Organizing SDE layers - folder style

[MaraKaminowitz]

We maintain an SDE for office-wide use with several hundred layers.  Our preferred method of organizing the data is to separate it by topic (boundaries, hydro, etc.) so users have an easy time searching for what they need.  The current method is to have the data broken up into feature data sets.  This has been problematic since the beginning.  Performance is slow, the whole data set gets locked from editing if any single layer is in use, and you can't store tables.  Previously to that the data was organized into different SQL databases, one per topic.  I don't know the technical details of that system but I know it was cumbersome to navigate and IT had some additional concerns with it.

Is there a better way to do this?  We are getting ready for a server upgrade and it would be a good time to revisit the issue.

[WesMiller]

Have a look at Local Government Information Model | ArcGIS for Local Government 

[JoshuaBixby · Accepted solution]

It would be worth reading https://community.esri.com/message/86080?sr=search&searchId=9cfb46ed-b804-488d-8927-3b98092596f4&sea...‌.  There are some very good comments in that thread from Esri staff that have worked with geodatabases for years.

[JoeBorgione]

Here's another recent thread on the same subject : https://community.esri.com/thread/182398-sde-or-file-geodatabase

In my experience using feature datasets as file management tool with an enterprise geodatabase is problematic at best.

edit moments later:  I love this quote from one  of the links above: It's worst practice, if you will, to use feature datasets as folders to organize feature classes,
but there aren't a lot of attractive alternatives.