Connect to Microsoft SQL Server from ArcGIS

You can connect to Microsoft SQL Server from ArcGIS clients. To do so, install a supported Microsoft SQL Server ODBC driver on the ArcGIS client machine and connect to the database from the ArcGIS client.

Next, create a connection file. To use the data stored in SQL Server in services published to an ArcGIS Server site, register the database or geodatabase with the site.

Connect from ArcMap

To connect to a database or geodatabase in SQL Server from ArcMap, install the Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server on the ArcMap computer and create a connection file in the Catalog tree. First, though, be sure your SQL Server instance can accept connections from remote computers.

Configure the instance to allow connections

By default, SQL Server instances are not configured to allow connections from other computers. If you have a new installation of SQL Server, be sure the SQL Server service is running and listening on the correct ports. See Microsoft SQL Server documentation for more information.

Install the ODBC driver for SQL Server

Obtain the Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server from the Microsoft Download Center or from My Esri. Be sure to get the Microsoft ODBC driver that is supported for the version of SQL Server to which you want to connect. Install the driver on all computers where ArcMap is installed.

If you are installing the driver on a 64-bit operating system, run the 64-bit executable; it installs both 32- and 64-bit files. If you run the 32-bit installation on a 64-bit operating system, it will fail.

Connect to the database

You can connect to a database or geodatabase in SQL Server by adding a database connection under the Database Connections node in the Catalog tree in ArcMap or ArcCatalog or using the Create Database Connection tool.

Tip:

If you have connection files that were created prior to ArcGIS 10.1, they will still work. However, if you need to create a connection to an older release geodatabase using an ArcSDE service, use the Create ArcSDE Connection File geoprocessing tool.

The following steps describe using the Database Connection dialog box.

1. Expand Database Connections in the Catalog tree in ArcMap or ArcCatalog and double-click Add Database Connection.
2. Choose SQL Server from the Database Platform drop-down list.
3. Type the SQL Server instance name in the Instance text box.

   For example, if you are using a default SQL Server instance, you can specify the instance name or the IP address of the server in the Instance text box. If specifying an IPV6 address, enclose the address in brackets. For example, if the IPV6 address of the server is 2000:ab1:0:2:f333:c432:55f6:d7ee, type [2000:ab1:0:2:f333:c432:55f6:d7ee] in the Instance text box.

   If your database is listening on a port other than the default (1433), include the port number in the instance. For example, if the SQL Server instance is basset\spatial and is listening on port 61000, type basset\spatial,61000 in the Instance text box.

   If your SQL Database instance name is cloudy4u.database.windows.net, type cloudy4u.database.windows.net in the Instance text box. If you are using a SQL Server instance named terra\gis, type terra\gis in the Instance text box.

   Note:

   Additional information is needed in the Instance text box to connect to a highly available SQL Server database.

4. Choose the type of authentication to use when connecting to the database: Database authentication or Operating system authentication.
   • If you choose Operating system authentication, you do not need to type a user name and password—the connection is made using the login name and password used to log in to the operating system. If the login used for the operating system is not a valid database login, the connection fails.

   • If you choose Database authentication, you must provide a valid database user name and password in the User name and Password text boxes, respectively. User names can be a maximum of 30 characters.

     Uncheck Save user name and password if you prefer not to save your login information as part of the connection; doing this can help maintain the security of the database. However, if you do this, you will be prompted to provide a user name and password every time you connect. Also note that Save user name and password must be checked for connection files that 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.

   Note:

   Outside of ArcGIS, you can create user names in SQL Server that contain special characters. These user names must be delimited whenever they are used. ArcGIS will add the delimiter automatically when it is passed to SQL Server; you do not need to include delimiters with the user name. For example, if your user name is map.user, type map.user, not "map.user" in the User name text box. For more information on regular and delimited identifiers, see your SQL Server documentation.

5. In the Database text box, type or choose the name of the specific database you want to connect to on the SQL Server or SQL Database instance. The database name is limited to 31 characters.

   Tip:

   The database name is optional when connecting to a SQL Server instance but only if you want to connect to the database that has been assigned as your default database in the SQL Server instance. The database name is required when connecting to SQL Database.

   In the following example, a connection is made to the database, spatialdata, on the SQL Server instance server1\ss08r2 using database authentication.

   

6. Click OK to connect.

A file is created in \\<computer_name>\Users\<user_name>\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\Desktop<release#>\ArcCatalog.

You can move the connection to another location; just be sure users and applications that need to make a connection have read access to the directory where you place the connection file.

If you use the data from this connection as the source for a service, such as a geoprocessing or geocoding service, you may need to place the connection file in a shared location on your network. See Make your data accessible to ArcGIS Server for more information about sharing a connection file.

Connect from ArcGIS Server

Configure the instance to allow connections

By default, SQL Server instances are not configured to allow connections from other computers. If you have a new installation of SQL Server, be sure the SQL Server service is running and listening on the correct ports. See Microsoft SQL Server documentation for more information.

Install the ODBC driver for SQL Server

If ArcGIS Server and SQL Server are installed on different computers, you must install a 64-bit Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server on each machine in the ArcGIS Server site. You can obtain and install the driver from the Microsoft Download Center or from My Esri. Be sure to get the Microsoft ODBC driver that is supported for the version of SQL Server to which you want the ArcGIS Server site to connect.

Register the database

If you want the services you publish to ArcGIS Server to use the data in your database or geodatabase in SQL Server, you must register the database with your ArcGIS Server sites. For geodatabases in SQL Server, you have two registration options. See About registering your data with ArcGIS Server for information on registration options and links to topics with instructions for registering your database.