GDB automagically not allowing new connections

Question

We recently encountered the issue that the checkbox that states "Geodatabase is accepting connections" (in Database Properties --> Connections tab) was found to be unchecked and the Geodatabase indeed did not allow any new connections.

Once discovered it was an easy fix, we just connected as SDE user an checked the box. The question is how did it get unchecked?

We can narrow down the time window to when it must have become unchecked based when scheduled tasks started to fail, and can use Oracle audit to verify that no connection as SDE was made during that time window.

Has anyone experienced this before? What factors could trigger it? Is this a known bug?

DB: Oracle 12c

GDB: 10.3

Arne_Gelfert · Answer

Christian, hey, I realize its been a few years since your post up there but this was helpful. So the field you're referring to is: DISABLEDC‍ right? And a value of [num_prop_value] = 1‍ would mean the connections are not allowed?

Christian_Wells · Answer

Hi Tobias, that checkbox in the GDB properties simply comes down to a Boolean operator in the sde.server_config table. Although, someone may not have been connected as SDE during that time, unchecking that box/changing the record in the table does not disconnect any existing connections, only disallows new connections.

With that in mind, the only things that could trigger this is:

1. Someone with permissions to the server_config table modified it via SQL

2. Someone as SDE unchecked the box earlier in the day

3. A process or task called the AcceptConnections command:

AcceptConnections—ArcPy Functions | ArcGIS for Desktop

One way you could hunt this issue down is to have your DBA look in the v$sql table in Oracle for an UPDATE command issued to the sde.server_config table. This table should give you the time, user, application and node that issued the command.