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An overview of configuring an ArcSDE geodatabase

An overview of configuring an ArcSDE geodatabase

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Note:This topic was updated for 9.3.1.

Geodatabase configuration is done to customize how data is stored in your geodatabase and how it is accessed.

If you use geodatabases created from the Database Servers node in ArcCatalog, you will use predominantly default configurations. The only configuration options you can alter are the name of the geodatabase at the time of creation, the location in which the database files are created, and the initial size of the geodatabase. All these are set on the New Geodatabase dialog box. To learn how to create a new geodatabase on a database server, see Creating a new geodatabase in the help section "Creating a geodatabase."

For ArcSDE geodatabases stored in Oracle, DB2, Informix, SQL Server, or PostgreSQL and licensed through ArcGIS Server Enterprise, there are a few configuration settings you might alter depending on the conditions and workflows implemented at your site. These settings can be made in the database management system (DBMS) or in ArcSDE. The sections below summarize some configuration settings.

NOTE: Since there are more configuration options available to you with ArcGIS Server Enterprise geodatabases, this book ("Configuring an ArcSDE geodatabase") deals almost exclusively with settings for those geodatabases.

Initial configuration of the DBMS

NOTE: Applies to geodatabases created with an ArcGIS Server Enterprise license only

As mentioned in the topic About new installations of the ArcSDE component, you typically install and configure your DBMS first. Configuring the DBMS involves setting up storage spaces for the tables, indexes, and files that are stored in the database instance and providing adequate memory allocation. You should give consideration to the names, types, and locations of tables, indexes, and storage spaces you create; how large to make your backup log files; and what size to make the temporary space. As the database administrator, you know the naming conventions used at your site as well as what type of configuration your site requires. However, Recommendations to minimize disk I/O contention and DBMS initialization parameter recommendations offer some specific tips on setting up your DBMS to work more efficiently with ArcSDE.

You must also decide in what language your data will be stored. If you want to set up your database to use languages other than the default language of the DBMS, you will need to configure your DBMS for that. To learn more about setting up your DBMS to use different character encoding standards, see Language support in the geodatabase.

ArcSDE configuration

In general, to use an ArcSDE geodatabase, the default configuration settings are sufficient.

There are exceptions to this:

Other configuration setting changes you make depend on how you use the geodatabase. Some of these functions and settings are listed in the table below.


What you want to do Configuration in the geodatabase Where to find details
Use data stored in an ArcSDE geodatabase with ArcGIS Desktop. Data tables must be registered with a row ID column that is maintained by ArcSDE. Registering tables to be used by ArcGIS Desktop
Geocode Create locators. Locators in the geodatabase
Use ArcIMS Metadata Services. Configure your database to use XML columns and text indexing. XML columns in the geodatabase

Configuring a database to support XML columns
Use a nondefault ArcSDE log file configuration. Alter specific parameters in the SERVER_CONFIG and DBTUNE tables. Log file configuration options
Specify a different ArcSDE log file configuration for a specific user. Create a user-specific LOGFILE keyword in the DBTUNE table. Log file keywords

What you affect when you configure ArcSDE

When you configure the ArcSDE geodatabase, you are affecting


File name Purpose Contains When read Altered by
giomgr.defs Populates the SERVER_CONFIG repository table Server initialization parameters that define how ArcSDE uses memory When the SERVER_CONFIG table is created For most ArcSDE component installations, you won't need to alter this file.

Before creation of the repository tables, edit the giomgr.defs file with a text editor.

After the SERVER_CONFIG table is created, use the sdeconfig administration command to alter parameters.
dbtune.sde Controls table and layer storage, populates the DBTUNE table Configuration strings that ArcSDE appends to CREATE TABLE and CREATE INDEX SQL statements When the DBTUNE table is created Before creation of the repository, edit the dbtune.sde file in a text editor.

After the DBTUNE table is created, use sdedbtune to edit the table.
services.sde Stores unique name and port number for an ArcSDE instance; only applicable if using an ArcSDE service Service name and port number UNIX: Each time the service is started

Windows: Only when the service is started from the MS-DOS prompt
Edit the file directly in a text editor, then restart the ArcSDE service.
dbinit.sde Optional file, used to avoid relying on environment variables that are set when the user logs in

(Useful mostly on UNIX platforms)
Environment variables that supplement or override the user's environment variables Each time the ArcSDE service is started Edit the dbinit.sde file in a text editor.