Why would I install ArcSDE with 10.1?

18470
71
Jump to solution
05-10-2012 11:01 AM
AlanToms
Occasional Contributor
Hello all,
Why would I install ArcSDE with 10.1?  It seems I can us ArcCatalog to create an enterprise geodatabase without SDE then have all my users use direct connections.  What am I missing?

Thank you
Alan
71 Replies
DanPajak
Occasional Contributor
So when upgrading to 10.1 from 9.3.1, and not wanting to install the 10.1 ArcSDE Server Application, do I have to uninstall ArcSDE 9.3.1 from my existing Geodatabase? Then simply run the "Upgrade Geodatabase" tool in ArcCatalog to get it to 10.1?
0 Kudos
MarcoBoeringa
MVP Regular Contributor
So when upgrading to 10.1 from 9.3.1, and not wanting to install the 10.1 ArcSDE Server Application, do I have to uninstall ArcSDE 9.3.1 from my existing Geodatabase ?


I guess you meant to say:

"... do I have to uninstall the ArcSDE 9.3.1 Application Server from my database server..." ?

If so: yes. Of course, the geodatabase itself with the entire ArcSDE Repository and the ArcSDE and geodatabase system tables therein, should be left untouched, otherwise nothing is left to upgrade...

So when upgrading to 10.1 from 9.3.1, and not wanting to install the 10.1 ArcSDE Server Application, do I have to uninstall ArcSDE 9.3.1 from my existing Geodatabase? Then simply run the "Upgrade Geodatabase" tool in ArcCatalog to get it to 10.1?


Don't forget you need to install an appropriate database client. Without client, you won't be able to connect any more once your Application Server is down!

There may also be an extra issue if you decided to migrate to a new server and in the process go from a 32 bit to 64 bit environment... There are descriptions for that in the Help, but it isn't an easy task.
0 Kudos
DanPajak
Occasional Contributor
Yes, my apologies, I meant the server. We are currently at 64-bit so no need to upgrade there. Regarding the database client I'm not sure what you mean? We're currently connecting via ArcReader and a few web apps which are already migrated to the Direct Connect method. Wouldn't the database client simply be installed with ArcGIS Desktop or ArcReader? Or is there something else I should be looking at? My main concern was what to uninstall. But, looking more clearly, I would have to uninstall ArcSDE anyway because we have a desktop install on our server as well which of course would also need an upgrade. Thank you for the clarification.
0 Kudos
MarcoBoeringa
MVP Regular Contributor
We're currently connecting via ArcReader and a few web apps which are already migrated to the Direct Connect method.


If you can already use Direct Connect in ArcReader on your local PC, than you must have the required database client installed. So you shouldn´t have to worry about it.

More info on this Help page:
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//019v00000009000000

Again, note the database client is only required in Direct Connect, Application Server connections do not use the database client. But since ESRI plans to phase out the Application Server, the database client can better be assumed compulsory.

Wouldn't the database client simply be installed with ArcGIS Desktop or ArcReader?


The database client is a separate install, see the first Help page linked above. You can download it either from the database vendor, or the ESRI Customer Care portal.

But your IT department is likely to have already installed such a client in their default drive-images in case database connections are used by other non-GIS desktop applications in your organization.
0 Kudos
MatthewWhitehead
New Contributor
I guess you meant to say:

"... do I have to uninstall the ArcSDE 9.3.1 Application Server from my database server..." ?

If so: yes. Of course, the geodatabase itself with the entire ArcSDE Repository and the ArcSDE and geodatabase system tables therein, should be left untouched, otherwise nothing is left to upgrade...



Don't forget you need to install an appropriate database client. Without client, you won't be able to connect any more once your Application Server is down!

There may also be an extra issue if you decided to migrate to a new server and in the process go from a 32 bit to 64 bit environment... There are descriptions for that in the Help, but it isn't an easy task.


I am upgrading from 9.3.1 to 10.1 and just want to make sure I have my ducks in a row. Are these the general steps I need to take:

1. Make backups, check permissions, etc, etc
2. Uninstall ArGIS Server 9.3.1 including ArcSDE from the server(and delete ArsSDE services)
3. Install ArcGIS for Server 10.1 on the server(?)
4. Upgrade from client via ArcCatalog

I guess my confusion is when reading through the steps on http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#/Preparing_to_upgrade_a_geodatabase_in_SQL_...
It says that I need to install the current release of ArcGIS client on a computer that can directly connect. I've got that and checked the connection. Do I need ArcGIS for Server 10.1 installed on my server? I assume the answer is yes but I'm not reading that explicitly in those steps. I just see to get rid of the old 9.3.1 install.
0 Kudos
MarcoBoeringa
MVP Regular Contributor
- You don't need to install an ArcSDE Application Server (Also called "ArcSDE service" in ESRI documentation) if you want to connect to your geodatabase, use Direct Connect instead.

The ArcSDE Application Server will no longer be available after ArcGIS 10.2, so it is highly recommended to switch to Direct Connect at this point in time.

- You may need an ArcGIS for Server installation if you use it to create webservices (ESRI Map, Image, Feature Services or WMS, WFS or any of the other service types it supports). If you're not interested in serving your own webservices, you don't need ArcGIS for Server.

- Use the new geoprocessing tools in the Geodatabase Administration toolset in ArcGIS for Desktop for management and creation of your ESRI enterprise geodatabase. See for example the Blog article by ESRI's Melissa J linked below, and the second link to the Geodatabase Administration toolset:

Do This, Not That! �?? Alternatives to using SDE command line tools:
http://blogs.esri.com/esri/supportcenter/2013/10/04/do-this-not-that-alternatives-to-using-sde-comma...

Geodatabase Administration toolset
An overview of the Geodatabase Administration toolset

You may find it helpful to read these two PDF documents I created:

The ESRI Geodatabase Framework
http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/83644-quot-The-ESRI-Geodatabase-Framework-quot-PDF?p=295462&viewful...
The ESRI Geodatabase Framework - Future developments at ArcGIS 10.2 and 11
http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/83644-quot-The-ESRI-Geodatabase-Framework-quot-PDF?p=303021&viewful...
0 Kudos
VinceAngelo
Esri Esteemed Contributor
Do I need ArcGIS for Server 10.1 installed on my server? I assume the answer is yes but I'm not reading that explicitly in those steps. I just see to get rid of the old 9.3.1 install.


It's certainly not required (which is the main point of this thread).  Whether you "need" it depends
on how bound you are to using an application server.  It won't be an option after 10.2, so at some
point you'll need to switch over to Direct Connect exclusively.

- V
0 Kudos
MatthewWhitehead
New Contributor
- You don't need to install an ArcSDE Application Server (Also called "ArcSDE service" in ESRI documentation) if you want to connect to your geodatabase, use Direct Connect instead.

The ArcSDE Application Server will no longer be available after ArcGIS 10.2, so it is highly recommended to switch to Direct Connect at this point in time.

- You may need an ArcGIS for Server installation if you use it to create webservices (ESRI Map, Image, Feature Services or WMS, WFS or any of the other service types it supports). If you're not interested in serving your own webservices, you don't need ArcGIS for Server.

- Use the new geoprocessing tools in the Geodatabase Administration toolset in ArcGIS for Desktop for management and creation of your ESRI enterprise geodatabase. See for example the Blog article by ESRI's Melissa J linked below, and the second link to the Geodatabase Administration toolset:

Do This, Not That! �?? Alternatives to using SDE command line tools:
http://blogs.esri.com/esri/supportcenter/2013/10/04/do-this-not-that-alternatives-to-using-sde-comma...

Geodatabase Administration toolset
An overview of the Geodatabase Administration toolset

You may find it helpful to read these two PDF documents I created:

The ESRI Geodatabase Framework
http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/83644-quot-The-ESRI-Geodatabase-Framework-quot-PDF?p=295462&viewful...
The ESRI Geodatabase Framework - Future developments at ArcGIS 10.2 and 11
http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/83644-quot-The-ESRI-Geodatabase-Framework-quot-PDF?p=303021&viewful...



Thanks you. We use direct connections so no need for the application server. I have upgraded my 9.3.1 database to 10.1 successfully. I currently have server 9.3.1 installed on the same server the DBMS and geodatabases are stored on. I will likely retroactively upgrade to server 10.2 (as well as upgrading client apps to 10.2 and subsequently gdbs to 10.2) in the near future.
0 Kudos
StephanieSnider
Occasional Contributor III
I wanted to chime in incase this point had not been made clear.  There's a difference between an enterprise geodatabase and ArcSDE application service.  You can have an enterprise geodatabase (Example: SQL Server or Oracle) and also have ArcSDE installed for an application service.  Or you can have an enterprise geodatabase and not have ArcSDE installed.  Both options require an ArcGIS Server Basic license. 

At ArcGIS Desktop 10.0, the default connection type to an enterprise geodatabase assumed the application service was installed - although ESRI recommended using a direct connect at "best practices".  At 10.1 and above, ArcGIS Desktop uses the direct connection by default.  You still have the option of connecting using an application service, but the setup is hidden in the ArcToolbox.  After 10.2, ArcSDE will no longer be available...so you will have to use a direct connect to get to your enterprise geodatabase.  Hope this helps.
0 Kudos
KevinGooss
Occasional Contributor
I would like to add my 2 cents to this post based on my experiences of the past few days.
In the past i relied heavily on sde views - take a spatial table, create a view on it, register that with sde using the command line tools and then modify the sql of the view to join in several other, non-spatial, tables.
The resulting 'sde view' is seen by esri in the same way a feature class would be.
This is a very effective tool and we use it extensively.
At 10.1, the idea was that sde command line tools are being mothballed. 'Most' everything you need to do will be available in Catalog, ArcMap and/or python.
Well that is not entirely true in the case of spatial views.

At 10.1 you can make a spatial view in ArcCatalog and it works great. So we did that, and we based ags services on map layers based on those views. Then a few days ago we started seeing issues. The services failed. ags error logs stated that ags could not recognize the geometry type of the layers in those services.
The issue is that our data expires over time and we remove it from the view via a sql where clause. When that view is empty ags/sde no longer recognize it as being a view - it is just a table. So our view sql may say the value in some field must be less than 4 hours old. If no data is added to that table over 4 hours it will be empty. The service will fail and our app throws errors. Not good.

The answer we are getting now is to use the command line tool to create the views and make sure they are registered with sde.
Apparently with the new style views the geometry metadata is gathered on the fly from the first record in the table.
That makes sense to me. But what about when there are no records? Seems like a better system would have been to get the metadata from the only spatial column in the view - the one in the base table - which is a feature class. A feature class can be empty and sde/ags still knows it is a feature class.

Anyway, sde command line is not ready for the closet yet.
0 Kudos