We are pleased to announce that database administrators can now change the database name when restoring or copying a SQL Server database that contains a geodatabase. We recognize that this has been a customer request for many years but, until now, changing the name of a database that contained an enterprise geodatabase was an unsupported operation because of references to the database name that were stored in system tables. The resolution for this was to modify the schema of several system tables in the geodatabase and change how ArcGIS qualifies the names of objects within the database.
This capability will exist in enterprise geodatabases in SQL Server that have been created or upgraded using ArcGIS Pro 3.0 or ArcGIS Server 11. Please be aware that only ArcGIS 10.7 or ArcGIS Pro 2.3 or newer clients can connect to and work with enterprise geodatabases in SQL Server that have been created or upgraded using ArcGIS Pro 3.0 or ArcGIS Server 11.
What differences can I expect after upgrading?
- Geodatabase system tables no longer store the database name.
- Tables and feature classes will no longer display the database name as part of their fully qualified names in ArcGIS applications.
- Connections from ArcGIS clients older than ArcGIS Pro 2.3 or 10.7applications will fail to connect to geodatabases that have been created or upgraded using ArcGIS Pro 3.0 or ArcGIS Server 11 and subsequent client releases.
Why would I change the name of my database?
A few reasons why you might use a new name for a database when you restore it include:
- You want to restore a production database as a test or development database, and the name of the new database needs to indicate it is a test database.
- To restore a database backup to the same SQL Server instance so you can recover select datasets.
- You’re moving or migrating the database to a new on-premises server or to a database instance in the cloud.
- When you’re using the database as a template, and you want to restore the template database using a different name than the template database.
What should I consider before changing the name of my database?
It is important to note that upgrading an enterprise geodatabase does not mean that you must change the database name; it only means that this capability is available. Changing the name of a SQL Server database that contains an enterprise geodatabase should not be a frequent practice and has similar impacts that can be expected when migrating the SQL Server instance to a new server name.
For example, you must repair the database source in map documents, projects, and layers. ArcGIS Server web services will also need to be republished. Changing the name of a database is equivalent to setting up a completely new enterprise geodatabase in terms of the impact on existing applications.
Reminder that ArcGIS clients older than ArcGIS Pro 2.3 or 10.7 applications will no longer be able to connect to geodatabases that have been created or upgraded using ArcGIS Pro 3.0 or ArcGIS Server 11 and subsequent client releases.
In a geo database, dataset folder objects are prefixed with old database name .dbo. feature class names. What is the process of making these objects operate correctly after the database name is changed?
Hey Paul, can you provide some more info/details about your question? Where are you still seeing the database name stored?
I am opening the database in ArcGIS Pro 3.1.2 and all the datasets still have the old database name and none of the feature classes in the dataset folders are available. The geo databases on both the new testing server and the production server is still 10.8.1.
So, to get this to work properly must I upgrade my geodatabase version to be 11.x on the production server?
That is correct, this only exists with enterprise geodatabases in SQL Server that have been created or upgraded using ArcGIS Pro 3.0 or ArcGIS Server 11. Remember that ArcGIS clients older than Pro 2.3 / ArcGIS 10.7 will not be able to connect to the geodatabase once upgraded.
Oh wait I misread part of your statement… you are saying that accessing the existing geodatabase with 3.1.2 is having trouble listing the featureclasses in the catalog pane? If so then please open a support ticket so we can investigate that issue.
Esri Case #03373162
I need to understand why I can’t do the geo database upgrade on the destination server. I do not want to touch my production environment. I want to migrate apps and services over to the freshly upgraded geo databases on the new SQL 2022 server.
I am reviewing the support case and will be in contact with the Esri representative that is working with you there.
Hi Chet – is this new ability to change database name specific to SQL Server only or would the same apply to Postgres as well, so the system tables there wouldn’t store the database names either?
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Currently this ability is only supported for enterprise geodatabases that are stored in SQL Server.