ArcSDE geodatabases licensed through ArcGIS Server Enterprise have more capabilities than those licensed through ArcGIS Server Workgroup, ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Engine, or any of the single-user geodatabases. If you find you need the following functionality, it is time to move to an ArcSDE geodatabase licensed through ArcGIS Server Enterprise, which allows the following:
- Unlimited connections to the database
- Running on multiple central processing units (CPUs)
- Unlimited database size
- Use with Web applications
- Multiple options for backup and recovery of the database
- Configuration for failover
- Use with one of the other supported DBMSs: Oracle, DB2, Informix, SQL Server, or PostgreSQL
- Connection to the geodatabase with third-party applications
- Setting custom configurations for the database and ArcSDE
- Use of an ArcSDE service (three-tiered connection)