Core Concepts - Spatial Data Management on AWS
What is Spatial Data Management on AWS?Resource ModelKey ResourcesNext Steps

Core Concepts

This section introduces the fundamental concepts of the Spatial Data Management on AWS solution, explaining what the solution does and how resources are organized.

What is Spatial Data Management on AWS?

Spatial Data Management on AWS is a solution for managing large-scale spatial data assets such as point clouds, 3D models, and geospatial imagery. It provides:

  • Centralized Storage – Secure storage and organization of spatial data in Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3)

  • Metadata Management – Rich metadata and search capabilities for spatial assets

  • Access Control – Fine-grained permissions for users and teams

  • Integration – Connectors for external systems and workflows

  • Versioning – Complete version history for all assets

Resource Model

The Spatial Data Management on AWS solution organizes resources in a hierarchical structure:

Resource model diagram

Key Resources

The solution uses the following resource types:

Libraries

Libraries provide secure boundaries and permission management for managing primary resources — Projects, Asset templates, and Connectors — which in turn help manage Assets. Each library defines S3 configuration and serves as a top-level organizational container for related spatial data.

Projects

Projects logically group related assets and serve as the primary permission boundary. Each project can use configurable templates to enforce consistent metadata and structure across its assets.

Assets

Assets are versioned collections of files and folders that represent a logical unit of spatial data. Each asset includes a manifest defining its structure and metadata.

Asset Templates

Asset templates define structure requirements using JSON Schema validation, ensuring consistent organization of files and metadata. Templates also control which connectors can interact with assets of a specific type.

Files

Files represent individual data items stored using content-addressable storage, enabling automatic deduplication across versions and assets. Each file maintains its own metadata while being efficiently shared across the system.

Connectors

Connectors enable configuration-driven integration between the solution and external systems. They support multiple integration patterns including Content Derivers, Publishers, and Bi-directional synchronization.

Next Steps

Now that you understand the core concepts, you can proceed with deploying and configuring the solution: