These are questions from the ArcGIS 10.1 and 10.2 versions of the Configuring and Managing the Multiuser Geodatabase course requiring research before answering.
Q: Where do I find the SQL Server Native Client?
A: You can get started with the SNAC (SQL Server Native Client) at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/aa937733. Just follow the links.
Q: We don’t have Oracle Spatial. What problems does that present? Can we still query the geometry column using PL-SQL?
A: Oracle Spatial is not a required component of ArcSDE. When you install ArcSDE all the necessary components are put into place to support the ST_GEOMETRY field type and query it using PL-SQL. There are a few extra installation requirements that must be followed. These are well documented in the install guide.
Q: This class doesn’t cover versioning. What are some resources that can help me get started with versioning?
A: A good article for understanding the basics of versioning is Versioning 101 in the Winter 2010 issue of ArcUser. After that, take a look at Working with versioned data in the ArcGIS 10.1 Help for the details.
Q: What are the options for moving my geodatabase from one Oracle instance to another?
A: There are several options for moving a geodatabase. See Methods for moving a geodatabase in Oracle in the ArcGIS Help.
Q: Does ArcSDE have to be installed on the same server as my relational database, or can I install it on another server?
A: No, ArcSDE does not have to be installed on the same server. See the ArcSDE application install guides for your RDBMS (located on the Help resources page) and the following technical articles on distributed installs:
Oracle
SQL Server
Q: Can you create more than one geodatabase in an Oracle Database instance?
A: Yes, you can create multiple geodatabase within one Oracle Database instance. Multiple geodatabases in Oracle and two subsequent ArcGIS Help articles describes the process. The step-by-step workflow is described in Creating a geodatabase in a user’s schema. Also take a look at Creating Multiple Geodatabases Within a Single Oracle Instance in the geodatabase blog.
Q: What are the SDE admin commands and parameters for creating a service and modifying the sde configuration?
A: The SDE admin commands for creating a service are sdeservice and sdeconfig. The specific parameters of each command will vary according to the RDBMS.
To create a service for SQL Server, use the following:
sdeservice –o create ^
–d SQLSERVER ^
–s geodata ^
–u sde ^
–p sde_class ^
–i naperville_sde
Note: Give your services a meaningful name, such as the database’s name with _sde appended to it.
To specify the admin database
sdeservice –o register ^
-d SQLSERVER ^
-r ADMIN_DATABASE ^
-v naperville ^
-i naperville_sde
Add the following line to the services.sde and services files
naperville_sde 5151/tcp
To start or stop your new sde serivce
net start naperville_sde
net stop naperville_sde
To modify the sde configuration, for example, to change the maximum number of connections
sdeconfig –o alter ^
-v CONNECTIONS=100 ^
-i sde:sqlserver:Geodata ^
-D Naperville ^
-u sde ^
-p sde_class
Q: What are the deprecation plans for ArcGIS 10.1 and 10.2?
A: The knowledge base FAQ What are the deprecation plans for ArcGIS 10.1 and the upcoming release of ArcGIS 10.2? provides links to the Esri deprecation plans. The deprecation plan indicates that 10.2 is the last release of ArcSDE as services and admin commands.
Direct link to deprecation plan: Deprecation Plan for ArcGIS 10.1 and ArcGIS 10.2
Q : Can I schedule a ModelBuilder model to run at specific times?
A: You cannot schedule a model to run at a specific time, but you can export the model to a Python script and schedule the script to run at specific times. See the following blog posts and Help articles:
You’ll also be doing this in Lesson 9.
Q: If the ArcSDE Admin Commands are going away, how will the ArcSDE configuration and DBTUNE tables be managed?
A: Here’s the response I received when I asked the geodata team:
“We are replacing certain commands (those where no other comparable functionality exists in the UI or via GP tools) with new GP tools. The sdedbtune command will be available via GP. The sdeconfig will not be duplicated as the majority of the parameters are App Server-specific and will be deprecated. The remaining parameters are under review to see if changes can be made so that specific settings become dynamic. The only settings that will be configurable via a GP tool will be logfile parameters.”
Q: How can I determine the selectivity of an index or potential index?
A: The selectivity of an index is determined by the ratio of the number of unique values in the column being indexed divided by the total number of records in the table. Highly selective indexes will have a ration approaching 1. Indexes with low selectivity will approach zero. The following SQL (T-SQL from MS SQL Server) determines the selectivity of an index built on the NAME field of the table FABRIC_PARCELS.
SELECT COUNT( DISTINCT NAME) AS 'Number Unique',
COUNT(*) AS 'Number Rows',
STR( COUNT( DISTINCT NAME) / CAST( COUNT(*) AS REAL),4,2) AS 'Selectivity'
FROM [dbo].[FABRIC_PARCELS];
GO
Q: What are DBTUNE best practices for managing larger, static feature classes, e.g. do I just load Washington State parcels (3,085,858 polygon features) using the DEFAULTS keyword, or do I get more special with it? How about a state-wide transportation/navigation network - just pick the existing keyword? We don't edit these, we just receive, load, and use. Is there a current white paper available?
A: I was unable to find a white paper on the subject. Static data, or basemap data, is data used to provide a context for other datasets in your database. The most common form of static data is data you receive from someplace or someone else which you include in your geodatabase, but do not edit or manage. The general consensus is to set the indexes and data file fill factors or percent free for any data that is not edited to their highest values, minimizing the space they take up in the database.
Q: How can I determine if an index has been rebuilt or statistics been updated?
A: For SQL Server, the following SQL query lists indexes by the last modified date, list the most recently modified index first.
SELECT si.object_id AS 'Object-ID',
ss.name AS 'Schema/Owner',
so.name AS 'Table Name',
si.name AS 'Index Name',
si.type_desc AS 'Index Type',
so.create_date AS 'Create Date',
so.modify_date AS 'Modify Date'
FROM sys.indexes AS si
JOIN sys.objects AS so on si.object_id = so.object_id
JOIN sys.schemas AS ss on so.schema_id = ss.schema_id
WHERE so.type_desc = 'USER_TABLE'
ORDER BY so.modify_date DESC;
GO
Q: When using Database Authentication, unchecking the Save username and password box does not appear to work. You still are connected to the geodatabase when using the connection file.
A: There are known issues with database authenticated connections and how ArcMap caches current user logins. If you create a new database authenticated connection without providing a username and password after and you have already connected to the same geodatabase using different credentials, ArcGIS may substitute the cached credentials rather than prompting for new user credentials.
Q: Are database views available in Workgroup geodatabases?
A: Yes, you can create database views within a Workgroup geodatabase using the Create Database View tool.
Q: Does Esri and ArcGIS support Microsoft SQL Server 2014 for multiuser geodatabases?
A: Yes, SQL Server 2014 will be supported at ArcGIS 10.3. See Microsoft SQL Server database requirements for ArcGIS 10.3 Prerelease.
