Editing allowed on Default despite versioning

[JacquelinePursell]

So I have a situation where I would like to have my editors freely post data on their versions to the Default without me doing for them with the super secret SDE user.  I have the DEFAULT set as protected right now because if I allow it to be public, then the user can freely edit without using a version!  Now this would be OK if the MXD's and the SDE connection files wouldn't regularly "forget" that we pointed it to a specific version.  My users are an "every now and then" user of GIS so to force them to check that the data is indeed pointing to the version is not feasible.  They do not usually notify me that they are going to edit either, so I forget to do a regular post/reconcile.

So, is there ANY way that I can make my users have the rights to post data but be restricted to editing ONLY in a version?? 

[AsrujitSengupta]

• Which ArcGIS and Database version are you using?
• Will the users be creating new connection files everytime or they will be using Pre-Created connections?
• What kind of logins do the users use? (OS Authenticated or Database Authenticated)

When the Default version is set to Protected, only the Owner of that Version or an Admin login can do a Post on that....so do consider this!

[JacquelinePursell]

We are on 10.2.2 currently on both desktop and SDE.

No, the users created their connections once and I help most of them do so.  As I said, these are an "every now and then" user base so they forget sometimes.

And we are using OS Authentication.

Yes, I do know that having it protected means that only I can post the changes with the SDE password.  That is why I am asking this question because I don't want to QAQC my users (I don't own their data) and I don't want to have to remember to post on a regular basis.  My users also don't always tell me if they want to edit in the SDE so I can't be proactive about it.

[AsrujitSengupta]

Which database version are you using? (Example: SQL Server 2012 \ Oracle 11.2.0.3)

The Post will be difficult to implement, without providing those users with the SDE login's credentials.

As for the connection and editing their own versions, that should be simple. You can create a Database Connection for them (or send them instructions to do so) and make them change the Version to connect with from the 'Geodatabase Connection Properties' option. So that whenever they add data from that Connection, it automatically points to the desired Version and not to Default.

You can schedule a Python Script to execute at a particular time every day, once every week, bi-weekly, as needed....which will Reconcile\Post all Versions connected as the Admin user.

[JacquelinePursell]

If you read my original post, "Now this would be OK if the MXD's and the SDE connection files wouldn't regularly "forget" that we pointed it to a specific version"  I source their connection files to the version but it reverts back to default sometimes and also within their MXD I find that all the sudden it is pointing to the Default as well.

My question is not how to use this "as is" by giving them access to the SDE user nor is it about making it easier for me to remember to post everyone versions.  My question is how do I let them post to the Default themselves but only within a version? We are on SQL Server 2012, is this something I can do on the back end?

[AsrujitSengupta]

An SDE Connection or a MXD 'cannot' forget what you pointed it to a specified version, unless one changes it manually. If that is what is happening, you should check the reason behind that.

As I mentioned in my last Post:

You can schedule a Python Script to execute at a particular time every day, once every week, bi-weekly, as needed....which will Reconcile\Post all Versions connected as the Admin user.

You can do this on your machine, connected as the SDE or the Admin, keeping the DEFAULT as Protected.

[JacquelinePursell]

I don't want to make a python script.  That's not what I want to do here in this situation at this time.  I only have a few editors and the posting is rare so I have no problems doing it manually right now.

And yes it does forget the version I pointed to and quite often.  It has happened to me my entire career with using ESRI (10 years plus school) and also currently on 10.2.2.  For every single person, ESRI has randomly forgotten the settings on everything from connection files pointing to a version to their normal.mxt reverting back to default randomly.  My published map services also once in a blue moon like to decide they don't like the query on attributes that have not changed or that a layer that has not been touched sometimes will be a broken link.  These don't happen often, but it happens.  No one goes in there and touches any of these things I mention.  And it has nothing to do with our environment because it has happened everywhere I have ever worked and in all kinds of set ups.  It's a fact of life.  Digital files age, I get it.  I am only trying to see if there is a way I can make my editor's lives easier so they don't have to triple check everything is sourced right.  But I guess not.

[AsrujitSengupta]

No, The Post cannot be done from the Database end.