How to Install the SQL Server Client for ArcGIS?

[MarceloMarques]

• 1. Introduction
• 2. ArcGIS Requirements for SQL Server
• 3. Microsoft ODBC Driver for SQL Server on Windows
• 4. Install the ODBC driver forSQL Server
• 5. Bug: Database connections to SQL Server fail when Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 is installed
• 6. System Requirements
• 7. Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server

  

1. Introduction

Connect to Microsoft SQL Server from ArcGIS | ArcGIS Pro Documentation

Connect to Microsoft SQL Server from ArcGIS | ArcGIS Server Documentation

Connect to Microsoft SQL Server from ArcGIS | ArcMap Documentation

2. ArcGIS Requirements for SQL Server

ArcGIS requirements for SQL Server

Tip: For ArcGIS releases prior to 10.9 and ArcGIS Pro 2.8, see the system requirements on the ArcGIS Desktop website.

Any client machines that connect directly to SQL Server must have a SQL Server client installed. SQL Server clients for Microsoft Windows and Linux are distributed by Microsoft. SQL Server clients for Windows are also available on My Esri. You must install a client that is the same version or a newer version than the SQL Server database to which you want to connect. If you upgrade SQL Server, upgrade the SQL Server clients at the same time. When a version of SQL Server is no longer supported by ArcGIS, the corresponding SQL Server client library will no longer be supported either.

Supported SQL Server clients are as follows:

• SQL Server 2019
  • Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server**
  • Microsoft ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
• SQL Server 2017
  • Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server**
  • Microsoft ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
• SQL Server 2016
  • Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server**
  • Microsoft ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
  • Microsoft ODBC Driver 13 or 13.1 for SQL Server

** Microsoft changed the default encryption setting for the ODBC driver to yes with the release of ODBC Driver 18. To ensure existing database connections continue to work even if you update to ODBC Driver 18, encryption is set to no by default. To use an encrypted connection instead, you can configure the database connection as described in Encrypted connections to SQL Server databases.

3. Microsoft ODBC Driver for SQL Server on Windows

Microsoft ODBC Driver for SQL Server on Windows - ODBC Driver for SQL Server | Microsoft Learn

Download ODBC driver

4. Install the ODBC driver for SQL Server

Connect to Microsoft SQL Server from ArcGIS

Obtain the 64-bit Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server from the Microsoft Download Center or from My Esri. Be sure to get the Microsoft ODBC driver that is supported for the version of SQL Server to which you want to connect. Install the driver on all computers where ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Server are installed.

If you do not have the privileges to install software on the machines where ArcGIS clients are running, you'll need to have your IT department install and configure the Microsoft ODBC driver for you.

If you are installing the driver on a 64-bit operating system, run the 64-bit executable; it installs both 32- and 64-bit files. If you run the 32-bit installation on a 64-bit operating system, it will fail.

Note:

If ArcGIS Server and SQL Server are installed on the same server, a separate ODBC driver is not required on that machine.

When connecting from ArcGIS Server on Ubuntu to a supported version of SQL Server, you must install the Microsoft unixodbc-dev package on all ArcGIS Server machines in addition to the ODBC driver.

5. Bug: Database connections to SQL Server fail when Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 is installed

Early versions of ArcGIS Pro fail to connect with the Microsoft ODBC Driver 18.

Bug: Database connections to SQL Server fail when Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 is installed (esri.com)

6. System Requirements

ArcGIS requirements for SQL Server

Tip: For ArcGIS releases prior to 10.9 and ArcGIS Pro 2.8, see the system requirements on the ArcGIS Desktop website.

7. Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server

• if you have ArcGIS Desktop 10.8.2 and ArcGIS Pro 3.1 installed on the same machine,
• and you want to connect to SQL Server Geodatabases then
• make sure you have only the Microsoft ODBC Driver Version 17 installed.
• ArcGIS Pro 3.1 works with Microsoft ODBC Driver Version 18 and 17.
• but ArcGIS Desktop 10.8.2 works only with Microsoft ODBC Driver Version 17.