Can you install ArcGIS for Server Advanced Enterprise on SQL Server Express

[JaromHlebasko]

I am fairly new to ArcGIS for Server and I am trying to read up on documentation about different database management systems and I cannot seem to find an answer on whether or not I can install ArcGIS for Server Advanced Enterprise on SQL Server Express? I'm trying to set up an Enterprise Geodatabase with the trial version of Server Advanced Enterprise. Any help would be much appreciated.

[JaromHlebasko]

There may be no limit on the number of connections but is there a limit on how many users can edit the data with SQL Server Express? And if so, can you create multiple databases with the same limit?

[AsrujitSengupta]

No, if its an sde enterprise geodatabase...there is no limit on the number of connections or the number of simultaneous editors.

[JaromHlebasko]

So based on what I am trying to accomplish, SQL Server Express should suffice unless I have a 10 GB size limit problem? Thank you so much for your help!

[CattyannCampbell]

You can't have more than one editor at a time with SQL Server Express. I got burned by this and had to revert back to Enterprise version after spending more than a few hours on the phone with ESRI Support. I thought I could install Express and go since our databases aren't that large at least not what I wanted for editing but when I tried to have more than one editor the trouble started. If you are just starting out install the SQL server Enterprise and be done with it.

[AsrujitSengupta]

Cattyann Campbell‌: What you are talking about is a SDE personal geodatabase. Which has a limitation as discussed in this thread above.

I am suggesting the use of an SDE Enterprise geodatabase to  Jarom Hlebasko‌. Please note the difference.

[CattyannCampbell]

The issue I ran into is that when I installed SQL Server Express as you are suggesting the only database I could create from that was the SDE personal database did not know that would happen I was very surprised and wasted a lot of time with ESRI tech support trying to undo this. Perhaps I missed a check box somewhere but that's what happened when I tried the SQL Server Express Route.

[AsrujitSengupta]

The SDE Personal comes along with ArcGIS Desktop, thus has its limitations.

In this case here Jarom, already had a ArcGIS for Server enterprise license available to him. Thus he can create SDE Enterprise geodatabases as well. This was my reason for suggesting the creation of an sde enterprise gdb.

[CattyannCampbell]

Maybe I should have contacted you instead of ESRI tech support because we also have an ArcGIS Server Enterprise License thought I would have gotten the option to use that with the express install

but I ended up with Personal SDE being installed instead. I've since scrapped it and reverted back to our Enterprise version maybe I'll take this up again when we move up 10.3.

Thanks for your feedback.

[AsrujitSengupta]

I am a part of that *famed* ESRI Tech Support team

However yes, feel free to refer to this thread in your Support request or mention my name in case you face any issues while upgrading to 10.3.

[JakeSkinner]

With SQL Server Express Personal Edition (believe it's called Update Extension now), you can only have one editor.  If you are using SQL Server Express Workgroup Edition, you can have 10 simultaneous users/editors:

ArcGIS Help (10.2, 10.2.1, and 10.2.2)

With ArcGIS for Desktop (Standard and Advanced) and ArcGIS Engine with the Geodatabase Update extension, you can set up a database server and create geodatabases that can be accessed by a few users and edited by one user at a time.

With ArcGIS for Server Workgroup using , you can set up a database server and create geodatabases from within ArcGIS for Desktop that can be accessed by up to 10 users at a time, all of whom can be editing concurrently. When using the database servers licensed through ArcGIS for Server Workgroup, you can also connect to the geodatabases using web applications, for which there is no connection limit.