2. Uber: matches riders & drivers based on proximity
Google Maps: Spatial queries across global regions
Weather Apps: Deliver forecasts by geolocation
Needs: Location-aware partitioning, Fast proximity queries, Low-
latency access
Real-World Motivation
3. Databases deployed across multiple geographic regions
Why: Reduce latency, Ensure availability, Support regulations
Challenges: Partitioning, Spatial queries, Consistency vs Performance
What Are Geo-Distributed Databases?
4. Organize and index geographic or multidimensional data
Support fast range and location queries
Enable efficient partitioning and geo-sharding
What Are Spatial Data Structures?
5. Divides space into 4 quadrants recursively
Ideal for 2D maps and non-uniform data
Used for map tiles, hotspot indexing
Quadtree – Recursive Spatial
Partitioning
6. Nodes represent bounding rectangles
Efficient for range and nearest neighbor queries
Used in PostGIS, SQLite, Oracle Spatial
R-Tree – Hierarchical Bounding Boxes
7. Converts (lat, lng) into alphanumeric strings
Preserves locality – nearby locations share prefixes
Useful for sharding and prefix queries
Geohash – Location to String
Encoding
8. Quadtree: Good for visual division, fast queries
R-Tree: Better for range and spatial containment
Geohash: Lightweight, perfect for sharding & prefix match
Comparison of Structures
9. Partitioning: Geohash zones distributed nodes
→
Query Routing: Spatial index routes query to the right node
Load Balancing: Quadtree helps balance spatial load
Data Locality: Nearby data stays in nearby servers
Applying in Geo-Distributed DBs
10. Uber: Geohash for ride matching
Google Spanner: R-Tree for global spatial queries
MongoDB Atlas: 2dsphere indexes for sharded queries
Real-World Systems
11. Adaptive Quadtree partitioning based on user load
Hybrid models using Geohash + R-Tree
Machine learning to optimize spatial indexing
Latency-aware geo-sharding strategies
Research Opportunities
12. Spatial data structures are key for geo-DB performance
They support fast querying, efficient partitioning
Enable scalable, location-aware, low-latency systems
Vital for the future of mobile and IoT systems
Conclusion
