Note:This topic was updated for 9.3.1.

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

You can use the administration command sdeexport to create an ArcSDE export file of an ArcSDE geodatabase licensed through ArcGIS Server Enterprise and the sdeimport command to move the ArcSDE export file to another server.

ArcSDE export files transfer data in compressed format, thus saving space on the transfer media, but they are not geodatabase aware. Therefore, extra work is required to make them usable from ArcGIS Desktop.

1. At the command prompt, export the datasets to transfer media using the sdeexport command.
2. To import, copy the export files from the transfer media to a local disk drive on the target server.
3. Import the files from the local disk drive to the target geodatabase using the sdeimport command.

NOTE: The sdeimport command is not geodatabase aware and therefore is not capable of updating the geodatabase metadata to indicate that the spatial column is part of the dataset. When importing a raster dataset, drop the footprint spatial column from the raster dataset's business table.

If a raster catalog is imported, the spatial column is retained. Following the import, the raster catalog must be registered with the geodatabase within ArcCatalog. To do so, right-click the raster catalog and click Register with the geodatabase.
4. After data is imported to the database, update your database statistics. See Updating statistics on a geodatabase licensed under ArcGIS Server Enterprise for instructions on how to do this.

Tip For details on the use of sdeimport and other administration commands, consult the Administration Command Reference that is provided with the software. You can also download a PDF version of the file from the ESRI support site or Resource Center.