Connections to user-schema geodatabases in Oracle

Connections to user-schema geodatabases from ArcGIS for Desktop are made by connecting to the Oracle database that contains both the master sde geodatabase and user-schema geodatabase, then changing the geodatabase connection information to specify a geodatabase version in the user's schema. You can use an ArcSDE service or connect directly to a geodatabase in the schema of a user other than sde.

Connecting to the Oracle database

Use the Database Connections dialog box, accessed from the Catalog tree in ArcGIS for Desktop, to connect to the Oracle database. Choose oracle from the Database Platform drop-down list. Next, type either the TNS name or Oracle Easy Connection string in the Instance text box.

Connecting directly to a user-owned geodatabase is similar to connecting directly to the master sde geodatabase—you must install the Oracle client on the client computer and specify a TNS name or Oracle Easy Connection string to instruct ArcGIS which Oracle database to use.

Tip:

If you use an ArcSDE service to connect, use the Create ArcSDE Connection File geoprocessing tool to make the connection.

When you use an ArcSDE service to connect, only one giomgr process is used: the one to the sde master geodatabase. Therefore, you have one ArcSDE service for the sde master geodatabase; you do not set up separate ArcSDE services for the user-schema geodatabases, and there are not separate giomgr processes or port numbers for each geodatabase.

After you have provided your connection type information, provide the information necessary to authenticate you in the Oracle database. If you are using database authentication, type a user name and password of a valid Oracle user. If you are using operating system authentication, choose that from the Type drop-down list and your current Windows login is used to connect to the Oracle database.

Specifying the user-schema geodatabase

When you initially connect to a geodatabase in Oracle using the Database Connections dialog box in ArcGIS for Desktop, you are automatically connecting to the sde.DEFAULT version of the master sde geodatabase. To connect to a geodatabase in the schema of a user other than sde, right-click the existing connection under the Database Connections node and click Geodatabase Connection Properties. When the dialog box opens, choose the user-schema geodatabase from the Schema drop-down list. This automatically connects you to the <user>.DEFAULT transactional version. If you want to connect to a different geodatabase version, you can do so at this time.