Configure ArcGIS for Server on Linux to consume data from Netezza databases

Summary

ArcGIS for Server on Linux is capable of publishing query layers from Netezza Data Warehouse appliances as services. To do this, however, there are some unique system requirements from IBM that apply only to Linux clients.

Note:
This workflow is only for ArcGIS for Server on Linux. It does not apply to ArcGIS for Server on Windows operating systems.

Procedure

1. Install a driver manager on the Linux ArcGIS for Server machine. IBM provides instructions to use the open-source unixODBC driver manager here: Installing the unixODBC driver manager
   
   According to IBM documentation, Linux clients require an ODBC driver manager to interact with Netezza.
   See section 4-3 of the IBM Netezza ODBC, JDBC, and OLE DB Installation and Configuration Guide:
   
   'To use the Netezza ODBC drivers in a Linux/UNIX environment, you must install an appropriate driver manager. You can get driver manager components from a number of sources.'
2. Once the ODBC driver manager is installed, modify the ArcGIS for Server init_usr_param.sh as follows:
   
   

   export LIB_ODBC_DRIVER_MANAGER=<Location_to_libodbc.so>/libodbc.so

   
   
   

   Note:
   Make sure to remove the # to uncomment this line.  Point to the location where the unixODBC manager was installed in the previous step. No other information needs to be added here.

   
   See also the following Esri web help topic: Configuring a connection to a database in ArcGIS Server
3. Set up a connection to Netezza following the steps in the web help topic: Set up a connection to Netezza
   
   • On this page, step 4c says to place the .odbc.ini and .odbcinst.ini into the home directory of the ArcGIS user. It is critical to do this, as the Netezza system is programmed to look in the home directory of the user, per the following IBM the documentation: ODBC driver search behavior and ODBC driver considerations
   
   This requirement is additionally documented in the Esri help article: Configuring a connection to a database in ArcGIS Server
   
   • To make a connection, name the ODBC connection files as .odbcinst.ini
   and .odbc.ini and store them in the ArcGIS Server's $HOME directory.
4. Register the Netezza database with ArcGIS Server. It is now possible to publish services that pull data directly from Netezza based on query layers, as described in: Registering a Netezza database with the server
   
   

   Warning:
   When registering, it is critical that the Data Source Name (DSN) is identical across all client connections.  This includes the .odbc.ini file on the ArcGIS for Server Linux machine and any connections made in Windows ODBC driver manager that are used by ArcGIS for Desktop.