A quick tour of the database servers tutorial
Within ArcGIS software, the term database servers refers to instances of Microsoft SQL Server Express that have been enabled to store geodatabases.
You create geodatabases and perform other administrative tasks for database servers through the Database Servers node in the Catalog window or ArcCatalog. Performing the administration of the database server and its geodatabases through ArcGIS Desktop means there is no extra software or database administration expertise required for you to create and use these types of ArcSDE geodatabases.
To get started using database servers, this tutorial will show you how to use ArcGIS Desktop to do the following:
- Add a database server and create new geodatabases.
- Add users to the database server and grant permissions.
- Load data into the geodatabases.
- Make edits to data in a geodatabase on a database server.
- Perform administrative tasks, such as making a backup of and upgrading a geodatabase.
Getting started
To complete the tasks in this tutorial, you must install ArcGIS Desktop, Microsoft SQL Server Express, and the tutorial data. You must also create additional logins on your computer to complete some of the tasks.
Software installation
For this tutorial, you must install ArcGIS Desktop (ArcEditor or ArcInfo license level), SQL Server Express, and the ArcTutor data for this tutorial on your computer. Use the ArcSDE for SQL Server Express Installation wizard provided on the ArcGIS Desktop installation media to install an instance of SQL Server Express and enable it to create ArcSDE geodatabases. To complete the installation, follow the instructions in the ArcSDE for SQL Server Express installation guide, which is also included with the ArcGIS Desktop media.
You most likely already have ArcGIS Desktop installed, but if not, follow the instructions in the ArcGIS Desktop installation guide to complete this. If the ArcTutor data has not been installed, you need to install it using the ArcTutor executable provided on the ArcGIS Desktop media.
As with all software installations on Windows operating systems, you must be an administrator on the computer to install SQL Server Express, ArcGIS Desktop, and the tutorial data. If you do not have administrative rights to the computer you are going to use for this tutorial, have your systems administrator install the software. Be sure the system administrator adds your login to the database server as an ArcSDE database server administrator when he or she enables the SQL Server Express instance to store geodatabases.
The ArcSDE database server administrator is responsible for maintaining the database server, creating and maintaining geodatabases, and adding and administering their database server user accounts. This tutorial shows you how to perform these tasks; therefore, without database server administrator permissions, you could not complete this tutorial.
Additional logins
Database servers exclusively use Windows-authenticated logins for authentication. This tutorial requires three Windows logins: your login and two others.
If you are an administrator on your computer, you can create local Windows logins and use those. If you are not an administrator, have your systems administrator either add two users to your computer or provide you with two network logins to use.
You will use these logins to learn how to do the following:
- Add other users to your database server and grant them permission to the geodatabase and the data it holds.
- Assess what the different levels of permission allow or prevent users from doing so you can decide what sort of permissions you should grant to other users.
- Use the database server and its contents as a nonadministrative user. Therefore, if you connect to a colleague’s database server on which you have restricted permission, you will know how to use it.
The creation of additional logins will be explained in Exercise 4: Add users and administer their permissions. You will use the two additional logins in Exercise 5 Make nonversioned edits as a ReadWrite user, Exercise 7: Connect as a geodatabase administrator, and Exercise 8: Make versioned edits as a ReadWrite user.