What is the difference between a registered database and a managed database?

Answer

When registering databases as data stores in ArcGIS Server Manager, the database can be registered as a registered database or managed database.

The basic difference between a registered database and a managed database is the location where the data is stored when publishing a feature or feature service.

When publishing from a registered database, the data remains in the database and is simply referenced in the location.

A registered database is recommended in the following scenarios:

• When publishing a service type other than a feature or transactional web feature service (WFS-T)
• If the data resides in an enterprise geodatabase
• When publishing database tables accessed through an OLE DB connection file (.odc)
• When synchronizing changes between the publisher’s machine and ArcGIS Server’s managed database

A registered database is typically used in SQL Server, Oracle, or PostgreSQL databases registered with ArcGIS Server.

On the other hand, a managed database copies data to the database when publishing a feature or feature service. Copying data when publishing is useful for web services to access the source data when the data is behind a firewall but the web services are not.

A managed database is recommended in the following scenarios:

• When publishing data from a location that is not an enterprise geodatabase, such as a file geodatabase, or a shapefile
• When publishing data from a location that is not registered as a data store.
• When publishing feature services or WFS-T services

A managed registered database is more relevant while publishing a feature or web feature service (WFS). The managed database can only be used with feature or WFS-T services, along with any capabilities concurrently published with these service types. If the ArcGIS Server site has a managed database and a feature service or a WFS-T service is published, data is copied to the managed database.

Note:
If the service type being published requires an enterprise geodatabase, first create an enterprise geodatabase, and register it as ArcGIS Server's managed database.

Multiple databases can be registered, while only one enterprise database can be registered as a managed database.