# Core Concepts
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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?
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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
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The Spatial Data Management on AWS solution organizes resources in a hierarchical structure:

![\[Resource model diagram\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/solutions/latest/spatial-data-management-on-aws/images/resource-hierarchy.svg)


## Key Resources
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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
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Now that you understand the core concepts, you can proceed with deploying and configuring the solution:
+  [Plan your deployment](plan-your-deployment.md) – Review deployment considerations and prerequisites
+  [Deploy the solution](deploy-the-solution.md) – Deploy the solution to your AWS account