About upgrading ArcSDE geodatabases
About upgrading ArcSDE geodatabases
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| Release 9.3 |
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To take advantage of new functionality, you will periodically need to upgrade your software by either installing a newer version or installing a service pack or patch.
Regardless of which platform or database management system (DBMS) you are using, you should always create a backup of system tables and user layer data before upgrading.
The goal of upgrading an ArcSDE geodatabase is to install a newer version of the ArcSDE component, upgrade the ArcSDE and geodatabase system tables, and install updated stored procedures and locators.
NOTE: There can be no other connections to the geodatabase when you upgrade. If there are, upgrade will fail.
Upgrading to a newer release
For geodatabases on ArcSDE database servers (ArcSDE for SQL Server Express), the ArcSDE component files are in the client: either ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Engine, or ArcIMS. You do not do a separate ArcSDE component installation; you install a newer version of the client or apply a service pack or patch to the client, then upgrade the geodatabase system tables, stored procedures, and locators.
For information on upgrading ArcSDE geodatabases for SQL Server Express, see Upgrading geodatabases on ArcSDE database servers.
Upgrades to ArcSDE geodatabases licensed through ArcGIS Server Enterprise take place independently of client software upgrades. This means it is possible to upgrade ArcSDE and not the client software. In some cases, once upgraded, your geodatabase may not be compatible with your client software. If you are unable to keep your ArcSDE and client software at the same version, be sure to check the compatibility matrix on the ESRI support site to be sure your configuration is supported.
For an overview of upgrading geodatabases licensed through ArcGIS Server Enterprise, see Upgrade summary for ArcSDE geodatabases. For more complete upgrade information, read the upgrade topics in the installation guides provided on the ArcSDE component installation media.
Service packs and patches
Service packs and patches are similar; they are created primarily to fix or improve functionality found in the previous release. You can download service packs and patches from the ESRI support site. You should follow the instructions provided on the support site for applying a service pack or patch.
A patch can be a single fix or a set of related fixes in a specific functional area of the software. Once a patch is released, it gets incorporated into subsequent service pack releases. Patches do not add new functionality.
A service pack is a collection of fixes and patches. Service packs contain new fixes and all fixes released previously for that release including previous service packs. Service packs are provided as .msp or .tar files based on specific products or platform configuration for ease of use. Service packs are generally made available via the Web and via CD distribution on request on a quarterly schedule. Service packs usually do not add new functionality; however, in rare circumstances, they may.
Applying a service pack or update patch does not update the version number in most cases. You can use the AuthorizationSummary utility to check licensing information for ArcSDE. This utility can be found in %InstallDir%\ArcGIS\Bin. (%InstallDir% is the directory in which the product is installed. For instance, on Windows, this usually would be the Program Files directory.)
Applying service packs to multiple ESRI products on the same machineIf you have multiple ESRI products installed on the same machine, there may be a particular order in which service packs must be applied. Be sure to read the instructions for the service pack for each product you have installed before installing any of the service packs.
Applying service packs to ESRI products on different machinesIf ArcGIS 9.x product installations are distributed across different machines, ESRI recommends you install the service pack on the clients first. For example, if an ArcIMS server (the client software) connects to an ArcSDE geodatabase, the service pack should be installed on the ArcIMS server first, then the ArcSDE component.
NOTE: Be aware that once a service pack is applied to the software, if you decide you don't want it, you can't just uninstall the service pack—you must uninstall and reinstall the software to which it was applied.
DBMS patchesDBMS vendors also release patches for their database products. (Note: Informix does not usually supply patches but rather releases fixes in the next version of the software.)
If you want to apply a DBMS patch
- Be sure the prepatch version of the DBMS product you are using is working properly with your ArcSDE geodatabase. This way you know that the database was working prior to applying the patch.
- Before applying any DBMS patches, make a full backup of the database.
- Apply the DBMS patch.
- Test the ArcSDE geodatabase with the patched DBMS.
If a patch is applied to the DBMS and the ArcSDE component or geodatabase stops working correctly, it is possible that the patch changed something in the database that the ArcSDE component requires. If this occurs, roll back the patch and test again. If the operations that had stopped working when the patch was applied work after you go back to the final release version of the DBMS, contact your DBMS company representative about the patch and its effects on third-party applications.
After the final version of a DBMS release is certified, ESRI will test DBMS patches only when there is a need to do so. After it is determined that the DBMS patches are needed, ESRI advises you to add them to your DBMS as well.
