatially extended databases such as SQL Server or MySQL using industry standards such as Open Geospatial Consortium WKB.  In fact, Manifold Enterprise Edition can connect to multiple different DBMS sources simultaneously.  This makes it easy to populate databases or to move data around from legacy formats into higher performance formats.

Fast Caching and Fault Tolerance - Enterprise Edition uses automatic caching for high performance. Unlike older "SDE" architectures, Manifold's Enterprise Edition automatically supports reliable, fault-tolerant multi-user operations within collaborative teams with automatic protection against editing conflicts.   

Integrated Debugger - Enterprise Edition includes the Manifold debugging system for scripting. The debugger enables debugging commands as well as the Call Stack, Variables and Watches panes. The debugger is also available in Professional Edition but not in Personal Edition.

Export to .e00 Format - Enterprise Edition allows export to ESRI .e00 format as well as to the export formats for drawings supported by Professional Edition (ESRI .shp, MapInfo .mid/.mif, Manifold 4.50, AutoCAD .dxf and US Federal SDTS format).

Simplified Storage in Centralized DBMS - Enterprise Edition can store any Manifold component within a database using a simplified storage model unique to Manifold System called an Enterprise server. A Manifold Enterprise server can be hosted on almost any enterprise-class database management system such as IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, and Oracle. DB2, SQL Server and Oracle are officially supported while many other DBMS systems, such as MySQL have been tested and are known to work but are not officially supported.  This outstandingly user friendly feature provides the power of centralized data storage with the simplicity of desktop storage.

Project Coordination via Enterprise Servers - Enterprise Edition enforces access control and controlled editing of shared components so that many users at once can use the same components. Edits can be made using an easily understood "check out" procedure so that simultaneous, incompatible edits cannot be made. Users can continue using shared components even when someone else has checked them out for editing. 

Concurrent Multi-User Editing - In addition to the simplified, documented oriented storage model offered by Enterprise Edition using Manifold Enterprise servers, Enterprise Edition also supports truly concurrent, fully multi-user, fully-scalable editing of linked drawings at the object level using drawings linked in a classic server storage model. This allows multi-user editing of drawings of virtually limitless size by a virtually unlimited number of users with storage using standard DBMS geometry types or Oracle Spatial SDO_GEOMETRY that is accepted industry-wide.  The review pane automatically assists users in resolving any conflicts that may arise from simultaneous attempts to edit the same object in different ways.

Area of Interest Windowing - Although large organizations may maintain very large drawings, such as a detailed road network for all of North America, that may need to service thousands of simultaneous users, normally edits of such large drawings are done upon local areas of interest.  When connecting to Oracle spatial storage, Manifold Enterprise Edition allows specification of Areas of Interest, which automatically load just the portion desired of what can be terabyte-sized drawings. This capability allows thousands of simultaneous users to view and edit drawings that can be terabytes in size.

Key Benefits

Enterprise Edition is not only more economically efficient than older  GIS products, it is faster, more flexible and more reliable as well.  Enterprise Edition delivers the following key benefits, which older products do not have:

• Faster performance, at times by a factor of 100 or more in interactive GIS operations as compared to older architectures.
• Reliable, conflict-free editing of complex data in a multi-user environment. Surprisingly, even some very expensive older systems cannot guarantee conflict-free editing as does Manifold.
• Freedom to choose almost any DBMS vendor. Enterprise Edition works with dozens of different database management systems. The Manifold model by default allows use of almost any DBMS that allows transactions and that has an ODBC driver.
• A perfect match for Oracle Spatial - Manifold Enterprise Edition provides by far the lowest cost client for GIS work with Oracle Spatial, yet Manifold equals or exceeds the performance and flexibility of old-fashioned clients that rely on middleware. 
• No expensive, performance-draining "middleware" required.  A high performance database like Oracle or SQL Server is designed to work directly with high performance clients like Manifold. Enterprise Edition connects directly to your DBMS for unsurpassed performance.  Don't waste thousands of dollars on costly middleware, like ArcSDE, that works more slowly than Manifold Enterprise Servers.
• Works with the standard DBMS products offered off-the-shelf by dozens of DBMS vendors.
• Heterogeneous DBMS utilization.  Within the same project Manifold can transparently include multiple components from different data sources hosted by different DBMS vendors.
• DBMS Clustering Performance. By connecting using standard DBMS connections Manifold can take advantage of performance increases for DBMS clusters.  Need more DBMS power?  Take advantage of your DBMS's ability to support server clusters and Manifold will transparently utilize the faster DBMS response.
• DBMS fault tolerance. If the DBMS crashes while working on an Enterprise project using Enterprise Servers the project is still safe and can be saved with no loss of data.
• Network fault tolerance. If the network crashes while working on an Enterprise project the project is still safe. Transient disconnects won't even be noticed, and lengthy disconnects still allow a local save of the project. Work can continue even without the network. When the network comes back up the project can be opened and automatic synchronization will occur.
• Practical Internet capability. The high bandwidth requirements of older architectures mean that connecting over Internet to a remote DBMS is not usually realistic. With Manifold, the more efficient Enterprise architecture means that it is realistic in many cases to connect to an Enterprise server via corporate Internet links.
• Off-line working capability. Older systems cannot work without a constant, "live" connection to the DBMS. Manifold allows transparent off-line work, such as with laptops when traveling away from a direct connection to an Enterprise server. Enterprise Edition users can continue working while away from their corporate network.
• Automatic compression.  Data saved in the DBMS is automatically compressed, which usually requires four to seven times less connection bandwidth and storage capacity for the DBMS.
• Mix and Match Enterprise and Local Data. Manifold projects can include a free-form mix of data from Enterprise servers or local data.
• Compatibility with Professional Edition.  Instant, transparent compatibility with Professional Edition users is a snap with Enterprise Edition.
• Easy to Use. No programming required! - To share components on an Enterprise server all you need do is create a blank database for Manifold to use within the host DBMS system.  After that, users can easily share items to the DBMS and link in items from the DBMS using standard, point and click Windows-style commands found in Manifold.  Enterprise Edition is so smooth and easy to use that users will never realize their data is hosted on an enterprise-class DBMS.  Whether you use IBM's DB2, SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL or any other DBMS, compare the easy simplicity of Manifold Enterprise Edition with the baffling  complexity of using ESRI ArcSDE and you'll agree no geospatial DBMS GIS has ever been this easy to configure and use!

Centralized storage allows multi-user use of common components so different users can simultaneously use the same component within their projects. For example, many users in a town's GIS department can use a base map drawing of a town within their projects. Another benefit to storage of components within an Enterprise server, in addition to the multi-user access thus provided, is the ability to share a single copy of a component within many different projects.

For example, if the same drawing of Europe or the US is frequently re-used as a background layer in a map we can share that drawing into an Enterprise server and then get it whenever needed. Only one copy of the drawing will be maintained, the copy within the Enterprise server. If a drawing or other component (such as an image) is used in hundreds of different projects we will see considerable savings in disk space.  Having a single, master copy of a drawing also guarantees that all users will be working with a single, authoritative version.

Single User Example - John is a GIS consultant doing work for municipal governments in his region.  Over the course of several months' work he has accumulated hundreds of projects spread out over various machine and disk drives.  He often uses the same parcels layer in many of the projects as a background layer.  One day the county layer changes. He now has to find each project that uses that layer and manually open the project and update the layer.  Awful!  He'll never find all of them, and doesn't have the time to do such a big job every time the parcel layer changes.  A much better approach would have been to use Enterprise Edition and to have saved the parcels layer on an Enterprise Server.  Each time he needed it he could share it into a project.  When the parcels layer changes, all John need do is edit it once and all projects using that layer will be automatically updated.  Fast and easy!

Multi-User Example - Jane runs her county's GIS department and is determined to centralize data storage so that many different users and different organizational processes, both within the GIS department and also from other departments, can have common access for common benefit to that data.  She sets up an Oracle server using the free copy of Oracle from the Manifold DVD and uses the Oracle Spatial capabilities of Manifold Enterprise Edition to load that server with the county parcels layer and other drawing layers important to county operations.  Dozens of users, each running Manifold Enterprise Edition, can simultaneously edit that parcels layer and other drawings to update parcel information, incorporate changes into county boundaries from routine adjustments, add new housing developments and so on. As the county's IT sophistication grows they upgrade to a full Oracle Spatial license and keep information from many departments within a unified, Oracle standard data warehouse to support planning, transportation, land use, assessment, tax and other functions. Because data is stored in standard Oracle Spatial data types, numerous other applications can work with the same data.  For example, a custom application that computes taxes for given parcels based upon pro-rata shares of different usage types and applicable statutes can automatically update tax rates.  Manifold is used as the common client to view GIS or DBMS information and to edit it.

Modern Architecture

Manifold's Enterprise Edition provides great flexibility for data storage by providing three approaches to storing data.  Manifold Enterprise Edition supports both desktop storage and server storage using traditional models:

• Local, Desktop storage - Applications store data in individual files, just like Microsoft Word saves documents in .doc files or Excel saves spreadsheets in .xls files. This is simple and easy for individuals but not a good model for enterprises or multiuser applications.

• Linked, Server storage - Applications store data in centralized servers, to which users running client software can connect to link to whatever data they need. Enterprise-class database systems are usually used as the centralized server. This provides administrative centralization and support for multi-user work, but at the cost of added complexity. 

In addition Manifold Enterprise Edition introduces a third model, unique to Manifold, that combines the power of server storage with the convenience and ease-of-use of desktop storage:

• Shared, Enterprise Edition - This is a simplified Enterprise server shared storage model designed for use by small and mid-sized organizations which desire the simplicity of desktop storage while having some of the organizational advantages of server storage. Data is stored as components within the Enterprise server, like documents within a file cabinet, which can then be shared in their entirety into a particular project.

The result is three levels of storage supported by Manifold, which may be freely intermingled with each other. Manifold users have a choice of storage methods so they can always use the best and easiest method they desire.  For example, users wishing to leverage the enterprise power of Oracle Spatial can use the same totally flexible and powerful methodology used by the very largest GIS enterprises to support thousands of simultaneous users, if desired.  Users working in a more informal environment can take advantage of a Manifold Enterprise Server set up using any DBMS.  Manifold provides IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle express editions on the Manifold DVD at no additional charge so setting up an Enterprise Server is easy to do and free. 

"I tried the Enterprise Server package with our SQL Server installation and it is about 80,000 times easier to set up and use than SDE. I had Enterprise Server up and running in an afternoon: SDE has been a configuration headache from day one."  - User Comment

Enterprise Edition uses a more modern, more flexible storage paradigm than old-fashioned GIS products like ArcSDE to give users greater flexibility and enhanced ease-of-use. Manifold Enterprise Servers use the DBMS as a centralized data warehouse with supervisory, multi-user resolution features added. In the Manifold model, when a drawing, image, surface or other component is shared on a database the master copy of the data is kept within the DBMS, called an Enterprise server. Whenever a user wants to work with a component saved in the Enterprise server, he or she can link the component into the project at hand. Behind the scenes, Manifold can cache the entire component into local memory.

The Manifold model has many benefits, foremost among them tremendous speed once remote components are linked into the local project. All operations happen within local memory so operations using remote, shared components are just as fast as those using local ones. If a user wishes to edit a shared component, he or she can check it out for local editing, and then check it back into the Enterprise server when done editing. This check out / check in model of usage is based on the highly successful source code control model used within many development environments for collaborative program development by large teams. It is well understood in the software development  industry and has proven very efficient as a means of managing multiple edit operations by many users.

Please read the Data Storage Strategies topic in the online edition of the User Manual to understand how Enterprise servers fit into classic ideas about GIS data storage.

There is effectively no limit to the size of drawings that may be utilized or edited when stored within Oracle servers.  Manifold Enterprise Edition provides Area of Interest windowing into drawings stored in Oracle servers.  Drawings that are terabytes in size may be edited on ordinary desktop workstations by specifying the area of interest with which users would like to work.  Thousands of users can simultaneously work with or edit drawings that are terabytes in size using this technique with Enterprise Edition.

Projects on workstations running Manifold System that use shared components within Enterprise Server are subject to the same size limitation as other Manifold projects: no single drawing or table can exceed 4 gigabytes in size, although the number of such drawings and tables in a project is unlimited.  The size of images or surfaces is unlimited and the size of any single project is effectively unlimited. (The maximum project size is 16000 gigabytes, or 16 exabytes).

Enterprise servers can store as much information as can be handled by the host DBMS, possibly terabytes given the right hardware and software. 

Hardware and Software Requirements

Hardware and software requirements for Enterprise Edition are the same as for Professional Edition, with the additional requirement of a compatible DBMS system.  See the Requirements page for details on Manifold System requirements. In addition to the hardware and software requirements of Enterprise Edition, users should understand the requirements of whatever DBMS product they intend to operate in conjunction with Enterprise Edition.  The IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle database installations bundled with Manifold System will run on all systems recommended for use with Manifold System.

Compatible DBMS Products

Enterprise Edition has been developed using the latest editions of IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle. These products are supported in that Enterprise Edition has been developed and tested using these three DBMS server products for Enterprise servers. Users purchasing Developer Tech Support incidents may ask questions about Enterprise Edition usage using those three DBMS servers as examples and may expect reasonably sensible answers.

Many other DBMS products may be used as Enterprise servers in addition to DB2, SQL Server and Oracle. For example, MySQL has been frequently used within manifold.net. Enterprise Edition even includes special code that works around a MySQL bug in a recent MySQL version that sometimes strips the last character in a stored section of binary data. There are many other fine DBMS products that will work well as Enterprise servers with Enterprise Edition. In general, any professional quality, multi-user, enterprise class DBMS that handles transactions well is a good candidate for use with Enterprise Edition.

DBMS Installations

manifold.net has obtained permission from IBM, Microsoft and Oracle to distribute on the Manifold DVD fully-licensed packages of the Express versions of the flagship DBMS products offered by these vendors. You may install these packages on as many systems as you like for use with Manifold System. See the licenses embedded within the installation packages for details on terms and conditions of use. 

The DBMS products redistributed by manifold.net for use within Manifold applications include: 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy just one Enterprise Edition license and then run as many users as I like from the server for that one license? - No. You need one Manifold license for every computer on which someone will be working with Enterprise Edition.

Can I run Enterprise Edition without purchasing a DBMS system? Yes. You can install one of the free DBMS installations from the Manifold DVD and create Enterprise server databases within the DBMS installation thus created. You can also run Enterprise Edition without using Enterprise features (that is, like Professional) without any DBMS at all.

How is Enterprise Edition licensed? - See the Manifold End User License Agreement. Each computer on which Manifold System is installed must have a license for Manifold. You may install a provided DBMS on any computer that will function as a server for Manifold or otherwise work with Manifold. For example, you could have two Manifold licenses and thus operate Manifold on two different machines; however, you could also install SQL Server, Oracle or IBM DB2 on several other machines to use as Enterprise servers.

Can I install DB2, Oracle or SQL Server on a machine without installing Enterprise Edition? - Yes. You may install a DBMS bundled with Manifold on any machine you would like to configure as a server for Enterprise Edition or otherwise intended for use with Manifold.

Does Enterprise Edition work with DBMS products other than the three supported? - Yes. It works with almost any DBMS that supports transactions and that has an ODBC driver. For example, MySQL is very popular with Enterprise Edition users.   manifold.net has tested Enterprise Edition with Oracle, SQL Server and DB2 and will closely monitor these DBMS products as their vendors produce future editions. There are many other DBMS products with which Enterprise Edition will work; however, it is not possible for manifold.net to test them all or to keep track of new releases from all vendors.

Does Enterprise Edition read and write ArcSDE format? - No. A side effect of ArcSDE is that it traps users into having to use ESRI as a middleman.  We think that's terrible and completely unnecessary.  Modern DBMS products like Oracle Spatial don't need some dumb, obsolete middleware: they work best when a smart client connects directly to the smart DBMS.  That's the Manifold way, a direct connection to Oracle Spatial.

Does Enterprise Edition read and write Oracle Spatial native formats? - Yes.  Manifold connects to Oracle DBMS products using Oracle's own Oracle Call Interface for maximum performance and compatibility.  Manifold can read/write Oracle Spatial SDO_GEOMETRY and GeoRaster data types to enable storage of vector drawings, raster images and raster surfaces.

Does Enterprise Edition allow concurrent, multi-user editing of drawings? - Yes.  When using server storage Enterprise Edition allows concurrent, multi-user editing with sophisticated, visual resolution of any editing conflicts.

Can Enterprise Edition connect to an Enterprise server across Internet? - Yes. This is simply a matter of configuring the data source to work across Internet. Because Internet is normally slower than working in local area networks it is probably wise to retain the default cached storage option. There will then be some delay while fetching components initially from the server but thereafter work can proceed with local caching unless changes are made in shared components. That will greatly reduce the traffic passed back and forth over Internet.

Technical Support and Upgrades

Manifold System Licenses are currently provided with two standard Technical Support incidents at no additional charge for installation and interactive features (excluding Developer level features such as scripting, programming, map serving and SQL).  Support products offered by manifold.net are listed on the Products page, and include discounted incidents for standard technical support as well as Developer technical support incidents.  Enterprise Edition features require Developer technical support.

All support resources provided on the manifold.net web site are free of charge, including any service packs that may be published.  New editions of Manifold are offered to licensees of the previous edition at substantial discounts. 

Buy Now ! 

A Steal at Twice the Price! - Manifold System Enterprise Edition is priced at only $395: that's the best deal ever in GIS!   The data alone on the Manifold DVD sells for hundreds of dollars from other vendors.   Plus, the spectacular image manipulation, surface and 3D terrain, spatial, networking, and topological commands included in Professional often sell for thousands of dollars from other vendors.  The Manifold Internet Map Server built into Manifold System easily outperforms other map servers that sell for thousands of dollars. Finally, the extraordinary capabilities of Enterprise Edition usually cost thousands of dollars for the GIS package, costly ArcSDE middleware and a specialized DBMS like Oracle Spatial.  You don't need any of that with Enterprise Edition: $395 buys it all!

Call 800-556-5919 today to order your copy of Enterprise Edition, or teleport right away to the Manifold.net Online Store to buy a copy right now!

Quotes from user comments on this page have been received by email or posted in the Manifold-L discussion list and on various Internet forums and also appear in our Testimonials page.

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