Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 6. Enterprise Geodatabases
In the previous chapters, we worked with file geodatabases. File geodatabases are easy to
use, convenient, and portable. You can work with them in a completely disconnected envir-
onment. You can also transfer a file geodatabase with a map document in a thumb drive,
work on it, and make changes. For personal use and work, file geodatabases work great.
However, they cannot fit your solution every time. There are cases where you need mul-
tiple users to access and edit data. You might need to view the geographic data from anoth-
er computer on the network without actually copying the data to that machine. Then there
is, of course, the security and integrity of the data. There is no access control on a file
geodatabase; anyone with a hold on the file can do whatever they want with it. You don't
know who deleted, edited, or modified the schema on a file geodatabase. When you find
yourself in this situation, this is when you are in need of an enterprise geodatabase.
Although I wouldn't be able to do justice to enterprise geodatabases in a single chapter, I
will try my best to cover the vital points of this interesting topic. This topic alone requires a
dedicated topic just to write about all the benefits, configurations, when and when not to
use them, and best practices that can be applied during the implementation of enterprise
geodatabases. In this chapter, we will install, configure, and work with a complete enter-
prise geodatabase using Microsoft SQL Server Express 2012 SP1.
Note
An enterprise geodatabase is a geodatabase that is built and configured on top of a power-
ful relational database management system. These geodatabases are designed for multiple
users operating simultaneously over a network.
