Tag Archives: ArcSDE
Getting to Know Esri Support: Shan C.
An interview with ArcSDE Enterprise Geodatabase analyst Shan C. 
To continue our “Getting to Know Esri Support” series, we’ve recapped our talk with Shan Chen regarding his experiences with GIS. We hope you enjoy this blog and getting to know some of the members of the Esri Support Services team! Continue reading
The Evolution of the ArcSDE Geodatabase Upgrade Process at 10.0
When using ArcSDE geodatabases, you may have noticed a change within the 10.0 release in how the upgrade process is now handled. Instead of using the Post Installation Wizard and selecting Repository Setup, as in previous releases, there is a new upgrade process. Upgrading your geodatabase is now performed within ArcCatalog using the new Upgrade Geodatabase (Data Management) tool.
The Upgrade Geodatabase (Data Management) Tool can be accessed in ArcCatalog via the Database Properties of a database connection under the General tab > Upgrade Status or within the Upgrade Geodatabase geoprocessing tool referencing an existing connection. For ArcSDE geodatabases, a direct connection to the geodatabase is necessary to run the upgrade.
Post Installation Wizard at 10.0:
The Post Installation Wizard in 10.0 can be used for the following:
- Defining Database and SDE DBA User – Creating new ArcSDE enterprise geodatabases
- Repository Setup – Populate system repository tables (for new geodatabases only)
- Authorize ArcSDE – Perform Software Authorization of the geodatabase
- Create ArcSDE Service – If using application server service (when not using direct connections)
More changes are on the horizon to incorporate Post Installation functionality into the client tools for the 10.1 release, so stay tuned!
Is my database patch supported?
A lot of users often have questions concerning their system configuration for the version of software being used in conjunction with our products. Questions get more specific to involve installing patches, service packs, etc., within an environment and, in relation to ArcSDE Enterprise geodatabases, questions also involve RDBMS patches. Let’s outline some of the key points made in our Supported Environment Policy document that should help you answer these questions when considering patching a test or production database that houses ArcSDE Enterprise geodatabases. 
Support Environment Policy
http://resources.arcgis.com/content/supported-environment-policy
Meet or exceed the minimum requirements:
- As a rule of thumb, ensure your configuration meets or exceeds the minimum configuration listed on our system requirements page.
- Non-certification of an environment does not necessarily mean it is not supported.
- An environment is supported if it meets or exceeds the base build environment and that environment is not known to fail.
Check out the ‘limitations’ section of the system requirements page:
- Environments that are known to not work are usually documented on the product support page as soon as that information is available.
- An environment may be supported even if there are some known issues with the software on that particular environment (any known issues will be documented in the “limitations” section of the System Requirements for that environment).
Check that the 3rd-party vendor supports the environment:
- Esri cannot support any environment not supported by the vendors of the operating systems, RDBMSs, or Web servers.
Test, test, test!
Since Esri cannot test and certify every possible configuration, it is always recommended to thoroughly test any upgrade or change to your production environment on a test server first. This helps to ensure your organization’s workflows prior to implementing such a change.
Geodatabase and ArcSDE System Requirements – Version 10.0
http://resources.arcgis.com/content/geodatabases/10.0/geodatabase-and-arcsde-system-requirements
ArcGIS Server 9.3/9.3.1 System Requirements – see Supported Relational Database Management Systems (ArcSDE) section
http://wikis.esri.com/wiki/display/ag93bsr/ArcGIS+Server
ArcGIS 10.0 SP1 Released
We are pleased to announce that ArcGIS 10.0 Service Pack 1 was released today. We recommend that you install SP1 for all ArcGIS products at your earliest convenience. There are many fixes and improvements that are included as part of this service pack.
Links to the downloads and installation instructions are below:
ArcGIS (Desktop, Engine Server) 10.0 SP1
ArcGIS Military Analyst 10.0 SP1
ArcGIS Military Overlay Editor 10.0 SP1
If you have any questions or run into issues with the installation please contact Esri Technical Support at 1-888-377-4575, option 2, or visit the Support site. Users outside the United States should contact their local distributor for help.
Mike H., Program Manager
User Advocacy Group, Esri Support Services
ArcGIS 10 Now Available in Six Languages
Customers in the United States can visit the Customer Care Portal for more information about how to get ArcGIS 10 in English, French, German, Neutral Spanish, Japanese or Simplified Chinese. Customers outside the United States should contact their local Esri office for details.
ArcGIS 9.3.1 Service Pack 2 is now available!
We are pleased to announce that ArcGIS 9.3.1 Service Pack 2 was released today. We recommend that all ArcGIS 9.3.1 users download and install Service Pack 2 at their earliest convenience, to ensure the highest quality experience when working with ArcGIS 9.3.1.
With Service Pack 2 now available, there is an accompanying list of the issues that were addressed within the new service pack. These issues are listed in the links below under the “Issues Addressed” section. Many of these issues came directly from customers reporting them to Esri Support Services and were prioritized to be included in this service pack.
For details on each individual product’s service pack, the issues addressed, instructions on how to install the service pack and other information, see each product’s link below:
If you run into any issues with the installation of this service pack or have any feedback, please contact Esri Technical Support at 1-888-377-4575 option 2. International sites, please contact your local Esri software distributor.
Mike H., Program Manager
User Advocacy Group, Esri Support Services
ArcSDE 10 Geodatabase upgrade issue on Linux Machines
The following issue has been found when customers attempt to upgrade a geodatabase from an older version to 10, specifically on the Linux Platform:
NIM058774 – ArcSDE geodatabase upgrade for Oracle fails if the geoprocessing upgrade script is executed from a Linux platform.
Please see Knowledge Base article 37974 for further details and workarounds.
Esri is working on a fix for this issue and will be working to make the required Linux files available for download soon.
Mike H., Program Manager
User Advocacy Group, Esri Support Services
IMPORTANT: ArcGIS 10 Geodatabase issue with synchronizing replicas
For updated information and a link to download a patch for this issue, please see the UPDATE: Patch available for ArcGIS 10 Geodatabase issue with synchronizing replicas blog post.
Customers who plan to use ArcGIS 10 with geodatabase replication need to be aware of an issue that causes synchronization to fail. Full details are available in Knowledge base article 37896.
Esri is working on a fix that should be available soon. For updates on status, you can use bug number NIM058231 — Upgrading geodatabases with replicas to version 10 causes synchronization process to fail.
We will keep you posted via this blog as updates become available.
Mike H., Program Manager
User Advocacy Group, Esri Support Services
Do you know what version of ArcSDE you are using?
This is Jon D. with ESRI Support Services Geodata Unit. I have a question for you: What version of ArcSDE are you using? The question seems simple enough; however, you may be surprised how often the answer is incorrect or unknown.
ArcSDE can be thought of as two separate entities:
- The repository that is created within your database during the post installation process
- The ArcSDE binaries that are located on the machine that ArcSDE is installed on and that are located in %SDEHOME% – this is also the portion of the installation that enables SDE command line scripts to be run and that contains the DLL files necessary for application service connections.
The initial installation of ArcSDE creates the SDEHOME, which houses the SDE binaries and DLL files on your machine. The post install is necessary to set up or upgrade your geodatabase to the release that has been installed. This process may be run through the command line or the Post Install Wizard any time a new release or service pack is installed on your server. When in doubt of whether or not you have upgraded your geodatabase, there are a few ways to determine which version of ArcSDE is being used:
- Within your ArcSDE respository is a table named “VERSION” that contains the major and minor release and the build of the ArcSDE repository in which you are working. An ESRI Support Analyst can work with you to determine which release of the software you are using with the information stated above.
- You can query which version is being used within your geodatabase by using the following: “Select * from sde.version; (or sde.sde_version if using SQL Server”.
- The Patchfinder utility can help to determine which releases, service packs, and patches you have installed. This will indicate the version of ArcSDE you have installed, which you can then compare with the release your geodatabase is using.
Keep in mind it can never hurt to re-run the Post Install Wizard if you are unsure as to whether the geodatabase has been upgraded. (Just be sure that no users are connected at the time.) This action will automatically apply the latest releases of the software installed.
We always want you to have the most up-to-date functionality available! Also, ESRI Support Services is always here to help you in figuring out the version of software you are using or for any other issues you many run into when using our software.
I encourage you to ask questions or leave comments in the comments section. NOTE: You must be logged into your ESRI Global Account to leave comments.
- Jon D., Geodata Support Analyst, ESRI Support Services
