I'm using QGis to update the attributes of a large vector dataset (~20,000 polygons) stored in PostGIS. I'm going to have to do that to other large datasets so the idea is to bring in more people, each editing a separate table (no concurrent editing).
I'm wondering what would be the best option: Have the users connect directly to PostGIS and edit the data? Or publish the data in GeoServer and use WFS? Are there any gains in speed if I use WFS (cache, load only polygons in visible window)? Or would the extra layer (geoserver) slow me down? I'm using QGis as a desktop client.
Best Answer
What happens when two users try to edit the same polygon with PostGIS? With WFS LockFeature operation you get a well-defined behaviour in that situation. That said, there might be some pitfalls when using PostGIS (you would probably have to implement table locks).
The biggest benefit of using WFS over Postgis, in my opinion, is that you get a set of standard operations you can use without having to worry about what happens if...