Reusing a schema to create a replica

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

The purpose of the Re-use schema option is to create a replica using a template. This option is available for checkout/check-in replicas only and can only be performed when replicating to file or personal geodatabases.

The most efficient way to utilize this method is to first use the Extract Data wizard to extract the schema of the dataset you want to use as a template. This creates a copy of the dataset schema without the contents (data).

The Reuse schema option on the Create Replica wizard first deletes any data currently in the schema you specify then repopulates it with the data specified for replication. By creating an empty schema, you avoid deleting data from the existing dataset when you use it to create a schema.

Another advantage to using an empty schema is that it takes less time, since the existing contents do not have to be deleted first.

You specify the extracted schema when you create a new replica using the Create Replica wizard.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap by clicking Start > All Programs > ArcGIS > ArcMap 10.2.1.
2. Open an existing ArcMap document or create a new one by adding data to ArcMap.
3. If the Distributed Geodatabase toolbar is not already open, click Customize on the main menu, point to Toolbars, and click Distributed Geodatabase.
4. Click the Extract Data button on the Distributed Geodatabase toolbar.

   This opens the Extract Data Wizard.

5. Click Schema Only under the title What do you want to extract?
6. Click Geodatabase to choose to extract to the geodatabase where you will create your replica.
7. Click the folder icon to browse to the location on disk where the file or personal geodatabase is stored and click OK.
8. Click Show advanced options for overriding data extraction defaults when I click Next to choose which dataset's schema you want and click Next.

   This opens the Advanced Extract Data Options dialog box.

9. Check only the dataset that has the schema you want to use as a template and click Next.
10. Decide what spatial reference to use by doing one of the following:
    • Click Use the spatial reference from the input data to use the same spatial reference as the source dataset.
    • If you want a different spatial reference, click Specify a new spatial reference for the extracted schema, click Edit, choose a new coordinate system, then click OK to close the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box.
11. Click Next and click Finish to close the Extract Data wizard.
Now you can use the extracted schema to create a checkout replica.
12. Click the Create Replica button on the Distributed Geodatabase toolbar to activate the Create Replica wizard.
13. On the first panel of the wizard, choose to create a checkout replica.
14. Click Next.
15. Click Data under the checkout option.
16. Click Geodatabase and click the browse button to browse to the geodatabase template that you created in step 11.
17. Click Re-use schema if the geodatabase already contains the schema for the check-out.
18. Type a name for the checkout replica.

    If you want to specify different options for the replica, click Show advanced options for overriding check-out defaults when I click Next and see Creating a check out replica for instructions.

19. Click Next.
20. Choose the postcheckout option you want and click Finish.