Mastering ArcGIS Enterprise Administration: Install, configure, and manage ArcGIS Enterprise to publish, optimize, and secure GIS services

A geodatabase is a spatially-enabled database. Within the ArcGIS Enterprise framework, there are three types of geodatabases:

Personal and file geodatabases are intended for single users and small workgroups with one writer and multiple readers, where concurrent user connections eventually degrade performance with more and more readers. File geodatabases can have only one editor per feature dataset, stand-alone feature class, or table. For medium to large organizations needing...

The first step in setting up an enterprise geodatabase is to install your RDBMS. In many organizations, this is handled by someone in the IT department, such as a database administrator or systems administrator. If so, try to work with them as much as possible for the setup of your RDBMS; not only will you build a stronger working relationship with them, you will further understand how your RDBMS was installed and configured.

For this book, we will be using SQL Server 2014 Standard Edition SP2 as our RDBMS. As always, consult the documentation of your RDBMS for detailed installation and configuration instructions.

To create a geodatabase, you must use ArcGIS Desktop licensed at either Standard or Advanced level, ArcGIS Pro Standard or Advanced, or a Python script on a machine with the proper level of Desktop or Pro installed. There are two ways to create an enterprise geodatabase in SQL Server, depending upon your level of access to the database:

Let's break down these options in...

Now that we have a shiny new enterprise geodatabase, we need to connect to it. A connection allows us to use, manage, and administer the geodatabase. Before we can connect, there are a few items to configure.

To allow connections from machines other than the SQL Server machine itself, we must ensure that remote connections to the database server are allowed. To do this, first open SQL Server Management Studio on your database server and log in with the sysadmin credentials. In the Object Explorer pane, right-click on the database server and go to Properties. In the Properties window, select the Connections page. Under remote server connections, ensure that Allow remote connections to this server are checked. Click on OK.

Next, open SQL Server Configuration Manager and under SQL Server Network Connection, select Protocols for <your server>. Ensure that TCP/IP is enabled. Right-click on TCP/IP and go to Properties. Select the IP Address tab and scroll down...

Within the geodatabase, there is a hierarchy of users, with each level being based on what actions the user can perform. We have talked at length about the most powerful two of these users, the database administrator and geodatabase administrator. These users are vital to the creation, management, and maintenance of the enterprise geodatabase. As the following diagram shows, with great power, there must also come great responsibility. Database administrators and geodatabase administrators are both powerful accounts with far-reaching privileges. The following diagram shows that with increased privileges in the database, come increased responsibilities:

For our purposes here, loading data refers to initially creating datasets in a geodatabase. Any user with proper edit privileges can insert data into an existing feature class or table. Loading data into the geodatabase is a task typically reserved for those with access to the data owner account credentials. Data should always be loaded (and feature classes and tables created) under the data owner account; in other words, the user loading the data must be connected to the geodatabase as the data owner.

There are many ways to load data into the geodatabase, and these vary based on the format of the source data. Let's discuss some of these methods where they are applicable, and their pros and cons.

A well-maintained geodatabase is a performant geodatabase. Database maintenance requirements vary from system to system, but there are several routine tasks that need to be carried out on all systems.

A GIS is only as good as the data that powers it. Geodatabase administration is crucial in keeping a well maintained, performant geodatabase that users will be able to utilize efficiently. In this chapter, we discussed how to create a geodatabase, connect to it, create accounts for users to access it, load data into it, manage user privileges, manage user connections, and perform routine maintenance. Next up in Chapter 3, Publishing Content, we will look at using our data in published content in ArcGIS Server.