You can use ArcGIS Server Manager to register data directories, databases, and cloud storage locations with ArcGIS Server. Data registration provides the ArcGIS Server site with a list of locations where the source data for your services originates. Data registration provides the following benefits:
- Data registration helps you validate whether your services are referencing data locations known and approved by the server administrator.
- Data registration allows ArcGIS Server to remap paths to your data when you publish (and copy) a map, model, or other resources to the server.
Registering the data directories does not grant the ArcGIS Server account permissions to access your data. You must give the ArcGIS Server account at least read permissions to any folder that you register. When you register a database, the type of permissions you need to grant depends on what type of database you use, what type of authentication you use, and what type of access the connecting user needs. See Make data accessible to ArcGIS Server to learn more about the scenarios when you need to apply permissions.
The way you register data storage locations with ArcGIS Server in Server Manager is through the Data Stores tab in the Server Configuration module. To access this tab, sign in to Server Manager and click Site > Server Configuration > Data Stores.
The Data Stores tab features the Registered Data Stores dialog box. On this dialog box, all of the registered data stores are displayed and categorized by type. Available types are listed below.
Complete the steps in the sections below based on what you want to register with the ArcGIS Server site.
Tip:
To add new database, folder, or cloud data stores to ArcGIS Server sites that are federated with ArcGIS Enterprise, add a data store item to take advantage of portal sharing and authentication. Organization administrators can create data store items from existing registered databases and folders.
The Managed Database option was removed from ArcGIS Server Manager because these types of databases are no longer supported. Existing services that reference data in a managed database continue to function.
Register a database
Using the tools on the Data Stores tab, you can register any database compatible with ArcGIS. The 64-bit version of the database's client software must be installed on each ArcGIS Server machine in the site before registration.
Use the links below to access information on what is required to register each type of supported database:
- Dameng
- IBM Db2
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Oracle
- PostgreSQL
- SAP HANA
- Teradata
- For workgroup geodatabases, see the help for previous ArcGIS releases.
To register a database (including one that contains an enterprise geodatabase) and allow services to reference data in the database, complete the next set of steps. For file geodatabases, use the steps described in the Register a folder section below. To register a database connection to a cloud data warehouse, add a data store item in the portal.
- Sign in to ArcGIS Server Manager, and click Site > Data Stores.
- Click the Register drop-down arrow and select Database.
- Provide a unique name for the registered database.
Names can be alphanumeric and contain spaces.
- Click Import.
A window appears where you can browse to the database connection file (.sde or .odc only) on disk.
- Depending on how you set up your data sources to work with ArcGIS, choose one of the following scenarios:
- If the publisher's machine and the ArcGIS Server site are working with the same database, click the Same as publisher database connection check box.
This specifies the publisher's machine, and ArcGIS Server will view and access data residing in the same database. To learn more about this scenario, see Data sources for ArcGIS Server.
- If the publisher's machine and the server are working with different databases, click Import next to the Server database connection section and select a database connection file (.sde).
Note:
Server Manager does not allow you to automatically create a geodata service to link your registered enterprise geodatabases. Optionally, you can create a geodata service after registering. Geodata services are only supported with enterprise geodatabases, not with databases.
- If the publisher's machine and the ArcGIS Server site are working with the same database, click the Same as publisher database connection check box.
- Click Create.
The database you registered appears on the Registered Data Stores dialog box.
Update information for a registered database
At times, you may need to update the password to a database you've registered. You can do so at any time using ArcGIS Server Manager.
Database passwords, like other software and system passwords, are frequently changed for security reasons.
If the password saved in the database connection file (.sde) that you registered with your ArcGIS Server site changes, create a new database connection file containing the new information, and edit the existing data store registration to point to the new file.
This updates the registration for all services except stream services and ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic) services. This workflow cannot be used if the registered data store references a cloud data warehouse.
To register a new database connection file containing an updated password, complete the following steps:
- Create a database connection file that uses the updated password.
You can create a database connection file in the Catalog pane in ArcGIS Pro or using the Create Database Connection geoprocessing tool.
Save the username and password in the new connection file. Also, ensure the new connection file is in a directory that you can access from the machine where you will run ArcGIS Server Manager.
- Sign in to ArcGIS Server Manager and click Site > Data Stores.
- Click the edit button next to the registered database you need to update.
You cannot edit the connection for any type of ArcGIS Data Store in ArcGIS Server Manager. To update a password for a relational data store, use the changepassword utility. You also cannot update the password for a database you added as a data store item in the portal (appears as a registered database). Update the password for a database data store item from the item's details page in the portal instead.
- Click Import and browse to the location of the new database connection file.
- Click Import.
- Click Save to update your registered database connection.
- Restart the services that were published from the registered database.
- If applicable, republish any stream services and ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic) services in your site.
Services published from the registered database can access data again.
Register a folder
Using the Data Stores tab, you can register a local file directory or shared directory that contains GIS resources and data, such as shapefiles or file geodatabases. When you register a directory, all subdirectories under the folder you specify are also registered with the server.
Note:
To register a folder as a raster store, complete the steps in the Register a raster store section.
To register a folder and allow services to reference the data in the folder and its subfolders, complete the following steps:
- Sign in to ArcGIS Server Manager, and click Site > Data Stores.
- Click the Register drop-down arrow and select Folder.
- Provide a unique name for the registered folder.
Names can be alphanumeric and contain spaces.
- For Publisher Folder Path, specify the full path to the publisher's folder, for example, C:\data, or \\myserver\share\data.
Note:
You cannot browse directories in ArcGIS Server Manager. You must provide the full path to the folder you want to register.
- For Publisher Folder Host Name, specify the machine that is hosting the publisher's folder.
You can specify the machine name (MyServer), fully qualified domain name (MyServer.domain.com), IP address (12.34.56.789), or localhost (localhost).
- Depending on how you set up your data sources to work with ArcGIS, choose one of the following scenarios:
- If the publisher's machine and the ArcGIS Server site are working out of the same folder, check the Same as publisher folder path check box.
This specifies that the publisher's machine and ArcGIS Server site will view and access data residing in the same folder. To learn more about this scenario, see Data sources for ArcGIS Server.
- If the publisher's machine and the ArcGIS Server site are working out of different folders, specify the full path to the server's folder in the Server Folder Path section.
To learn more about this scenario, see Data sources for ArcGIS Server.
- If the publisher's machine and the ArcGIS Server site are working out of the same folder, check the Same as publisher folder path check box.
- Click Create.
The folder or folders you registered appear on the Registered Data Stores dialog box.
Register a cloud store
Using the Data Stores tab, you can register a cloud store for the following uses:
- Store map and image service caches for ArcGIS Server sites running in the cloud. (You must be a site administrator to designate the cloud store for this use.)
- Register a cloud store to store hosted imagery layer data you upload in the Create imagery layer wizard in the portal website. Subsequently register the cloud store as a raster store to use as an output location for raster analysis tools.
Tip:
ArcGIS Server automatically retrieves a list of known public cloud regions from the Esri cloud infrastructure.
The Register Cloud Store dialog box also allows you to register cloud stores from public or private cloud infrastructure not on this list. To do this, provide the API endpoint in the Private URL field.
If your organization has a requirement to access the list from an Alibaba OSS bucket in China, the ArcGIS Server administrator can configure the site to access lists in those locations.
Prerequisites for registering a cloud store include the following:
- You must create the container or bucket in the cloud storage location before registering the cloud store.
- If you will use the cloud store for map and image service caches, this container or bucket must contain a folder named arcgiscache before you register the cloud store.
- ArcGIS Server Manager must communicate over HTTPS when registering or editing a path for a cloud store.
- For best performance, deploy all ArcGIS components in the same cloud region.
When you register a cloud store, all subfolders in that location are also registered with the ArcGIS Server site.
To open the Register Cloud Store dialog box, complete the following steps:
- Sign in to ArcGIS Server Manager, and click Site > Data Stores.
- Click the Register drop-down arrow and select Cloud Store.
- Follow the steps below based on the environment with which you're working.
Register Amazon S3
To register an Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) storage bucket for use as a raster store or to store map and image service caches for an ArcGIS Server site in the cloud, complete the following steps:
- Click the Type drop-down arrow and select Amazon S3.
You need your AWS account information to register the cloud store.
- Provide a user-friendly name for the cloud store using alphanumeric characters and underscores in the Cloud Store Name text box.
Do not include spaces or other special characters in the name.
- Select the credential type that you want to use to connect to AWS with the Credential Type option.
AWS storage supports connections using an access key or IAM Role.
If you choose Access Key, you must provide an access key ID and secret access key that you obtain from your AWS account.
- In the Access Key Id field, provide the access key ID you obtained from your AWS account.
- In the Secret Access Key field, provide the secret access key you obtained from your AWS account.
- From the Region drop-down list, select the AWS region in which the S3 bucket you are registering is located. Alternatively, choose Custom to use a private cloud store.
- If you are registering cloud storage from an unlisted region or private cloud, type or paste the URL of the API endpoint for your storage provider in the Private URL field.
You must use HTTPS to communicate with the private URL.
For example, the URL could be in the format https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com.
- In the Bucket Name field, provide the name of the S3 bucket you are registering.
- Optionally, in the Folder field, provide the subfolder path to register.
- If you intend for this cloud store to be used by the ArcGIS Server site to build and store map and image service caches, check the Register Cache directory check box.
The S3 bucket must contain a folder named arcgiscache. Only use this bucket for service caches if the ArcGIS Server site is deployed in the same cloud region as the bucket.
The access key ID or IAM role that you specified for credentials in step 3 must have write access to the arcgiscache folder in the S3 bucket.
Only ArcGIS Server administrators can register a cache directory.
- Click Create.
The cloud store is registered and appears on the Registered Data Stores dialog box.
You can use the Validate button to confirm the ArcGIS Server site can connect to the cloud store with valid credentials.
Note:
ArcGIS Server does not validate the location path you provide. Ensure that this path is valid before registering the cloud store. If the specified location does not exist in the S3 bucket, ArcGIS Server creates the location as defined.
Register a Microsoft Azure Blob Storage container
To register a Microsoft Azure Blob Storage container for use as a raster store or to store map and image service caches for an ArcGIS Server site on Azure, complete the following steps:
- Click the Type drop-down arrow and select Microsoft Azure Storage.
You need your Microsoft Azure account information to register the cloud store.
- In the Cloud Store Name field, provide a user-friendly name for the store using alphanumeric characters and underscores.
Do not include spaces or special characters.
- Choose one of the following authentication types and provide the information required to use it:
- Microsoft Entra ID—Choose one of the following from the Identity type drop-down menu and provide the credentials required for the type you choose:
- Service principal—You must have Storage Blob Data Contributor access to the service principal account to use this identity type.
- User-assigned managed identity—Ensure that the user-assigned managed identity is assigned to the instances on which the ArcGIS Server site is running. Also ensure that the user-assigned managed identity has at least read-only access to the storage account container. If more than one user-assigned managed identity is assigned to an instance or storage container, you must specify a client ID.
- Shared key—In the Account Key field, provide the account key you obtained through your Microsoft Azure account to connect using a shared key.
- Shared access signature—In the Token field, provide a shared access signature (SAS) token generated for the Azure Blob container.
- Microsoft Entra ID—Choose one of the following from the Identity type drop-down menu and provide the credentials required for the type you choose:
- Type your Microsoft Azure storage account name in the Account Name field.
- In the Storage domain field, specify the environment for the Microsoft Azure storage account.
Options are as follows:
- Azure Cloud
- Azure US Government
- Other—Choose this option to use an environment other than the two listed above. Provide the URL of the API endpoint for the domain in the Endpoint field.
- In the Container Name field, provide the name of the Microsoft Azure container you are registering.
- Optionally, in the Folder field, specify the subfolder path to register.
- If you intend for this cloud store to be used to build and store map and image service caches, check the Register Cache directory check box.
The container must contain a folder named arcgiscache. You should only use this container for service caches if your ArcGIS Server site is deployed on Azure.
The account key you specified for credentials in step 4 must have write access to the arcgiscache folder in the container.
Only ArcGIS Server administrators can register a cache directory.
- Click Create.
The cloud store is registered and appears on the Registered Data Stores dialog box.
You can use the Validate button to confirm the ArcGIS Server site can connect to the cloud store with valid credentials.
Note:
ArcGIS Server does not validate the location path you provide. Ensure that this path is valid before registering the cloud store. If the specified location does not exist in the Azure Blob container, ArcGIS Server creates the location as defined.
Register a Google Cloud bucket
To register a Google Cloud bucket for use as a raster store or to store map and image service caches for an ArcGIS Server site on Google Cloud, complete the following steps:
- Click the Type drop-down arrow and select Google Cloud.
You need an access key and secret key for your Google Cloud account to register the cloud store.
- In the Cloud Store Name field, provide a user-friendly name for the store using alphanumeric characters and underscores.
Do not include spaces or other special characters.
- In the Access Key Id field, provide the access key ID for your Google Cloud storage account.
- In the Secret Access Key field, provide the secret key associated with the access key for your account.
- In the Bucket Name field, specify the name of the Google Cloud bucket container you are registering.
- Optionally, in the Folder field, provide the subfolder path to register.
- If you intend for this cloud store to be used to build and store map and image service caches, check the Register Cache directory check box.
The bucket must contain a folder named arcgiscache. You should only use this bucket for service caches if your ArcGIS Server site is deployed on Google Cloud.
The access key ID that you specified for credentials in step 3 must have write access to the arcgiscache folder in the S3 bucket.
Only ArcGIS Server administrators can register a cache directory.
- Click Create.
The cloud store is registered and appears on the Registered Data Stores dialog box.
You can use the Validate button to confirm the ArcGIS Server site can connect to the cloud store with valid credentials.
Note:
ArcGIS Server does not validate the location path you provide. Ensure that this path is valid before registering the cloud store. If the specified location does not exist in the bucket, ArcGIS Server creates the location as defined.
Register an Alibaba Cloud OSS bucket
To register an Alibaba Cloud Object Storage Service (OSS) bucket for use as a raster store or to store map and image service caches for an ArcGIS Server site on Alibaba, complete the following steps:
- Click the Type drop-down arrow and select Alibaba Cloud Storage.
- In the Cloud Store Name field, provide a user-friendly name for the store using alphanumeric characters and underscores.
Do not include spaces or other special characters.
- In the Access Key Id field, provide the access key ID you obtained from your Alibaba account.
You can only authorize the connection with AccessKey and SecretKey information.
- In the Secret Access Key field, provide the secret access key you obtained from your Alibaba account.
- From the Region drop-down list, choose the Alibaba region in which the OSS bucket you are registering is located. Alternatively, choose Custom to use a private cloud store.
- If you are registering cloud storage from an unlisted region or private cloud, type or paste the URL of the API endpoint for your storage provider in the Private URL field.
You must use HTTPS to communicate with the private URL.
- In the Bucket Name field, provide the name of the Alibaba OSS bucket you are registering.
- Optionally, in the Folder field, provide the subfolder path to register.
- If you intend to use this cloud store for map and image service caches, check the Register Cache directory check box.
The OSS bucket must contain a folder named arcgiscache. You should only use this bucket for service caches if your ArcGIS Server site is deployed on Alibaba.
The access key ID that you specified for credentials in step 3 must have write access to the arcgiscache folder in the bucket.
Only ArcGIS Server administrators can register a cache directory.
- Click Create.
The cloud store is registered and appears on the Registered Data Stores dialog box.
You can use the Validate button to confirm the ArcGIS Server site can connect to the cloud store with valid credentials.
Note:
ArcGIS Server does not validate the location path you provide. Ensure that this path is valid before registering the cloud store. If the specified location does not yet exist in the bucket, ArcGIS Server creates the location as defined.
Register a raster store
Using the Data Stores tab, you can register a raster store that is used for storing hosted raster datasets generated by raster analysis tools and the From Local input option in the Create imagery layer wizard in the ArcGIS Enterprise portal website. The raster store can be of different types, such as a file share or a cloud store.
All raster analysis output will be placed in the raster store configured for the ArcGIS Image Server site; therefore, only the ArcGIS Server administrator should configure a raster store for a site.
Note:
Ensure that ArcGIS Server Manager is communicating over HTTPS when registering or editing a path for a raster store.
Register a file share as a raster store
To register a file share as a raster store, complete the following steps:
- In the Name field, provide a unique name for the registered location containing alphanumeric characters and underscores.
- Choose File Share from the Type drop-down list.
- In the Path field, type or paste the full path to the raster file share, for example, \\myserver\share\rasterFileShare.
Avoid using local paths, such as C:\rasterFileShare, unless the same data folder will be available on all nodes of the ArcGIS Server site.
You cannot browse directories in ArcGIS Server Manager. You must provide the full path to the folder to register.
- Click Save.
The file share you registered appears on the Registered Data Stores dialog box.
Register a cloud store as a raster store
To register a cloud store as a raster store, you must first add the cloud store as a registered data store. For more information, review the Register a cloud store section above.
When the cloud store is available in your list of registered data stores, complete the following steps to register the cloud store as a raster store:
- In the Name field, type a unique name for the registered location containing alphanumeric characters and underscores.
- Choose Cloud Store from the Type list.
- Choose the registered cloud store from the Cloud Store drop-down list.
- Click Create.
The cloud store you registered as a raster store appears on the Registered Data Stores dialog box.
Validate data stores
To validate the data store connection to confirm that the ArcGIS Server site can communicate with a data store, complete the following steps:
- Sign in to ArcGIS Server Manager.
- Open the Data Stores page (Site > Data Stores).
- Validate data store connections by doing one of the following:
- To validate the connection for a single data store, check the box next to the data store name and click Validate.
- To validate all the data stores for the ArcGIS Server site at once, click Validate All.
A check appears in the Status column for all data stores whose connections could be validated. If ArcGIS Server could not connect, an X appears in the Status column.
If ArcGIS Server could not connect, confirm that the data store is available; for example, that the machine the data store is on is running and has network connectivity.
Unregister a data store
When you unregister a data store, the services and other functionality that depend on the data store will no longer function. Ensure that the data is no longer being used by the ArcGIS Server site or ArcGIS Enterprise before you unregister a data store.
How you remove the association between an ArcGIS Server site and a data store depends on how you registered the data store and the type of data store.
- If you registered the data store in ArcGIS Server Manager or ArcMap, use the unregister button next to the data store on Site > Data Stores in ArcGIS Server Manager.
Before you unregister a cloud storage data store that was added in ArcGIS Server Manager, delete the associated ArcGIS Server cache directory in ArcGIS Server Manager. For information on deleting an ArcGIS Server cache directory, see Delete a server directory in Server Manager.
- If you registered the data store in ArcGIS Pro or added a data store item in the ArcGIS Enterprise portal, you must remove the federated server from the data store item in the portal. Do not use any other app to unregister the data store.
- To remove the relationship between the hosting server and one of the data stores installed and configured with ArcGIS Data Store, use the unregisterdatastore utility installed with ArcGIS Data Store.
If you or a publisher in your organization accidentally unregisters one of the data stores installed with ArcGIS Data Store using ArcGIS Server Manager, you can use the registerdatastore utility to establish the association between the data store and the same ArcGIS Server site to get services to function again.
Considerations when unregistering data stores
Do not remove or unregister a data store if existing services contain data from the data store.
If you unregister a data store from your ArcGIS Server site, and that data store is used to populate existing services, you may still be able to view the services depending on the type of data store that was used.
Keep the following limitations in mind when you unregister a data store:
- For databases registered in ArcGIS Server Manager or ArcGIS Pro, you can still view the data in the services they populate. However, if the password stored with the data store changes, you cannot update services to use the new password. At that point, the services will no longer function, and you will have to register the database that contains the service data and republish the services.
- Any new ArcGIS Server machines you add to the site will not recognize services if their source data store is no longer registered with the ArcGIS Server site. You will have to register the database that contains the service data and republish the services to allow the new machines to recognize the services.