Moving workgroup geodatabases between ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instances

Complexity: Beginner Data Requirement: Use your own data

You can move an existing workgroup geodatabase from one ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance to another by detaching the geodatabases from the source database server, moving the database files to the target ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance, and attaching them to the new database server.

If the source and destination ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instances are at different releases, you may need to upgrade the geodatabase after moving it.

Stopping services that use the data in the geodatabase to be detached

There cannot be any active connections to a geodatabase if you want to detach it. Therefore, you should stop these services before you detach the geodatabase from the database server.

Steps:

1. Open ArcGIS Server Manager for your existing ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance.
2. On the Services page, choose the services that are connected to the geodatabase you want to detach and click Stop.

Detaching an existing geodatabase

To move the database files, you must detach the geodatabase from the database server.

Connect to the database server (SQL Server Express instance) from the Catalog tree in ArcGIS for Desktop and detach the geodatabase you want to move.

Note:

If this is the first time you have logged in to your instance, you must authorize ArcGIS for Desktop with a valid license before you can open ArcCatalog. Go to Start > All Programs > ArcGIS > ArcGIS Administrator on your source instance to authorize ArcGIS for Desktop.

Steps:

1. Log in to the source ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance using remote desktop and the operating system Administrator login.

   Remember that to log in to an ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance, you must open the remote desktop port (3389) in your security group.

2. Start ArcCatalog.
3. Connect to the database server.
4. On the Contents tab, right-click the geodatabase you want to detach, point to Administration, then click Detach.
5. Take note of the location of the database file on the Confirm Detach dialog box.
6. Click Yes to proceed with detaching the geodatabase.

Starting a new ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance

If the destination instance to which you want to transfer the geodatabase has not yet been created, follow the instructions in Building an ArcGIS server site on Amazon EC2 to create your new site.

Deleting geodatabases from the destination database server

Database servers in your ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance come with two geodatabases: egdb and geodata. If the destination database server has a geodatabase with the same name as the one you detached from the source database server, you must delete the existing geodatabase before you can attach the one you moved.

Caution:

Do not do this if the geodatabase on the destination database server contains data that is still needed. If your destination instance already has a geodatabase of that name that contains data, you must use a different method to move your data from one instance to another; geodatabases cannot be renamed. If you know the data is no longer needed, make a backup of the geodatabase before you delete it just to be safe.

If the destination database server contains a geodatabase with the same name as the geodatabase you are moving, connect to the database server (SQL Server Express instance) from the Catalog tree in ArcGIS for Desktop and delete the geodatabase that has the same name.

Steps:

1. Log in to the destination ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance using the operating system Administrator login.
2. Start ArcCatalog.

   Remember, if this is a new site, you must authorize your ArcGIS for Desktop installation before you can use it.

3. Connect to the destination database server.
4. Right-click the geodatabase that has the same name as the geodatabase you are moving and click Delete.
5. Confirm that you want to delete the geodatabase.

Moving .mdf files

You must move the detached database file (.mdf) from the source instance to the destination instance. The .mdf file can be found in the location you noted in the first section of this topic. See Strategies for data transfer to Amazon Web Services for ways to move files to your destination ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance. Be sure to place the .mdf file on the data volume (the D drive), not the C drive of the destination instance.

Attaching a geodatabase to the new instance

Connect to the destination database server from the Catalog tree in ArcGIS for Desktop and attach the geodatabase.

Steps:

1. In ArcCatalog, right-click the database server and click Attach.

   The Attach Geodatabase dialog box opens.

2. Browse to the location on the destination instance where you placed the .mdf file and click OK to add it.
3. Click OK to attach the geodatabase.