Creating and setting the nautical product library in a geodatabase in SQL Server Express (Maritime Charting)

This workflow provides steps for creating and configuring a geodatabase to use as a product library and for importing the preconfigured XML workspace that contains all the necessary feature classes and tables that can be used in a desktop environment to manage nautical data and products. The ArcGIS for Maritime: Charting provides a preconfigured product library XML workspace on the Resource Center. It is highly recommended that you use it.

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. On 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.

   For example, if a database server is named SOPHIE\SQLEXPRESS, SOPHIE is the server name and SQLEXPRESS is the instance name.

   If you are unsure of the name to use, contact the administrator of the database server for this information.

4. Click OK.

Creating a geodatabase

The server administrator needs to create an ArcSDE geodatabase for SQL Server Express licensed for ArcGIS for Server Workgroup or 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 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.

Importing the product library XML workspace

You can import a product library XML workspace into the geodatabase used as the product library that is preconfigured with the components necessary to start working on nautical products.

The XML workspace contains the standard product library tables. It is also preconfigured with a solution node (Nautical) and many class nodes (ENC, Chart, and so on) and has the unit conversion, Element, and VST tables.

Steps:

1. Unzip the nautical product library file.

   The preconfigured workspace XML for ENC and Chart is available on the Resource Center. There is also one .gdb installed for DNC in the following location, based on your operating system.

   • On Windows XP, browse to <Installation location>\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Esri\Production10.2.2\Desktop\ProductLibraryFiles.
   • On Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008, browse to <Installation location>\ProgramData\ESRI\Production10.2.2\Desktop\ProductLibraryFiles.
2. Start ArcCatalog.
3. Expand Database Servers.
4. Double-click the product library administrator connection geodatabase to connect to it.
5. Right-click the geodatabase you just connected to and click Import > XML Workspace Document.
6. Click the Data option if it is not already selected.
7. Select the nautical product library located in the directory from step 1.
8. Click Open.
9. Click Next.
10. Click Finish.

Versioning within the product library

If you manually import the product library tables and feature classes, such as importing an XML file, you 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 product library administrator connection geodatabase to connect to it.
3. Right-click each feature class in your product library 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 within your selected tables 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.

Defining the product library

The product library location and the properties associated need to be defined in the Product Library window.

Steps:

1. 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.

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

   The Choose Product Library Workspace dialog box appears.

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

   The Select Product Library Owner dialog box appears.

5. Click the owner and click OK.
6. Click OK when the process completes.

Creating a series

The preconfigured product library contains the solution and three product classes, but you need to create a series to be able to create products.

You need to create at least one series in the product library (in ArcMap) for users to be able to start creating products.

Steps:

1. If necessary, open the Product Library window by clicking Customize > Production > Product Library on the main menu.

   A tree view of the product library appears.
2. If necessary, expand Product Library and Products.
3. Right-click the product class to which you want to add a map or chart series and click New Series.
   Tip:

   If you are using field configuration table settings and batch jobs in the NIS geodatabase, you need to create a new series in an NIS product class in the preconfigured product library.

   The New Series dialog box appears.

4. Click the cell next to Name.

   The name is limited to 230 characters. Special characters are not valid entries.

   Dive-in:

   Special characters that are invalid include %, \, /, :, *, ?, ', ", <, >, and |.

5. Double-click the existing text and type a name for the map or chart series in the text box.
6. Click the cell next to Alias.
7. Type the name you want displayed in the tree view for the map or chart series.
8. Click the cell next to Description.
9. Type a description for the map or chart series in the text box.
10. Click the cell next to Visible.
11. Click the drop-down arrow and choose an option to indicate whether the map or chart series is going to be visible in the Product Library tree view.

    The default value is False.

    If you are using the Maritime Charting, choose True.

12. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Administering geodatabase user permissions through the product library

There are different types of geodatabase users such as Data creator and Data editor users. The Data creator user has full access to the product library and the contents within it. To restrict access of the product library to only certain users, your organization needs to create Data editor users and administer permissions through the product library. Data editor users do not have create table privileges and cannot create a product class.

You should add Check Out/Check In user permissions to the Data editor users to be able to create and manage products.

Tip:

If you are using field configuration table settings and batch jobs in the NIS geodatabase, you have to assign Edit permissions to the operating system domain users on the series in the NIS product class.

Steps:

1. Navigate to the series level of the product class for which you want to assign permissions.
2. Right-click the series name and click Permissions.

   The Permissions dialog box appears.
3. Click the Permissions drop-down arrow and choose Check Out/Check In permissions for each user.
   Tip:

   You can assign permissions to all users at once by clicking the gray cell to the left of First Name, right-clicking anywhere, clicking Permission, then choosing Check Out/Check In.

4. Click OK.

At the completion of this workflow, you should have created and configured a geodatabase to use as a product library and imported the preconfigured XML workspace that contains all the necessary feature classes and tables that can be used in a desktop environment to manage nautical data and products.