ArcSDE Geodatabase Upgrade Pre-Requisite Check (Discussion)

Question

Hi,

After performing many Geodatabase Upgrades for many instances over the the past few years, i find the "Upgrade Pre-Requisite Check " tool usless in terms of detecting real upgrade problems.

Many times the tool runs and states that your geodatabase is fine and ready for upgrade, and when your perfom the REAL upgrade ....BOOM... actual problems shows up !!!!.

This is usless when you want to prepare for a PRODUCTION upgrade, since you don't want to be stucked with complicated problems in production, and the only option you have is "restore" and your scheduled upgrade is failed.

from my observation the Pre-Requisite Check tool checks (privileges, orphan objects,domains....) but it doesn't go deeper in analysis.

please share your experience and openions.......

Cheers

MarcoBoeringa · Answer

What is really needed is some tool to check the integrity of the database.
The Pre-Requisite Check is the closest we get. The main problem is that you cannot run it on the current version �?? it just say the version is up to date.
It will be very useful to get such a tool for regular check of the database, not only when you upgrade.
I agree that if the pre check works without any errors it does not mean necessary that the upgrade will work.

check this: http://ideas.arcgis.com/ideaView?id=08730000000bmXSAAY#comments

Hi Mody,

Hmmm... In terms of the need for such a tool, I think it speaks volumes that out of the millions of ESRI users out there, it is actually two ESRI support employees (from Germany and the Netherlands) that are the first to respond to the above linked Idea, stressing its urgent need...

ModyBuchbinder · Answer

hello

What is really needed is some tool to check the integrity of the database.
The Pre-Requisite Check is the closest we get. The main problem is that you cannot run it on the current version �?? it just say the version is up to date.
It will be very useful to get such a tool for regular check of the database, not only when you upgrade.
I agree that if the pre check works without any errors it does not mean necessary that the upgrade will work.

check this: http://ideas.arcgis.com/ideaView?id=08730000000bmXSAAY#comments

Mody

MarcoBoeringa · Answer

i understand your point, and i know what the tool is currently doing. However, when you are preparing for production upgrade some errors are not easily fixed and requires furhter troublesooting and could stop your upgrade.

this is why before i perform the actual upgrade in production, i take a copy of production to a sandbox machine to simulate the upgrade.

what i am purposing is "enhancing the capiblities of the tool".....

I think you may need to post this on ArcGIS Ideas, instead of here. It is likely there is already a similar Idea there, so you could vote it up, otherwise, create a new one. Link the Idea here in this thread so users can find it more easily.

I think the "enhancing" is not limited to geodatabase upgrades, there are other tools in ArcGIS that could use more thorough error / condition checking, and / or much better error feedback, e.g. think of ModelBuilder. It is frustrating to get cryptic messages that don't even hint on a proper source of an issue.

Anyway, it seems you are already following best practices by testing the upgrade against a copy of production. Even if ESRI enhanced the prerequisites tool, you probably still don't want to rely on it to upgrade in-situ...