Process to migrating the SQL Authentication admin user to AD Authenticated User and it's limitations

GISFunctionalGroup · ‎07-09-2025

HI Team,

We are using ArcGIS Enterprise Base deployment of 11.3v with SQL Server 2019v in the Azure cloud. From the inception we are using the SQL authenticated admin user to manage the GDB management activities. Many of the ArcGIS Web services are published with this SQL auth credentials. These GIS services are using in few of applications & other departments in their applications.
Now org decided to enhance the Arcgis Enterprise security by moving away from a single SQL authenticated user with admin privileges to Active Directory (AD) group-based authentication.
Kindly provide the answers to queries about this user's migration activity.
1.What are the Dependencies and Why It Matters?
2.What's the impact on the GDB & Services?
3.If Migration is mandatory then what's the procedure and prerequisites?
4.What are the important considerations & How much this transition is mandate or else shall we continue with the old SQL auth user?

Thanks in advance for your valuable suggestions

George_Thompson · ‎07-09-2025

There are a few things to unpack in your questions........

If you have to migrate to from SQL authenticated data owner to AD data owner, you will have copy over the data to the new owner. You cannot just "update" the owner from user1 to AD\user1. If data is owned by "AD\user1" and they leave the organization (and their account is turned off), no one else would be able manage the feature class. This can be a huge pain..........

I would recommend that you just have a specific data owner, then use AD groups for editing and viewing the feature classes.

There maybe some geodatabase functionality, like Parcel Fabric, require the data to be owned by SQL data owner.

Here is some related documentation:

--- George T.

GISFunctionalGroup · ‎07-10-2025

Hi George,
Thanks for the swift reply, we will consider your information about Ownership & management.