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.

[VinceAngelo]

It seems there are two sets of questions interleaved within this discussion.

There are three options for using SQL-Server Express:

1. As a Workgroup or Desktop geodatabase ("Database Server" access)
2. As an Enterprise geodabase ("Database Connection" access)
3. As a simple SQL connection via Query Layers

Any way you roll it, Microsoft licensing restricts the SQL-Server application to a single CPU, a RAM limit, and a total storage limit.  Using the non-Enterprise geodatabase options, Esri licensing also applies a 3 or 10 connection limit.

To answer the original question, yes, Microsoft SQL-Server Express is a supported RDBMS platform for an enterprise geodatabase (provided you conform to the system requirements).

It's also possible to use Esri tools to create new Express instances or geodatabase-enable databases within them, but only the enterprise geodatabase tools can create an enterprise geodatabase, and the Workgroup/Desktop tools create non-enterprise dtabases.

- V

[JaromHlebasko]

Thank you everyone for your help! I have learned a lot but have a long way to go!

[AsrujitSengupta]

Jarom Hlebasko‌ try to mark the responses which answered your questions as Helpful\Correct Answer, so that it may help other people in the future.