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Question

We wish to link an ESRI geodatabase to a ‘.mdb’ database. The ‘mdb’ database is updated daily.

  • September 12, 2017
  • 5 replies
  • 10 views
E

We would like to make sure that the GDB is up to date whenever updates are made to the ‘.mdb’. The database is created from ‘Acquire’, and is exported in ‘.mdb’ format.

We wish to use this ‘.gbd’ as a template for ARCMap workspaces, where all the geoscientists have access to up-to-date information. Currently many geoscientists in the organization have out-of-date files they are using on their personal machines. Currently people work from their own workspaces (.mxd), where it is never known if they have access to all the pertinent files, or if the files they have in their workspaces are up-to-date.

We wish to have the changing ‘.mdb’ database regularly ‘merged’ into the gdb. Additionally, other files (raster images, tenement polygons ect) are desired to be automatically updated into the ‘.gdb’ as changes occur to the master files.

As long at the raster image names, along with tenement polygon shapefile/layer names remain static, I think this should not be a problem (?).

I have been tasked with this job, however I am unaware as how to schedule updates into a geodatabase from an access database (that is updated from another individual daily). Also, I am unsure as how to update other files in the Geodatabase that change regularly.

Thanks kindly for any help you have, or resources to steer my attention towards.

With kind regards,

Ed

5 replies

courtney_m
Contributor
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  • courtney_mContributor
  • Contributor
  • September 12, 2017

Hi Ed,

You will need to create an FME Workspace with an MDB reader, a GDB reader, and a GDB writer. You will need to use the UpdateDetector to find the changes between the databases - when you select Attributes To Match, make sure you do NOT select OBJECTID, as it should not exist in the MDB. You can see this in my screenshot below - just note, that you will need an MDB reader (not an oracle reader). If you are having issues with unchanged records getting updated, you may have to add transformers like the CoordinateRounder and DateFormatter to the two sources to make sure that dates and coordinates are handled the same from both sources.

Once you have the workspace working, you can use FME Server to set up a schedule to automate the running of the workspace. I usually just set it to run every hour (just make sure your process takes less than an hour to complete). If you do not have FME Server you can use a Windows Task scheduler (or get FME Server! :-) )

courtney_m
Contributor
Forum|alt.badge.img+5
  • courtney_mContributor
  • Contributor
  • September 12, 2017
courtney_m wrote:

Hi Ed,

You will need to create an FME Workspace with an MDB reader, a GDB reader, and a GDB writer. You will need to use the UpdateDetector to find the changes between the databases - when you select Attributes To Match, make sure you do NOT select OBJECTID, as it should not exist in the MDB. You can see this in my screenshot below - just note, that you will need an MDB reader (not an oracle reader). If you are having issues with unchanged records getting updated, you may have to add transformers like the CoordinateRounder and DateFormatter to the two sources to make sure that dates and coordinates are handled the same from both sources.

Once you have the workspace working, you can use FME Server to set up a schedule to automate the running of the workspace. I usually just set it to run every hour (just make sure your process takes less than an hour to complete). If you do not have FME Server you can use a Windows Task scheduler (or get FME Server! :-) )

If you are writing to a versioned GDB, make sure you set the Transaction Type on the writer to "Versioned Edit Session".

 

 

fmelizard
Contributor
Forum|alt.badge.img+17
  • fmelizardContributor
  • Contributor
  • September 12, 2017

Hi @ejdkeys, I would recommend setting up a workspace in FME Desktop where you can update your File Geodatabase based on the MS Access database. Here's an article on how to send updates to the File Geodatabase. You could also publish this workspace to FME Server where you can set it to run on a schedule to regularly update the features in the File Geodatabase with the MS Access database.

E
  • ejdkeys
  • Author
  • September 13, 2017
fmelizard wrote:

Hi @ejdkeys, I would recommend setting up a workspace in FME Desktop where you can update your File Geodatabase based on the MS Access database. Here's an article on how to send updates to the File Geodatabase. You could also publish this workspace to FME Server where you can set it to run on a schedule to regularly update the features in the File Geodatabase with the MS Access database.

Thank-you kindly for your reply!

 

I am trying to convince the worksite to purchase FME for this purpose. Do you know if FME can allow the direct linking to the 'acQuire' database? If we can get a .gdb (file geodatabase) to talk directly with the acquire database (without having to export the acquire database into an .mdb), this would be best.

 

 

Do you know if this is possible?

 

 

Cheers

 

E

 

 

E
  • ejdkeys
  • Author
  • September 13, 2017
courtney_m wrote:

Hi Ed,

You will need to create an FME Workspace with an MDB reader, a GDB reader, and a GDB writer. You will need to use the UpdateDetector to find the changes between the databases - when you select Attributes To Match, make sure you do NOT select OBJECTID, as it should not exist in the MDB. You can see this in my screenshot below - just note, that you will need an MDB reader (not an oracle reader). If you are having issues with unchanged records getting updated, you may have to add transformers like the CoordinateRounder and DateFormatter to the two sources to make sure that dates and coordinates are handled the same from both sources.

Once you have the workspace working, you can use FME Server to set up a schedule to automate the running of the workspace. I usually just set it to run every hour (just make sure your process takes less than an hour to complete). If you do not have FME Server you can use a Windows Task scheduler (or get FME Server! :-) )

Thank-you kindly for your reply!

 

I am trying to convince the worksite to purchase FME for this purpose. Do you know if FME can allow the direct linking to the 'acQuire' database? If we can get a .gdb (file geodatabase) to talk directly with the acquire database (without having to export the acquire database into an .mdb), this would be best.

 

 

Do you know if this is possible?

 

 

Cheers

 

E

 

 

 

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