Use Oracle proxy authentication with ArcGIS

Summary

Some organizations may require the ability for users to share a common Oracle schema for the purpose of loading data or the ability to perform a reconcile and post operation with versions that are protected or owned by a different user.

These tasks and many others can be accomplished through the use of Oracle proxy authentication. Oracle proxy authentication allows a privileged user to connect to the Oracle instance using their own credentials but as a different user, thus automatically inheriting the user's privileges and permissions.

For example, a user named giseditor can connect by way of the proxy authentication as the gisadmin user. Any objects that the user creates, such as feature classes or tables, will be created as the gisadmin's user.

Instructions provided describe how to use Oracle proxy authentication with ArcGIS.

Procedure

• Below is an example of how to create a proxy connection in SQL*Plus:
  
  

  Code:
  CREATE USER giseditor IDENTIFIED BY giseditor
  DEFAULT TABLESPACE users
  TEMPORARY TABLESPACE temp;
  
  GRANT CREATE SESSION, CREATE TABLE TO giseditor;
  
  ALTER USER gisadmin GRANT CONNECT THROUGH giseditor;

  
  
  Next, when the user giseditor wants to create a connection with ArcGIS using the proxy authentication as the gisadmin user, one would use the following syntax:
  
  

  Code:
  CONNECT giseditor[gisadmin]/giseditor

  
  
  

  Note:
  Notice the use of square brackets to denote the user account, gisadmin, which is the proxy account.

  
  
  
• This also can be done through a Spatial Database Connection in ArcGIS, for example:
  
  

  Note:
  It is sometimes common to use proxy authentication in combination with operating system authentication, thereby ensuring only the user who has connected to the operating system has the required privileges to proxy to another Oracle user.

  
  
  
• To revoke the proxy authentication privilege from the giseditor, use the following SQL statement in SQL*Plus:
  

  Code:
  ALTER USER gisadmin REVOKE CONNECT THROUGH giseditor;