NOTE: ArcSDE geodatabases licensed through ArcGIS Engine also use default configuration settings but are accessed using the ArcObject DataServerManager interface. Because they are accessed through ArcObjects, consult the ArcObjects developer help on the Resource Center for information on administering these geodatabases.
Key tasks for the administration of an ArcSDE geodatabase include
GIS administrators might load data into the geodatabase or be involved in geodatabase replication. However, since these tasks can be performed by other staff members, such as data owners or editors, they are addressed in other sections of this help system. Populating the geodatabase with data and the proper settings to do this are covered in the "Creating a geodatabase" and "Adding datasets and other geodatabase elements" books inside the "Building geodatabases" book in this help system. See
An overview of adding datasets to the geodatabase in the "Adding datasets and other geodatabase elements" section of the help to get you started.
Geodatabase replication is discussed in the "Managing distributed data" book inside the "Data management workflows, transactions, and versioning" book in this help system. See
Replicas and geodatabases in the "Data management workflows, transactions, and versioning" section of the help for an introduction.
When using ArcSDE geodatabases licensed through ArcGIS Server Enterprise, the database administrator (DBA), who manages the DBMS, and the GIS administrator, who manages the GIS, often are not the same person. If such is the case at your organization, it is important that the two individuals (or groups of individuals) coordinate their tasks.
The following is a list of some geodatabase management tasks and the corresponding staff person with whom responsibility for that task typically resides.
Task |
Staff |
Management of physical database structures (data files, tables, and indexes) |
DBA |
Management of logical database constructs (data models, rules, subtypes, networks, locators, and versions) |
GIS administrator |
Management of users and permissions
- Database permissions
- Object permissions
|
DBA (database permissions)
Data owner (object permissions) |
Database backup and recovery |
DBA |
Performance tuning
- Of the database
- Of workflows (how users utilize the GIS)
|
DBA (database)
GIS administrator (workflows) |
Data distribution (replication/synchronization) |
GIS administrator |
Geodatabase compression and updating statistics |
GIS administrator |
Many of these tasks also require the DBA and GIS administrator to coordinate with other IT staff, for example, in the following situations:
- Deciding when scripted backups should be run to avoid conflicting with other scheduled processes
- Tracking down and fixing the cause of any performance issues encountered
- Coordinating network and server permissions with database permissions
- Determining the implications for the network, server access, and firewall if data is being transferred between the geodatabase and other enterprise databases or between the geodatabase and Web applications
For ArcSDE for SQL Server Express, administration is incorporated into ArcGIS Desktop or ArcGIS Engine Runtime and no outside database administration is performed; therefore, the GIS administrator for the specific database server will likely perform all management tasks listed in the preceding table.