Database client software allows you to communicate between a client application and the database management system. Install a database client on all ArcGIS client machines when connecting to the following types of databases:
| Database | Database client |
|---|---|
Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) for Oracle | Oracle Database Client |
Amazon RDS for SQL Server | Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server |
Dameng | Dameng DM |
IBM Db2 | IBM Data Server Runtime Client for Db2 |
IBM Informix | Informix Connect |
Microsoft Azure SQL Database | Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server |
Microsoft Azure SQL Managed Instance | Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server |
Microsoft SQL Server | Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server |
Oracle | Oracle Database Client |
SAP HANA | SAP HANA client |
SAP HANA Cloud | SAP HANA client |
Teradata Data Warehouse Appliance | Teradata ODBC driver and associated files (GSS client and ICU library) |
Obtain the database client from the database management system vendor and follow the database management system client installation instructions to set up the client on your computer. IBM Data Server Runtime Client for Db2 and the Windows version of the Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server are also available on My Esri.
For information on supported database client versions for the ArcGIS release you're using, see the ArcGIS system requirements for the database management system to which you need to connect.
Caveats
Note the following in regard to database clients and ArcGIS:
- No database client is required to connect to SQLite or a GeoPackage.
- ArcGIS clients include the files you need to connect to PostgreSQL, so you don't need to install a PostgreSQL client.
- ArcGIS no longer supports Oracle 11g clients. Even if you connect to an Oracle 11g database from ArcGIS, you must use a newer Oracle client.
32- vs 64-bit clients
Some ArcGIS clients, such as ArcMap and ArcGIS Engine, are 32-bit applications. If you connect from one of these clients, you must use a 32-bit Informix, SAP HANA, Oracle, Teradata 14.x, or Dameng database management system client to connect to the database. This is true even if you install the ArcGIS client application on a computer with a 64-bit operating system and the database and server operating system are 64 bit. To connect from 64-bit ArcGIS clients (such as ArcGIS Server or ArcGIS Pro), you must install 64-bit database management system clients.
When installing the SQL Server client, use the 64-bit executable to install on a 64-bit operating system; the executable detects the type of operating system and installs the correct database management system client. If you run the 32-bit executable on a 64-bit operating system, it will fail. For specific supported database client versions, see Microsoft SQL Server database requirements for ArcGIS.
If you install the IBM Data Server Runtime Client for Db2 or Teradata 15 client on a 64-bit operating system, run the 64-bit executable; these clients install both 32- and 64-bit files.