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Optional enterprise geodatabase management

The enterprise geodatabases that are created with your ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance do not require any configuration before you can access them. However, you can perform some administration tasks, such as creating another geodatabase, creating new roles or groups, or moving data between instances, if your workflow requires it. Listed here are some of these optional advanced administration tasks, tools used to perform them, and links to documentation with further instructions.

Manage logins

Your ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance comes with default roles to administer geodatabases in PostgreSQL and Amazon Relational Database Service for SQL Server and load spatial data to them. (See Geodatabases and ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services for a list of these default roles.) You may require additional roles to manage your spatial data. For example, you may want to add a login that has read-only privileges in the database, require a login with a name other than the default name provided with the ArcGIS for Server Amazon Machine Image (AMI), or want additional data owner logins in the database.

If you want additional logins that can own data, you can use the Create Database User geoprocessing tool or a Python script to create a new login.

If you want to create logins that can only view data, use SQL or your database management system (DBMS) tools to create the logins. See PostgreSQL or Microsoft SQL Server's documentation for more information.

Create additional geodatabases

If you choose to include enterprise geodatabases with your ArcGIS for Server instance, the instance comes with two geodatabases: egdb and geodata. To create additional geodatabases in PostgreSQL or SQL Server—for example, if you want a geodatabase with a different name or you require additional geodatabases for different services or applications to access—you can use the Create Enterprise Geodatabase geoprocessing tool. To create another geodatabase in Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) for SQL Server or Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, use the Enable Enterprise Geodatabase tool.

After the additional geodatabase is created, connect to it as an administrator and add any schemas or users you require.

To create additional workgroup geodatabases, connect to the database server from ArcGIS for Desktop as a server administrator and create a geodatabase. See Create additional workgroup geodatabases for more information.

Install PostGIS

Esri supports the use of the PostGIS geometry type in enterprise geodatabases in PostgreSQL. If you use Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, PostGIS is already installed and used for spatial data storage. If you are using a traditional PostgreSQL database cluster on Amazon, you can download a supported version of PostGIS and install it on the ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services instance where PostgreSQL resides (either the same instance as ArcGIS for Server or a separate instance). See the Database System Requirements page on the ArcGIS for Desktop website for the version of PostGIS supported with the AMI version you are using.

To use PostGIS geometry in a traditional PostgreSQL database cluster, the database that contains your geodatabase must be enabled to use PostGIS. Since PostGIS is not part of the basic AMI, the default geodatabase is not enabled to use PostGIS. Therefore, after you install PostGIS, you must enable your geodatabase to use it. Once it is enabled, new data you add to the geodatabase can use the PostGIS geometry type by specifying the PG_GEOMETRY configuration keyword when you create or import the data. Existing data continues to use the ST_Geometry storage type.

After you have installed PostGIS and enabled a database to use it, you may want to create your own AMI to preserve the current state of your machine. See Create your own AMI for more information.

Tune database configuration settings

In most cases, the default configuration settings for the databases that store enterprise geodatabases are sufficient. However, if you have a more complex system with many users and large amounts of data and are using multiple Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes, you have the option to alter the configuration of the PostgreSQL database cluster or SQL Server Standard instance.

The PostgreSQL database cluster or SQL Server instance provided with the ArcGIS for Server AMI has been configured for an Amazon standard large instance (7.5 GB memory). However, you may choose a different ArcGIS for Server AMI type with a larger memory footprint or have a different workflow for which you require nondefault configuration settings.

To change these configuration settings, you must connect directly to the DBMS using DBMS tools. See PostgreSQL or SQL Server's documentation for information on configuration settings and how to alter them.