Trouble Connecting to a SQL Server Database in Arc Pro

Question

Hi there, my organization and I have been trying for the last month or so to connect in pro through the "database connection" to connect a SQL Server database on our Managed Service Account using "database authentication" as our form of authentication type. Needless to say, we have been unable to do so. We have repeatedly verified our instances, username and pathways to the server to be correct and reached out to ESRI professional services all without any luck resolving the issue.

We continuously get the following error message: "Unable to connect to database server to retrieve database list, please verify your server name, user name and password info and try again".

Any thoughts, insight or tips are greatly appreciated.

RobertGrahamJR · Answer

The v18 has a switch for encryption enabled by default and other settings that make using this version more difficult than rolling back to v17.

LuisLaredo · Answer

Hello,

We had troubles accessing the usual SQL Server databases at work when we tried using the MS SQL ODBC driver version 18.0, initially.  I think there was a patch for Pro which fixed this?  Either way, it made us stay with 17.8.1.1 for longer.  (We still have it even for Pro 3.0.x, since there are users in the organisation who use ArcGIS Desktop 10.8.x still, and it won't work if SQL ODBC 18.1 is installed, even if 17.8.1.1 is also installed.)
I believe the SQL Server version comes into play too.
A few things worth checking there, perhaps.

. Luis

George Thompson · Answer

Is the authentication set to mixed mode (AD / DB users)?

Can the same user connect to SQL Server via SSMS using the same account as Pro?