topic Re: Direct Connect to SQL Server 2012 in 10.1 in Data Management Questions

Direct Connect to SQL Server 2012 in 10.1

RichardWatson — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:00:40 GMT

My questions relate to using direct connect to a SQL Server 2012 geodatabase in ESRI 10.1.

Here is what I think. Please correct any misstatements:

- You must have the SQL Server Native Client installed in order to use direct connect
- Version 10 of ArcGIS Desktop and Server installed this automatically but that is no longer true in 10.1
- In order to connect to SQL Server 2012 you must use the SQL Server 2012 native client, i.e. you cannot use the SQL Server 2008 native client
- The SQL Server 2012 native client is not supported on XP
- The SQL Server Native Client must be explicitly installed, i.e. is not included with any OS or with current ESRI products

Re: Direct Connect to SQL Server 2012 in 10.1

AsrujitSengupta — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:45:24 GMT

Richard,

Here are your answers:

- You must have the SQL Server Native Client installed in order to use direct connect
Correct

- Version 10 of ArcGIS Desktop and Server installed this automatically but that is no longer true in 10.1
Correct. More Info: http://wiki.gis.com/wiki/index.php/ArcGIS_10_vs._ArcGIS_10.1 (Check under: Client libraries for Geodatabase Connection)
"The installation of ArcGIS 10.1 doesn't include client libraries for the various relational database management systems (DBMS). These have been provided on the Esri Customer Care Portal for user downloads to set up connections to the intended DBMS."

- In order to connect to SQL Server 2012 you must use the SQL Server 2012 native client, i.e. you cannot use the SQL Server 2008 native client
No, the SQL Server Native Client 2008 should be able to connect too. I personally have connected using 2008 R2, but haven't tested the 2008 Native Client, with SQL Server 2012 yet.

- The SQL Server 2012 native client is not supported on XP.
Correct. http://www.microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.aspx?id=29065

- The SQL Server Native Client must be explicitly installed, i.e. is not included with any OS or with current ESRI products.
Correct. Same as answer #2

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Re: Direct Connect to SQL Server 2012 in 10.1

ShannonShields — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:07:37 GMT

- In order to connect to SQL Server 2012 you must use the SQL Server 2012 native client, i.e. you cannot use the SQL Server 2008 native client
No, the SQL Server Native Client 2008 should be able to connect too. I personally have connected using 2008 R2, but haven't tested the 2008 Native Client, with SQL Server 2012 yet.

The SQL Server 2008R2 Native Client can connect to SQL Server 2012, but it is not supported. The native client libraries are backward compatible, but not forward.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc280356.aspx
�??SQL Server Native Client 11.0 supports connections to SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 R2, and SQL Server 2012.�?�

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc280356(v=sql.105).aspx
"SQL Server 2008 R2 Native Client supports the version of SQL Server in which it is released, and SQL Server 2000 SP4, SQL Server 2005, and SQL Server 2008."

-Shannon

Re: Direct Connect to SQL Server 2012 in 10.1

RichardWatson — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:18:33 GMT

Thanks for that information Shannon.

The thing that I find confusing is the link to the SQL Server Native Client 11.0 article in that it does not list Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012 as being supported. I assume that that is just an oversight, correct?

Re: Direct Connect to SQL Server 2012 in 10.1

MarcoBoeringa — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:21:22 GMT

The thing that I find confusing is the link to the SQL Server Native Client 11.0 article in that it does not list Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012 as being supported. I assume that that is just an oversight, correct?

No, it isn't.

It seems Microsoft recently decided to rename the SQL Server Native Client, and it is now called:

"Microsoft ODBC Driver 11 for SQL Server on Windows" (/ Linux in the Linux version).

See this Microsoft Blog post:

Introducing the new Microsoft ODBC Drivers for SQL Server

And also see the download page for the Microsoft ODBC Driver 11 for SQL Server on Windows:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36434

It lists Windows 8 under System Requirements...

Re: Direct Connect to SQL Server 2012 in 10.1

ShannonShields — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:45:53 GMT

No, it isn't.

It seems Microsoft recently decided to rename the SQL Server Native Client, and it is now called:

"Microsoft ODBC Driver 11 for SQL Server on Windows" (/ Linux in the Linux version).

This is not the same thing as the Native Client and is not yet supported by ArcGIS. It will be supported at a later release. For 10.1 you must still use the Native Client when connecting to SQL Server from ArcGIS.

-Shannon

Re: Direct Connect to SQL Server 2012 in 10.1

RichardWatson — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:20:18 GMT

Thanks for that information Shannon.

The question I have then is whether or not there is a SQL Native Client which supports Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012?

I don't see the newer operating systems listed:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc280356.aspx

If there is not one then I think that I am correct in saying that direct connect to SQL Server 2012 is not supported for the newer operating systems.

Can you comment as to whether or not there are changes in this regard for 10.2?

Re: Direct Connect to SQL Server 2012 in 10.1

ShannonShields — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:03:19 GMT

At 10.1 we still use OLEDB to access SQL Server. The SQL Native client provides oledb as well as odbc access. At 10.2 we've moved from OLEDB to ODBC. We are trying to provide support for the new ODBC driver on Windows soon. It won't be in the 10.2 released, but we'll try to make it available very shortly afterwards.

-Shannon

Re: Direct Connect to SQL Server 2012 in 10.1

ShannonShields — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 15:33:56 GMT

Richard,

I brought this up with Microsoft, and the information on the system requirements for the SQL Server Native Client has been updated to correctly reflect what is supported. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc280356.aspx

Windows 8 & Windows Server 2012 are now on the list.

-Shannon

Thanks for that information Shannon.

The question I have then is whether or not there is a SQL Native Client which supports Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012?

I don't see the newer operating systems listed:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc280356.aspx

If there is not one then I think that I am correct in saying that direct connect to SQL Server 2012 is not supported for the newer operating systems.

Can you comment as to whether or not there are changes in this regard for 10.2?

Re: Direct Connect to SQL Server 2012 in 10.1

SteveWalker2 — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 05:40:53 GMT

Does this mean a direct connection from a linux based ArcGIS 10.1 Server is not possible?

Here are your answers:

- You must have the SQL Server Native Client installed in order to use direct connect
Correct