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Create Database Connection

  • Summary
  • Usage
  • Syntax
  • Code sample
  • Environments
  • Licensing information

Summary

The Create Database Connection tool creates a file that ArcGIS uses to connect to a database or an enterprise, workgroup, or desktop geodatabase.

Usage

  • If you enter valid connection information when using the tool dialog box, the tool connects to the database to determine if it contains geodatabase schema. If the schema is found, the tool automatically populates the Schema parameter with the sde schema (for Oracle user schema geodatabases only), the Version Type parameter with the Transactional keyword, and the version parameter with the Default version name.

  • If you want don't want to save your connection information in the Results window or don't want to store it in the geoprocessing history log files, disable history logging and save the connection file without saving the connection information.

  • All the parameters in the Geodatabase Connection Properties section of the tool dialog box are ignored when connecting to a database that does not contain a geodatabase.

Syntax

CreateDatabaseConnection_management (out_folder_path, out_name, database_platform, instance, {account_authentication}, {username}, {password}, {save_user_pass}, {database}, {schema}, {version_type}, {version}, {date})
ParameterExplanationData Type
out_folder_path

The folder path where the database connection file (.sde file) will be stored.

Folder
out_name

The name of the database connection file. The output file will have the extension .sde.

String
database_platform

The database management system platform to which you will be connecting. The following are valid options:

  • ALTIBASE —To connect to ALTIBASE
  • DAMENG —To connect to Dameng
  • DB2 —To connect to IBM DB2 for Linux, UNIX, or Windows
  • DB2ZOS —To connect to IBM DB2 for z Operating System
  • INFORMIX —To connect to IBM Informix
  • NETEZZA —To connect to IBM Netezza
  • ORACLE —To connect to Oracle
  • POSTGRESQL —To connect to PostgreSQL
  • SAP HANA —To connect to SAP HANA
  • SQL_SERVER —To connect to Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft Azure SQL Database
  • TERADATA —To connect to Teradata Data Warehouse Appliance
String
instance

The database server or instance to which you will connect.

The value you specify for the database_platform parameter indicates the type of database to which you want to connect. The information you provide for the instance parameter will vary, depending the database platform you specified.

See below for further information on what to provide for each database platform.

  • ALTIBASE—The ODBC data source name for the ALTIBASE database
  • Dameng—The name of the server where Dameng database is installed
  • DB2—The name of the cataloged DB2 database
  • DB2 for Z/OS—The name of the cataloged DB2 database
  • Informix—The Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) data source name for the Informix database
  • Oracle—Either the TNS name or the Oracle Easy Connection string to connect to the Oracle database
  • Netezza—The ODBC data source name for the Netezza database
  • PostgreSQL—The name of the server where PostgreSQL is installed
  • SAP HANA—The ODBC data source name for the SAP HANA database
  • SQL Server—The name of the SQL Server or SQL Database instance
  • Teradata—The ODBC data source name for the Teradata database
String
account_authentication
(Optional)
  • DATABASE_AUTH —Database Authentication. Uses an internal database user name and password to connect to the database. You aren't required to type your user name and password to create a connection; however, if you don't, you will be prompted to enter them when a connection is established.
    Note:

    If the connection file you are creating will provide ArcGIS services with access to the database or geodatabase, or if you want to use the Catalog search to locate data accessed through this connection file, you must type a user name and password.

  • OPERATING_SYSTEM_AUTH —Use operating system authentication. You do not need to type in a user name and password. The connection will be made with the user name and password used to log in to the operating system. If the login used for the operating system is not a valid geodatabase login, the connection will fail.
Boolean
username
(Optional)

The database user name to connect with when using Database Authentication.

String
password
(Optional)

The database user password when using Database Authentication.

Encrypted String
save_user_pass
(Optional)
  • SAVE_USERNAME —Save the user name and password in the connection file. This is the default. If the connection file you are creating will provide ArcGIS services with access to the database or geodatabase, or if you want to use the Catalog search to locate data accessed through this connection file, you must save a user name and password.
  • DO_NOT_SAVE_USERNAME —Do not save the user name and password in the file. Every time you attempt to connect using the file, you will be prompted for the user name and password.
Boolean
database
(Optional)

The name of the database to which you will be connecting. This parameter only applies to PostgreSQL and SQL Server platforms.

String
schema
(Optional)

The user schema geodatabase to which you want to connect. This option only applies to Oracle databases that contain at least one user-schema geodatabase. The default value for this parameter is to use the sde schema (master) geodatabase.

String
version_type
(Optional)

The type of version to which you want to connect.

  • TRANSACTIONAL —Use to connect to a transactional version.
  • HISTORICAL —Use to connect to an historical marker.
  • POINT_IN_TIME —Use to connect to a specific point in time. If POINT_IN_TIME is used, the version parameter will be ignored.

Note:

If TRANSACTIONAL or HISTORICAL is used, the date parameter will be ignored. If HISTORICAL is used and a name is not provided in the version_name parameter, the Default transactional version will be used. If POINT_IN_TIME is used and a date is not provided in the date parameter, the Default transactional version will be used.

String
version
(Optional)

The geodatabase transactional version or historical marker to connect to. The default option uses the Default transactional version.

String
date
(Optional)

The value representing the date and time used to connect to the database. For working with archiving enabled data.

Dates can be entered in the following formats:

  • 6/9/2011 4:20:15 PM
  • 6/9/2011 16:20:15
  • 6/9/2011
  • 4:20:15 PM
  • 16:20:15

Note:

  • If a time is entered without a date, the default date of December 30, 1899, will be used.
  • If a date is entered without a time, the default time of 12:00:00 AM will be used.

Date

Code sample

CreateDatabaseConnection example 1 (Python window)

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the CreateDatabaseConnection tool in immediate mode.

import arcpy
arcpy.CreateDatabaseConnection_management("Database Connections",
                                          "utah.sde",
                                          "SQL_SERVER",
                                          "utah",
                                          "DATABASE_AUTH",
                                          "gdb",
                                          "gdb",
                                          "SAVE_USERNAME",
                                          "garfield",
                                          "#",
                                          "TRANSACTIONAL",
                                          "sde.DEFAULT")
CreateDatabaseConnection example 2(stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to use the CreateDatabaseConnection tool.

# Name: CreateDatabaseConnection2.py
# Description: Connects to a database using Easy Connect string
#              and operating system authentication.

# Import system modules
import arcpy

# Run the tool
arcpy.CreateDatabaseConnection_management("Database Connections",
                                          "zion.sde",
                                          "ORACLE",
                                          "zionserver/ORCL",
                                          "OPERATING_SYSTEM_AUTH")
CreateDatabaseConnection example 3 (Python window)

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the CreateDatabaseConnection tool to connect to an historical marker.

# Name: CreateDatabaseConnection3.py
# Description: Connects to a geodatabase historical marker using a
#              cataloged DB2 database and database authentication.

# Import system modules
import arcpy

# Run the tool
arcpy.CreateDatabaseConnection_management("Database Connections",
                                          "history.sde",
                                          "DB2",
                                          "DB2_DS",
                                          "DATABASE_AUTH",
                                          "butch",
                                          "sundance",
                                          "SAVE_USERNAME",
                                          "#",
                                          "#",
                                          "HISTORICAL",
                                          "June 9, 2010",
                                          "#")
CreateDatabaseConnection example 4 (Python window)

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the CreateDatabaseConnection tool to connect to a point in time.

# Name: CreateDatabaseConnection4.py
# Description: Connects to a point in time in the geodatabase in
#              PostgreSQL using database authentication.

# Import system modules
import arcpy

# Run the tool
arcpy.CreateDatabaseConnection_management("Database Connections",
                                          "history.sde",
                                          "POSTGRESQL",
                                          "dbserver",
                                          "DATABASE_AUTH",
                                          "stevie",
                                          "smith",
                                          "SAVE_USERNAME",
                                          "archivedb",
                                          "#",
                                          "POINT_IN_TIME",
                                          "#",
                                          "5/19/2011 8:43:41 AM")

Environments

  • Current Workspace

Licensing information

  • ArcGIS Desktop Basic: No
  • ArcGIS Desktop Standard: Yes
  • ArcGIS Desktop Advanced: Yes

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