Creating geodatabases using geoprocessing tools
How to create a personal geodatabase using geoprocessing
Use the Create Personal GDB tool to specify the path name to the file folder location, the name of the new geodatabase, and the ArcGIS version of the geodatabase that you want to create.
The Create Personal GDB tool is located in the Data Management toolbox in the Workspace toolset (Data Management > Workspace).
How to create a file geodatabase using geoprocessing tools
Use the Create File GDB tool to specify the path to the file folder location, the name of the new geodatabase, and the ArcGIS version of the geodatabase that you want to create.
The Create File GDB tool is located in the Data Management toolbox in the Workspace toolset (Data Management > Workspace).
How to create an enterprise geodatabase in a Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or PostgreSQL DBMS
Use the Create Enterprise Geodatabase tool to specify in which DBMS you will create default database objects and an enterprise geodatabase in SQL Server, Oracle, or PostgreSQL. See the database system requirements on the ArcGIS Resource Center for a list of supported database versions.
You would use the Create Enterprise Geodatabase tool if you want an easy way to create an enterprise geodatabase from ArcGIS for Desktop (Standard or Advanced).
First, install the DBMS software on your server, install and configure the DBMS client software on your client computer, then connect directly from the Create Enterprise Geodatabase tool to the database. The tool can do the following tasks in each DBMS type:
Function | DBMS |
|---|---|
Creates a database | PostgreSQL and Microsoft SQL Server |
Creates a tablespace | Oracle |
Creates a geodatabase administrator user in the database | Oracle, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server (if creating an sde-schema geodatabase) |
Grants the geodatabase administrator the privileges required to create a geodatabase, upgrade a geodatabase, and kill database connections | Oracle and PostgreSQL |
Grants the geodatabase administrator the privileges required to create a geodatabase and kill database connections | SQL Server (if creating an sde-schema geodatabase) |
Creates a geodatabase in the specified database | Oracle, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server |
If you want a customized database or tablespace, you can create those before running the tool, then specify the existing database or tablespace when the tool is run.
The Create Enterprise Geodatabase tool is located in the Geodatabase Administration toolset of the Data Management toolbox (Data Management > Geodatabase Admin).
How to enable geodatabase functionality in an IBM DB2 or Informix database
Use the Enable Enterprise Geodatabase tool to create a geodatabase in a DB2 or Informix database. See the database system requirements on the ArcGIS Resource Center for a list of supported database versions.
Follow this process:
- Install the DBMS software on your server.
- Create and configure a database and storage objects.
- Create a user named sde on the database server.
- Grant the sde user access to the database and the privileges necessary to create a geodatabase.
- Install and configure the DBMS client software on your client computer.
- Create a database connection file (.sde file) to the database, connecting as the database administrator.
- Run the Enable Enterprise Geodatabase tool to create the required geodatabase tables, procedures, functions, and types to enable geodatabase functionality in the database.
The Enable Enterprise Geodatabase tool is located in the Geodatabase Administration toolset of the Data Management toolbox (Data Management > Geodatabase Admin).
Tip:You could also use the Enable Enterprise Geodatabase tool to create a geodatabase in an existing Oracle, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server database. For example, if you want to set up custom storage spaces and files or if you are using a database then decide you want to take advantage of geodatabase functionality in it, you can run the Enable Enterprise Geodatabase tool from your existing database connection in the Catalog tree in ArcGIS for Desktop. However, you must first create the sde user (and schema in PostgreSQL and SQL Server), and grant it the privileges required to create a geodatabase before you can run the Enable Enterprise Geodatabase tool.