Frequently asked question

Can ArcGIS Server 9.3 - Enterprise level (all editions) be used with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express?

Last Published: April 25, 2020

Answer

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express can be used as the DBMS platform to support an Enterprise ArcSDE geodatabase.

Because of the DBMS limitations listed at the end of this article, ESRI recommends that ArcGIS Server Enterprise and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express should only be used for developing and testing applications and not for production environments.

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express is a no cost edition of Microsoft SQL Server. It is built with the same code base as SQL Server 2005. It is free to deploy and embed in custom applications, and it is upgradeable to other licensed SQL Server editions.

The Enterprise ArcSDE Post Installation wizard works with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express. The full geodatabase data model and ArcSDE geodatabase functionality is available.

The Enterprise ArcSDE geodatabase on SQL Server 2005 Express is administered like other supported DBMS platforms: with SDE commands and using DBMS management tools. Database administration within ArcCatalog (e.g., at the Database Servers node) is not supported with Enterprise ArcSDE geodatabases.

The implementation of ArcGIS Server Enterprise with SQL Server 2005 Express is supported by ESRI; however, it should only be used for developer or testing applications.

Performance limitations include Microsoft limits SQL Server Express memory usage to 1 GB RAM on one CPU and each database in SQL Server Express is limited to 4 GB in size.

For a complete comparison of functionality between SQL Server Express and other editions of SQL Server, consult the Microsoft Web site.

Article ID:000010177

Software:
  • ArcGIS Server

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