SDE not running on server

[RyanStovern__GISP]

So I am very confused. We have 4 ArcSDE (ArcSDE 10 sp3) databases running on one instance in SQL Server 2008 R2. 2 of the services say they are running and the other 2 say they are stopped. When you use the command lines to try starting them they say that the SDE not running on server but yet in ArcCatalog or ArcMap we can connect to the databases just fine use them like we are suppose to do. What gives?

Thanks for any feedback,

Ryan Stovern
GIS Analyst
Lake County, MN

[JakeSkinner]

Hi Ryan,

In ArcCatalog right-click on the database > Connection Properties.  Check the 'Service'.  Does it say something similar to:

sde:sqlserver:<server>

If so, you are using a Direct Connection to the database.  More information, such as when you want to use a direct connection, can be found here.  Direct Connections are usually the preferred connection method.

[Anonymous User]

Original User: ryanstovern

Jake thanks for the reply. I am not using the direct connection since I am the administer of the SDE databases I work with them connected through database servers in ArcCatalog, but I do have others in the county using direct connection.

[JakeSkinner]

Hi Ryan,

If you are connecting to your geodatabase using 'Database Servers' then you are creating a direct connection.  You cannot have an application server connection (use an SDE service) created through 'Database Servers'.

Do you have two ArcSDE licenses, one for Workgroup and another for Enterprise?  A Workgroup license uses SQL Server Express for the database.  With this type of license, you can create an administrative connection to your geodatabase through 'Database Servers'.

With an Enterprise license the ArcSDE Post-Installation is included.  You can use the ArcSDE Post-Installation to create a service to connect the geodatabase, rather than use a direct connection.

[Anonymous User]

Original User: ryanstovern

Jake we are running Enterprise licenses. Windows Server 2008 with SQL Server 2008 R2.

[JakeSkinner]

If you are using an Enterprise license with SQL Server 2008 Standard/Enterprise, you should not be able to make a connection to the database through 'Database Servers'.  Are all your connections through 'Database Servers', or do you have others connections under 'Database Connections'?  You can compare the connection properties of the two to see if they are connecting to the same SQL Server instance.