What are database servers in ArcGIS?

This topic applies to ArcGIS for Desktop Standard and ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced only.

Within ArcGIS software, the term database servers refers to instances of Microsoft SQL Server Express that have been enabled to store desktop or workgroup 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 for Desktop means there is no extra software or database administration expertise required for you to create and use these types of geodatabases.

Connections to the geodatabases on a database server are always direct connections; they use the ArcSDE library files in the client to make the connection. In this case, the client applications are ArcGIS for Desktop at the Standard or Advanced license level, ArcGIS Engine, and ArcGIS for Server Workgroup.

The downloads for these products include installation files for SQL Server Express. Once you have created the SQL Server Express instance and run the wizard to enable the instance to store geodatabases, the libraries within the client application allow you to connect to and work with the database servers and create and work with geodatabases on the database server.

With ArcGIS for Desktop (Standard and Advanced) and ArcGIS Engine with the Geodatabase Update extension, you can set up a database server and create geodatabases that can be accessed by a few users and edited by one user at a time.

With ArcGIS for Server Workgroup using , you can set up a database server and create geodatabases from within ArcGIS for Desktop that can be accessed by up to 10 users at a time, all of whom can be editing concurrently. When using the database servers licensed through ArcGIS for Server Workgroup, you can also connect to the geodatabases using web applications, for which there is no connection limit.

The following table presents a summary of functionality available in geodatabases created on database servers:

Type of client-to-database connection

Direct connection

Database administration

Through ArcGIS for Desktop or ArcObjects

CPU limit

1

Backup/Recovery model used

Simple

User able to alter geodatabase configuration

No

Type of user/group logins

Operating system (Windows) authenticated

Language/Localization

Uses same code page as the server

XML column support

Yes (ArcGIS 9.3 and later releases)

Versioned editing support

Yes

Archiving support

Yes

Replication support

Yes

Support for user-defined views

No

Support for SQL Server spatial types

Yes (ArcGIS 9.3 and later releases)

Support for ST_Raster storage type

No

4/22/2015