Creating and setting the product library in a geodatabase in SQL Server Express (Defense Mapping)

This workflow provides steps for creating and configuring an ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Desktop (instance of SQL Server Express) as a product library that can be used in an enterprise environment to manage data and products.

Adding a database server

This section describes how to add a database server connection under the Database Servers node in the Catalog window. This is a connection to a Microsoft SQL Server Express instance set up to store geodatabases.

You will need to install SQL Server Express, if you have not already, and enable it to store geodatabases.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap, open the Catalog window, then expand the Database Servers folder in the Catalog tree.
2. Double-click Add Database Server.
3. In the Add Database Server dialog box, provide the name of the database server.

   This is in the form <server_name>\<instance_name>, where the server name is the name of the server on which SQL Server Express is installed and the instance name is the name of the SQL Server Express instance.

   An example would be a case where a database server is named SOPHIE\SQLEXPRESS, SOPHIE is the server name, and SQLEXPRESS is the instance name. Using 127.0.0.1 for the server name will avoid sourcing issues if multiple users are going to be accessing the product library.

4. Click OK.

The server icon appears under Database Servers in the Catalog tree.

Tip:

If you add the database server and the icon appears in the Catalog tree with a blank white square on it, the database server has been added but its status is unknown. Try double-clicking it to connect. If you are unable to connect, contact the administrator of that database server to find out if the SQL Server Express instance is running and connected to the network and what type of permission you have on that database server.

Creating a geodatabase

The server administrator needs to create an ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Desktop which can be used as the product library.

Steps:

1. Log in as a server administrator, start ArcMap, then open the Catalog window.
2. In the Catalog tree, right-click the database server on which you want to create a new geodatabase.
3. Click New Geodatabase.
4. Type a name for the new geodatabase in the Geodatabase name text box.

   The name must begin with a letter, cannot contain spaces or special characters (such as *, &, !, %, ., +, or -), and have a maximum length of 31 characters when combined with your server name.

5. If you want to change the database file location, specify the new location in the Geodatabase file text box by clicking the ellipsis button (...) and browsing to the location.
6. Type the size of the new geodatabase in the Initial Size text box.
7. Choose MB or GB from the Units drop-down menu, or use the default size of 100 MB.

   Regardless of the initial size, the geodatabase grows as it needs to, up to 10 GB.

   Note:

   The initial size of the geodatabase cannot be smaller than that of the model database in the SQL Server Express instance. The model database is the system template for all new databases. The size of the model database determines the minimum size of any database created in that SQL Server Express instance. If you attempt to create a geodatabase smaller than this minimum size, database creation fails and the following error message is returned:

   Error creating this geodatabase
   CREATE DATABASE failed. 
   Primary file must be at least <size of model> to accommodate a copy 
   of the model database.

8. Click OK.

A progress bar displays while the database file and geodatabase schema are created. When complete, the new geodatabase appears on the Contents tab and in the Catalog tree.

Creating geodatabase users

The steps below are for creating users for the product library geodatabase in the Catalog window on a database server (an instance of SQL Server Express).

Steps:

1. Log in as a server administrator, start ArcMap, then open the Catalog window.
2. Right-click the database server to which you want to add a user or group.
3. Click Permissions.
4. Click Add user on the Permissions dialog box.
5. Specify the location where you want to search for the user or group.

   This can be the local machine or a domain.

6. Type the name of the user or group you want to add. You can click the Advanced button to do a more specific query to find the desired user.
7. Click Check Names to verify the login name is valid.
8. Click OK.

Granting geodatabase roles/permissions

A role needs to be assigned to the users who are going to be working with the product library so they can view or add components, information, and data to the product library. These permissions are at the geodatabase level, assigned separately from the product library permissions. The roles are assigned through the Catalog window as permissions for users who are using a product library stored in SQL Server Express.

User names for the role are required for any users who are going to be working with the product library and need to read from or write to the product library tables and other components. The administrators are considered the owners of the data, so they already have this privilege.

The steps below are for granting roles/permissions on a database server (an instance of SQL Server Express).

Steps:

1. Right-click the geodatabase for which you want to grant user permissions.
2. Click Administration and click Permissions.
3. Choose the desired user or group from the list on the Permissions dialog box.
4. Click the appropriate role:
   • None—No specific access to the geodatabase or the datasets in the geodatabase has been granted.
   • Read Only—The user can only view and select data.
   • Read/Write—The user can read, write to, and create new datasets in a geodatabase or can read and write to an existing dataset.
   • Admin—The user can perform administrative tasks in a specific geodatabase.
   • Server administrator—This user manages the database server.
5. Click Apply.

Defining and upgrading the geodatabase as a product library

After the geodatabase has been created, various tables and feature classes that are part of the product library need to be added to it. This process can be completed in ArcMap. The tables and feature classes are created under the schema that is owned by the user that is connected. The user must be the owner of the schema that was used to create the product library to be able to upgrade and create or delete product classes. To allow other users to be the schema owner, the properties need to be changed in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.

When no product library workspace is defined, and you add data that is stored in a geodatabase, which is a product library and a production database, the product library workspace points to this geodatabase; the data model versions are also set automatically.

The steps in this section are for defining and upgrading the geodatabase as a product library in ArcMap.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. On the menu bar, click Customize > Production > Product Library.
   Tip:

   If the Product Library command is not enabled, you may need to enable the Production Mapping extension by clicking Customize > Extensions and checking the check box for Production Mapping.

   Tip:

   You can also open the window by clicking the Product Library button on the Production Cartography or Production Editing toolbar.

3. Right-click Product Library and click Select Product Library.

   The Choose Product Library Workspace dialog box appears.

4. Navigate to the product library database.
5. Click Open.

   The Upgrade Product Library Workspace or the Create Product Library Workspace dialog box appears if the geodatabase does not have all the components necessary to perform as a product library. Continue to step 6 if one of these dialog boxes appears.

   Note:

   If you also have the Maritime Charting installed, tables are added to the product library schema that are necessary for nautical production but do not impact non–nautical production.

   If this is not a new product library, and if an error appears when you choose a geodatabase as the product library, it may need to be compacted or compressed to restore its integrity. Compacting applies to personal and file geodatabases, and compressing applies to enterprise geodatabases.

   If you select an enterprise workspace, the Select Product Library Owner dialog box appears, and you can continue to step 7.

6. Perform the following steps if you want to upgrade or create the geodatabase you want to use as the product library.
   1. If necessary, click the drop-down arrow in the Select Configuration Keyword area and choose an option.

      Options vary based on whether the database is a personal, file, or ArcSDE geodatabase.

   2. Click OK.
   3. Click OK once the upgrade or creation completes.
7. If the product library is an enterprise geodatabase, click the owner and click OK.

   The Upgrade Product Library Workspace or the Create Product Library Workspace dialog box appears if the geodatabase does not have all the components necessary to perform as a product library. Perform the following steps if you are an administrator and want to upgrade or create the geodatabase you want to use as the product library.

   1. If necessary, click the drop-down arrow in the Select Configuration Keyword area and choose an option.

      Options vary based on whether the database is a personal, file, or ArcSDE geodatabase.

   2. Click OK.
   3. If necessary, click OK once the upgrade or creation completes.

Registering as versioned

Registering your data as versioned is optional.

Learn more about deciding how to register your data

If you manually import the product library tables and feature classes, such as importing an XML file, you may need to verify that all the tables and feature classes are registered as versioned. This allows the software to edit the tables as you create and work with your product library. However, you shouldn't create new versions of the product library tables; this can result in inconsistencies within the versions.

Steps:

1. Expand Database Connections in the Catalog Tree window.
2. Double-click the administrator connection geodatabase to connect to it.
3. Right-click each feature class and click Manage > Register as Versioned.

   Do not check the Register the selected objects with the option to move edits to base check box.

4. Click OK.
5. Right-click each table, except for those listed below, and click Manage > Register as Versioned.

   Do not check the Register the selected objects with the option to move edits to base check box.

6. Click OK.

Once you have performed all the steps in this workflow, the product library workspace is ready for you to create the solution, product class, series, and users and user permissions. Other users still need to define the product library workspace on their client machine to be able to create and manage data and/or products based on their privileges.