Purpose of utility network owner database user

[mshanaghan]

When staging a utility network in an enterprise geodatabase, why do you need to create a "utility network owner" database user? Why can't the sde account create a utility network? See error below. Just trying to understand how things work behind the scenes.

[George_Thompson]

It is not best practice for SDE or an admin to own data in the Enterprise geodatabase. This is to prevent unneeded and elevated privileges.

[AyanPalit · Accepted solution]

@mshanaghan 

The Utility Network has special requirements, given the unique capabilities it offers over simple features. The utility network owner must be a database-authenticated user. The user must have database privileges to create content and cannot be an OS-authenticated user, a database administrator, or the geodatabase administrator account. The input feature dataset must be from a database connection established and the connected user will become the database utility network owner.

When working with a utility network stored in an enterprise geodatabase, there are two owners for a utility network dataset: the database owner and the portal owner.

The database utility network owner is determined by the database user used in the data source when a utility network is created. You must access the utility network as the database utility network owner for configuration and publishing tasks.

REFERENCE: Create a utility network

[mshanaghan]

This is great, thank you.

[George_Thompson · Accepted solution]

Review the last paragraph as to why the SDE user should not own the UN: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/data/geodatabases/manage-sql-server/geodatabase-admini...

"Esri recommends that the geodatabase administrator's schema be used to store the geodatabase system objects only. Create separate users with corresponding schemas to store datasets such as feature classes and tables. Following the practice of storing only system tables in the geodatabase administrator's storage space simplifies the management of the geodatabase and makes it easier for you to delete the geodatabase from the database if you ever decide to do so."