Solved! Go to Solution.
Hopefully, there will be a ArcPy tool that will register views with geodatabase metadata once
that which was once ArcSDE is gone.
The dichotomy of the the two different interfaces has always been the issue. If there's no command
line and no API to make a command line, then the geodatabase takes over full ownership of all tables owned by the SDE user. At that point, your suggested change is a distinction without a difference.
The "SDEish" metadata tables have always been geodatabase metadata tables in fact, so I don't see
any major change.
and you will NOT be given an option to install ArcSDE because it will not be there.
ArcSDE is gone! kaput! no more!
My goodness what a long and confusing thread! do you need to install ArcSDE? well, yes, no, and maybe.
Here is the skinny I got out of all this mumbo-jumbo:
IF you are at 10.2/10.2.1 YOU do not need to install ArcSDE and you will NOT be given an option to install ArcSDE because it will not be there. ArcSDE is gone! kaput! no more!