topic What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"? in Geodatabase Questions

What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

JonathanBailey — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 20:18:18 GMT

How does Esri define and differentiate "workgroup geodatabases" and "desktop geodatabases".

The table of client and geodatabase compatibility identifies "Enterprise, workgroup, or desktop geodatabase" as distinct geodatabase types.

In the same help section, enterprise geodatabases are described, but the terms "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase" are not defined.

Searching the help for the term "workgroup geodatabase" leads to this topic, which discusses creating desktop or workgroup geodatabases, but doesn't distinguish between them.

Further complicating this is the use of the term ArcSDE, which has not existed as a product since the 10.2.2 release.

So, what are the definitions of "desktop geodatabase" and "workgroup geodatabase"? Would it be possible for Esri to provide a cleaned up, concise definition of the various geodatabase types, using consistent terminology?

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

JoshuaBixby — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 20:29:21 GMT

Does this answer your question? What are ArcGIS database servers?—Help | ArcGIS Desktop

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

JonathanBailey — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 20:50:30 GMT

Hi Joshua,

Yes, this helps. In fact, the next page in the help has definitions of desktop and workgroup geodatabases.

Thanks,

Jon.

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

Asrujit_SenGupta — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 05:02:25 GMT

Just in case this helps someone, this links discusses them as well: Types of geodatabases—ArcGIS Help | ArcGIS Desktop

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

JonathanBailey — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 15:12:10 GMT

I wrote a new blog post summarizing the geodatabase types available in ArcGIS 10.5.1: Types of Geodatabases in ArcGIS 10.5.1

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

TinaMorgan1 — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 17:55:07 GMT

Nice blog. When I explain Desktop, Workgroup and Enterprise lisences, I explain them as different products that user's can purchase based on their organization's needs. Much like ArcGIS Desktop license levels (basic, standard and advanced), folks can choose what license level of the enterprise geodatabase they need as well.

The three types of geodatabases are personal (.mdb extension), file (.gdb extension) and enterprise (.sde extension or a .gds extension that can be saved as a .sde extension). The enterprise geodatabase type has three different license levels that can be purchased- Desktop, Workgroup and Enterprise (so there is an enterprise geodatabase type with the enterprise license...we must have ran out of words to use).

The biggest difference between the enterprise geodatabase license levels are the number of people who can connect and edit simultaneously, with the enterprise license level being unlimited.

We connect to each type of geodatabase differently from ArcCatalog. We use folder connections to connect to .gdb and .mdb geodatabase. We use the Database Server section in ArcCatalog to connect to enterprise geodatabases licensed with desktop and/or workgroup. These connections get a .gds extension, and you can save the .gds extension as a .sde extension for distribution purposes. We connect to enterprise geodatabases with enterprise licenses through the Database Connections section in ArcCatalog.

One note on the blog, I'd update the point about application server connections, as this is not a type of geodatabase as much as it is a method to access geodatabases. These connection methods are only supported to a 10.2.2 or older geodatabase, I.e. you will not be able to connect to a 10.5.1 geodatabase using a three tier connection.

ArcSDE geodatabase: an enterprise geodatabase to which connections are made via the ArcSDE application server.

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

JonathanBailey — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 20:11:13 GMT

Thanks, Tina. Good catch -- I've updated the post to indicate that you can only connect to a 10.1 or 10.2.x enterprise geodatabase using the ArcSDE application server from ArcGIS 10.5.1.

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

Asrujit_SenGupta — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 04:36:13 GMT

Enterprise geodatabase: a geodatabase stored in one of DB2, Informix, Oracle, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server.
ArcSDE geodatabase: an enterprise geodatabase (version 10.1 or 10.2.x) to which connections are made via the ArcSDE application server.

This is still incorrect. As Tina mentioned, these are not 2 separate types of geodatabases. The type of geodatabase does not change based on the type of connection we use.

ArcSDE Application Server Connections can be still be made to any geodatabase prior to 10.2.2, which will include 10.2.x, 10.1, 10.0, 9.3.x, 9.2 etc.

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

TinaMorgan1 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 14:10:18 GMT

Right, a more accurate description would be:

Types of Geodatabases at 10.5.1:

Personal (.mdb)
File (.gdb)
Enterprise (.sde)
1. Desktop License- via Direct Connect access only in SQL Express.
2. Workgroup License- via Direct Connect access only in SQL Express.
3. Enterprise License- via Direct Connect access only in SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, DB2, or Informix RDBMS.

*ArcDesktop 10.5.1 can connect to 10.1-10.2.2 geodatabase via Application Server connection (3-tier).

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

JonathanBailey — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 14:18:57 GMT

Perhaps the nomenclature that I've used is different from what others use. What I'm trying to present here are options that users have for creating and working with geodatabases. You're correct that they're both enterprise geodatabases (you'll note that I've used the term "enterprise geodatabase" in both cases), but the ways in which users create, license, and connect to them are different. From a user's perspective, they're different animals. The larger issue is that people (even Esri employees), often refer to both of these as ArcSDE geodatabases, which creates confusion. What I'm trying to communicate here is that the term "ArcSDE" should only be used in reference to the ArcSDE application server, and shouldn't be used to refer to enterprise geodatabases. Maybe what that means is that I should remove the "ArcSDE geodatabase" type, and reference the discussion that follows on how to connect to enterprise geodatabases.

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

TinaMorgan1 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 14:28:37 GMT

you are 100% correct that ArcSDE refers to the product which provides an application server connection. At 10.1 we discontinued that product, and received messaging to start using the term enterprise geodatabase to refer to what we historically called SDE geodatabases.

Even in that time though, an application server service is not a type of geodatabase, but a method to connect to a geodatabase. For example, I can have a single 10.2.2 geodatabase that is accessed by two different users...one user may connect using direct connect and the other may connect using an application server connect (if that is set up of course). This does not change the enterprise geodatabase itself.

Sorry for the confusion, and thank you for trying to clear up this topic! You are right that it is important we are all on the same page with semantics, or at the very least, know that there have been changes in the last few years to be aware of.

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

JonathanBailey — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 15:00:25 GMT

Note: I had mostly written this response by the time you posted your next response, so this might seem a bit out of sync.

This goes back to why I wrote the blog post in the first place. When you start throwing file extensions at users, and adding in a matrix of types vs. licenses, and name both an "enterprise geodatabase" and an "enterprise license", it's no wonder that users get confused. The communication isn't clear, it's often inconsistent, and it often contradicts itself.

First, I think it's important to be able to communicate the functionality of a geodatabase without having to identify its file extension, especially when the file extension is ".sde". Like I stated in the blog post, I've started using the term ArcSDE only in reference to the ArcSDE application server, and I think it helps to create clarity. When you communicate with users using the file extension ".sde" (and I understand the historical and technical reasons for this), it equates "enterprise geodatabase" and "ArcSDE" in the user's mind. (You mentioned in your previous comment that a .gds file could be renamed to .sde -- interesting, I wasn't aware of that).

Second, on enterprise geodatabase licensing, what you've communicated here is inconsistent with the ArcGIS documentation, which identifies desktop and workgroup geodatabases as distinct from enterprise geodatabases:

From a user's perspective, these are different animals, because they're licensed differently and work differently in terms of simultaneous numbers of connections and concurrent editors (and, yes, I understand that you can take the same .mdf and .ldf files and move among the different "types" by licensing them differently). I think that the definitions that Esri provides in the above links are helpful, but are inconsistent with how Esri communicates about geodatabases elsewhere.

Finally, I think that your final sentence would be better written as "ArcGIS Desktop 10.5.1 can connect to enterprise geodatabases (versions 10.1 through 10.2.2) via the ArcSDE application server" -- again, more consistently using the terms "enterprise geodatabase" and "ArcSDE application server".

I'm not trying to be pedantic about this, but I have found that out here in the field, Esri's inconsistent communication on how users create, license, connect to, and use geodatabases causes a lot of confusion, which is what I'm trying to address in the blog post. As I indicated in my reply to Asrujit, I'll update my blog post to remove the term "ArcSDE geodatabase", and instead expand the discussion of the different methods of connecting to enterprise geodatabases.

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

JonathanBailey — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 15:01:29 GMT

Hi Tina,

Yes, we're in agreement on that. I'm in the process of updating my blog post to reflect this.

Thanks,

Jon.

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

JonathanBailey — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 15:11:33 GMT

OK, here's what I've got. I replaced the point:

ArcSDE geodatabase: an enterprise geodatabase (version 10.1 or 10.2.x) to which connections are made via the ArcSDE application server.

with the paragraph

At ArcGIS 10.5.1, there are two ways to connect to enterprise geodatabases: for all supported enterprise geodatabase releases (10.1 through 10.5.1), an ArcGIS client can connect to the geodatabase via "direct connect" (this is Esri's recommended method); for enterprise geodatabase releases (10.1 through 10.2.x), an ArcGIS client can also connect to the geodatabase via the ArcSDE application server.

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

TinaMorgan1 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 15:35:26 GMT

Nice blog, and great conversation here. I agree that it is confusing, especially when we start using terms for multiple things. While we can't always manage the terms people use on the fly, we can at least try to guide the vernacular. We appreciate your effort to keep this topic clear. As always, too, we are available for more discussion on the phone if you'd like to call Esri Support. Just ask for a Desktop Analytics analyst (formerly known as geodata) and let them know you would like to have a conversation about enterprise geodatabases and semantics.

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

Asrujit_SenGupta — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 15:40:53 GMT

Just ask for a Desktop Analytics analyst (formerly known as geodata)

Well well, even I was not aware of this change! Been a long time ha!

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

TinaMorgan1 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 15:49:30 GMT

This all has just recently happened in the last few weeks. In an effort to keep up with users who don't just use one technology anymore...it is the whole Enterprise now- enterprise geodatabase data/native database data published via ArcDesktop/ArcGIS Pro as services through ArcGIS Server consumed in Portal or AGOL. We still have folks with deep specialties though

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

JonathanBailey — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 20:29:46 GMT

Hi Tina. A quick follow-on question: a user with ArcGIS Desktop 10.5.1 can connect to an enterprise geodatabase (10.1 through 10.2.2) using the ArcSDE application server. However, I'm assuming that a user can't create an enterprise geodatabase using the ArcSDE application server (since the client creates a geodatabase schema current with its own release). Is that correct?

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

Asrujit_SenGupta — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 20:41:18 GMT

An ArcSDE service can only be created for a Geodatabase. It cannot be created for a simple database.

So, No, a user can never use a Application server connection for creating enterprise gdb.

Re: What are the definitions of "workgroup geodatabase" and "desktop geodatabase"?

AZendel — Fri, 18 May 2018 15:31:34 GMT

Hello all. I'm wondering what you all think about my "idea" to allow more than just 2 or 3 connections when only 1 user is connected to a "Desktop Geodatabase". Thoughts?