Cannot execute as the database principal because the principal .....

[DanDumitrescu]

Hello,

I use a virtual machine Windows 2008 r2 with SQL Server 2008.
I uninstall all ArcGis 9.3.1 sofware and install back ArcGis version 10.

When I try to upgrade my database from 9.3.1 to 10 in ArcCatalog I receive this error:

Executing: UpgradeGDB "Database Connections\test2.sde" PREREQUISITE_CHECK UPGRADE
Start Time: Fri Nov 26 15:35:09 2010
Paused the database for upgrade.
There are no other active connections.
User has privileges required to upgrade.
Running Pre-Requisite check (C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\Desktop10.0\ArcCatalog\test2.sde).
Instance supports XML type.
Checking datasets.
Checking dataset (sde.DBO.poi).
Check succeeded (sde.DBO.poi).
Checking dataset (sde.DBO.Intersectii).
Check succeeded (sde.DBO.Intersectii).
Checking dataset (sde.DBO.RuteOcolitoare).
Check succeeded (sde.DBO.RuteOcolitoare).
Checked datasets.
Checking representations.
Checked representations.
Checking domains.
Checked domains.
Checking replicas.
Checked replicas.
Checking historical markers.
Checking historical marker (DEFAULT).
Check succeeded (DEFAULT).
Checked historical markers.
Finished checking prerequisites.
ArcSDE server tables and stored procedures are up to date.
Bad login user [Microsoft SQL Server Native Client 10.0: Cannot execute as the database principal because the principal "sde" does not exist, this type of principal cannot be impersonated, or you do not have permission.]Bad login user
Unpaused the database.
Failed to execute (UpgradeGDB).Failed at Fri Nov 26 15:35:10 2010 (Elapsed Time: 1.00 seconds)


I must specify that I'm not an expert in SQL Server ... also sde user in SQL it has the following roles: sysadmin and public.


Any help whould be apreciated.
Ty in advance!


Ps: sorry if I post in wrong section. But I didn't find any section for ArcSDE !

[denisedavis]

It looks like you are trying to do the upgrade as a "user" and not the "owner" of the SDE. You can make changes to the user group in SQL so that you are the owner of the SDE.

[DanDumitrescu]

I set sde as owner and also as sysadmin, but the same error .... any new ideea ?

[denisedavis]

Sorry, I don't have any other ideas without sitting in front of your computer. I hope someone else can think of something for you.

[MelissaJarman · Accepted solution]

In a lot of cases this has to do with trying to connect as another user other than the SDE administrative user. When a database authenticated SDE login and user existed and a database was migrated from another server via backup/restore or detach/attaching the SDE login/user will need to be synchronized using the sp_change_users_login within SQL Server Management Studio. You'll need to be connecting as the SDE administrative user via direct connect in ArcCatalog in order to do the upgrade, so after this login/user are synched in the database you'll be able to connect and perform the upgrade as this user.

Take a look through the following KB article and see if this helps any!😄

HowTo: Re-synch SQL Server logins or users after restoring a database from backup http://resources.arcgis.com/content/kbase?fa=articleShow&d=29672

[MichaelAugust]

I'm having this exact same issue 13 years later in ArcGIS Pro 3.2 - does anyone have any suggested reading or how to I hit 'Run Upgrade' on a 10.4.1 geodatabase from the Catalog view in Pro? I'm seeing the exact same error as above as DBO owner...

[George_Thompson]

If you are using the Pro 3.2 client for the upgrade, it may be due to version of the geodatabase. You will need to do an intermediate upgrade to 10.6.1 or newer first, then you can go to Pro 3.2. I did notice that you can use Pro 3.0.x as it will upgrade from 10.4.1.

Pro 3.2 help:  https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/data/geodatabases/manage-sql-server/upgrade-geodatabas...

• You can upgrade directly from a 10.6.x, 10.7.x, 10.8.x, 10.9.x, or 11.x geodatabase if your database release is supported for the ArcGIS version to which you upgrade.

  If SQL Server is not at a release supported for the geodatabase version you upgrade from and the geodatabase version you upgrade to, you may have to upgrade the database and geodatabase multiple times before you can upgrade the geodatabase to the latest version.

  For each intermediate geodatabase upgrade, follow the upgrade instructions for that geodatabase version, and test the geodatabase as you move from version to version.

[MichaelAugust]

Thanks George - that's super helpful!