We're upgrading our current GIS box and would like to improve upon our current SQL Server Express instance.
I want the RDBMS to utilize the expanded system resources of the new box and Express just can't do that.
I just got the quote to upgrade to SQL Server Standard 2014 (minimum 4-core license) and about lost my lunch, so I'm looking for alternatives and PostgreSQL looks promising.
New box will run Hyper-V Core, then virtual OSEs
I assume that adding database server connection to PostgreSQL in ArcGIS Desktop will be a similar experience?
After the connection is made, can I simply right click and "create new geodatabase"?
I guess I just am looking for the differences in user experience when interacting with a PostgreSQL backend vs. SQL Server.
thanks!
What level of ArcGIS Enterprise are you using?
You cannot use PostgreSQL with Workgroup level license: Types of geodatabases—ArcGIS Help | ArcGIS Desktop
ArcGIS Enterprise Workgroup also includes ArcSDE support for SQL Server Express. With this level of ArcSDE, you can use SQL Server Express for up to 10 simultaneous Windows desktop users and editors (users of ArcGIS Desktop Basic, Desktop Standard, Desktop Advanced, a custom ArcGIS Engine application, AutoCAD, MicroStation, and so on) plus any number of additional server connections from Web applications. (Consult your license agreement for specific information on the number of connections for your implementation.)
If you do not have ArcGIS Enterprise (Standard or Advanced) licenses the switch may not work.
Also confirm that you are running PostgreSQL on a supported O/S, which it looks like you are: PostgreSQL database requirements for ArcGIS 10.5—Help | ArcGIS Desktop
Hope this points you in the correct direction.
ArcGIS Enterprise Workgroup Standard Up to Two Cores License
I am not sure that you can use PostgreSQL with Workgroup. The limitations on SQL Server Express are all on the MS side. Esri only limits the # of concurrent connections
Microsoft limits the use of SQL Server Express to one CPU (or core within a socket) and 1GB of RAM. The maximum database size for SQL Server 2005 or 2008 Express is limited to 4GB. The maximum database size for SQL Server 2008 Express R2 is 10GB. (Consult your Esri license agreement for specific information on the instance size limitations for your implementation.)
You may need to contact your account manager and upgrade to ArcGIS Enterprise licensing.
Technical limitations/situations aside, Esri has baked some pretty restrictive conditions into the Product and Services Terms of Use. As it stands now, any edition (Basic, Standard, or Advanced) of a Workgroup server "requires a supported version of SQL Server Express. Supported versions are listed with the system requirements for the product on the Esri website." Additionally, "use is restricted to a maximum of 10 gigabytes of Customer's data."
In short, regardless of what is or isn't technically possible, there are licensing restrictions as well.
I just spoke with an ESRI licensing rep and both Joshua and George are correct.
Here is a good doc explaining the functionality and differences:
http://www.esri.com/library/brochures/pdfs/arcgis-enterprise-functionality-matrix.pdf
Here are some facts for everyone, talking non-ELA, commercial version:
The cost to upgrade ArcGIS Enterprise Workgroup Standard -- to -- ArcGIS Enterprise Standard is significant. It's difficult to justify the cost considering we will still receive the same exact number (5) level 2 Portal for ArcGIS users. The ONLY advantage that I can pinpoint is being able to deploy on larger hardware, not have to deploy on a single machine and being able to use RDBMSs other then SQL Server Express.
Going from 5 level 2 Portal for ArcGIS users at ArcGIS Enterprise Standard to 50 at ArcGIS Enterprise Advanced doesn't seem to make sense. Too bad Standard didn't include 15 or 20, that would def. "sweeten" the deal for us.
We are moving forward with the upgrade from workgroup to ArcGIS Enterprise Standard. Also upgrading from SQL Server Express to PostgreSQL.
Purchased the following server:
Supermicro Mobo
12 core Xeon processor
64GB RAM
1x250GB 7.2K RPM SATA drive
8x600GB 10K RPM SAS drives
Supermicro (LSI) SAS RAID controller
Total of 6 intel NICs (each VM will have a dedicated NIC port)
Created a single RAID10 Volume (OBR10); total size 2.4TB.
Installed Hyper-V Core (no GUI) on the SATA drive.
Here's how we plan to breakdown the VM's:
Questions:
thanks in advance
I know this is two years old, but if you're still there, Dan, what finally convinced you or your superiors to make the financial investment for the upgrade to Enterprise Standard?
To start, in hindsight it was the correct decision, we're currently up to >20 users now and have not had ANY issues with our on-premise deployment. Each component of the base deployment is running on it's own VM, some are Ubuntu Server 16.0 LTS, others are Win Server 2012 R2. Guest VMs are running on 2 different physical boxes; both are running FREE MS Hyper-V Server Core 2016. We've recently added a 5th component, ArcGIS Datastore - Spatiotemporal role. We started using Tracker for ArcGIS and it requires the spatiotemporal data store. It took about 10 minutes to spin up another Ubuntu Server VM and install/configure the datastore. Again, everything has been working great.
The final decision to upgrade came down to these limitations of ArcGIS Server Workgroup:
Since switching to PostgreSQL, the db daemon can utilize as much RAM as you can throw at it. Ver. 10 can also use multiple processors, among several other advantages. Backups are configured as simple cron jobs and the best part yet is that it's running on FREE ubuntu server and did I mention that Postgres is FREE also? It's a win-win for us, and the your end users won't have any clue that db backend your using.