Configuring Workspaces and Datastores

Before you can connect database tables or upload Shapefiles/GeoPackages to create layers, you must define Workspaces (to organize your assets) and Datastores (to link database connections).

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1. Create a Workspace

Workspaces act as namespaces to group your datasets, layers, and maps logically.

1. Navigate to Workspaces in the sidebar menu.
2. Click the Create New Workspace button.
3. In the modal dialog:
   • Workspace Name: Provide a unique namespace (spaces are automatically converted to underscores, and special characters are removed).
   • Description: Add a brief description of what this workspace represents (e.g., production_workspace).
4. Click Create Workspace to save.

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2. Register a Datastore

A Datastore holds connection properties to a geospatial database (such as a PostGIS-enabled PostgreSQL instance) where layer tables are stored.

1. Navigate to Datastores in the sidebar menu.
2. Click the Create New Datastore button.
3. In the dialog:
   • Name: A descriptive name for the datastore (e.g., Main GIS DB).
   • Description: Details about the database server.
   • Workspace: Assign the Datastore to one of your created Workspaces.
   • Enabled: Ensure the switch is enabled so it is active for layer creation.
4. Click Create to initialize the datastore profile.

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3. Configure the PostGIS Connection

Once the datastore profile is created, you must specify the actual database server credentials:

1. Locate your new datastore in the Datastore List.
2. Click the Config or PostGIS Configuration action button next to it.
3. Fill in the connection credentials:
   • Host: The database server hostname or IP address (e.g., localhost or 12.34.56.78).
   • Port: Database port (default is 5432 for PostgreSQL).
   • Database Name: The name of your database (e.g., osmap_spatial).
   • Schema Name: The database schema (defaults to public).
   • Username: Database user role.
   • Password: Password for the database user.
   • SSL Mode: Connection SSL protocol (options: disable, require, verify-ca, verify-full).
4. Click Create Configuration (or Update Configuration).
5. The system will test the connection. If successful, you can now reference this datastore when creating or importing layers.