System Requirements

VC Database

Setting up an instance of the VC Database requires an existing installation of a PostgreSQL database with PostGIS extension or using Docker images.

Supported PostgreSQL and PostGIS versions are:

  • PostgreSQL 13 and higher

  • PostGIS 3.0 and higher

Make sure to check the PostgreSQL versioning policy to determine which PostgreSQL versions are actively maintained or have reached end-of-life. The PostGIS support matrix provides details on which PostgreSQL versions are supported by specific PostGIS versions and whether any particular version of PostGIS has reached end-of-life.

The SQL scripts for setting up a VC Database schema are designed to be executed by the default command-line client of the respective database system – specifically, psql for PostgreSQL. These scripts include meta-commands specific to these clients and may not work properly with other client software. Therefore, ensure that psql is installed on the machine from which you plan to set up the VC Database before proceeding with the setup instructions.

It is recommended to always install the latest patches, minor releases, and security updates for your database system. The VC Database does not support database versions that have reached end-of-life.

vcdb-tool database client

vcdb-tool is the default command-line client for the VC Database, used to import and export city model data as well as perform data and database operations.

vcdb-tool is implemented as a Java application and can be run on any platform that supports Java 17 and higher.

To use vcdb-tool on your machine, ensure that a matching Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is installed. Java installation packages are available from various vendors and for different platforms. The following is a non-exhaustive list of Java distributions that are free to download and use:

Follow the installation instructions for your operating system. Note that starting with Java 17 LTS, Oracle Java is released under a no-fee, free-to-use license. However, previous versions of Oracle Java are available only under a fee-based subscription license. Similarly, Java binaries from other vendors may require a license for commercial use or access to updates. Please review the license terms and conditions provided by the vendors carefully.