Installing the ST_Raster type in a remote Oracle database

If ArcSDE is installed on a different server than your Oracle database, follow these instructions to create the ST_Raster type in the database and configure access to it.

Steps:

1. Install ArcSDE.
2. Log in to the Oracle remote host machine.
3. Create a directory on your Oracle host machine accessible to Oracle to hold the libst_raster_ora library.
4. Place the libst_raster_ora library in the directory you created.
   • If ArcSDE and Oracle are installed on servers with the same operating system, copy or use FTP to transfer the libst_raster_ora library from SDEHOME > bin (Windows) or SDEHOME > lib (Linux or UNIX) to the directory you created in step 3.
   • If Oracle is installed on an operating system (OS) that is different from your local ArcSDE server, install ArcSDE for Oracle on the Oracle server to obtain the libst_raster_ora library appropriate for the Oracle server OS, then copy or use FTP to transfer the libst_raster_ora library from SDEHOME > bin (Windows) or SDEHOME > lib (Linux or UNIX) to the directory you created in step 3.
5. If you installed ArcSDE on the Oracle server to obtain the libst_raster_ora library, uninstall it from the Oracle server.
6. Update the listener.ora file to include the path in EXTPROC_DLLS.

   See Configuring the Oracle listener to use SQL for instructions.

7. Using SQL, connect as the sde user and create the Oracle libst_raster library.

   CREATE LIBRARY LIBST_RASTER
   AS '<absolute path to libst_raster_ora library>';
   /

8. Log in to the ArcSDE server.
9. Run the sdesetup command with the install_st_raster operation.

   sdesetup -o install_st_raster -d ORACLE11G
   -s oserver -u sde
   
   Please enter ArcSDE DBA password:
   
   Install or update ST_Raster schema objects: Are you sure? (Y/N):
   

10. Using an Oracle SQL editor, such as SQL*Plus, connect as any user and test the installation of the ST_Raster type.

    Successful results for this query include "No data found," if no raster data exists in the geodatabase yet, or a list of the raster columns in the database. An error message is returned if the Oracle listener is not started or the libst_raster_ora library is not accessible. The library may not be accessible if ST_Raster was not installed, the listener.ora file was not updated with the path to the libst_raster_ora library, or the libst_raster_ora library was copied to the wrong location.

    In this example, the describe utility is run to list existing ST_Raster and binary raster columns in the database. In this case, this is a new geodatabase and there are no raster columns yet in the database. Since no error message is returned, you know the installation was successful.

    SELECT sde.st_raster_util.describe() 
    FROM dual;
    
    SDE.ST_RASTER_UTIL.DESCRIBE()
    
    No data found.

    In this example, the describe utility is also run. However, in this case, the path to the libst_raster_ora library was not added to the listener.ora ENV parameter. Correct the problem and run the query again to be sure it is fixed.

    SELECT sde.st_raster_util.describe() 
    FROM dual;
    
    ERROR:
    ORA-28575: unable to open RPC connection to external procedure agent
    ORA-06512: at "SDE.ST_RASTER_UTIL", line 190
    ORA-06512: at "SDE_ST_RASTER_UTIL", line 377
    

11. Either create an ST_RASTER configuration keyword in the DBTUNE table with the RASTER_STORAGE parameter set to ST_RASTER or set the RASTER_STORAGE parameter under the DEFAULTS keyword to ST_RASTER.
    • If you want most or all of your raster data to be created using the ST_Raster type when using ArcGIS software, set the RASTER_STORAGE parameter value under the DEFAULTS keyword to ST_RASTER.

      sdedbtune -o alter -k DEFAULTS -P RASTER_STORAGE
      -v ST_RASTER -i sde:oracle11g -s bigserve -u sde
      
      Update DBTUNE data: Are you sure? (Y/N):

    • If you only want to create some raster data with ST_Raster storage, add a keyword, ST_RASTER, to your DBTUNE table and include the RASTER_STORAGE parameter set to ST_RASTER and the UI_TEXT parameter.

      sdedbtune -o insert -k ST_RASTER -P RASTER_STORAGE 
      -v ST_RASTER -i sde:oracle11g -s bigserve -u sde
      
      sdedbtune -o insert -k ST_RASTER -P UI_TEXT -v UI_TEXT 
      -i sde:oracle11g -s bigserve -u sde