The geodatabase administrator in PostgreSQL is a database login role named sde.
The geodatabase administrator owns and manages the following:
- The geodatabase system tables, triggers, functions, domains, sequences, and views
- The ST_Geometry type and functions
- The default geodatabase version
Because the geodatabase administrator owns all the geodatabase system objects, this account must exist before the geodatabase can be created. If you use the Create Enterprise Geodatabase geoprocessing tool or script to create a geodatabase in PostgreSQL, the tool creates a database-authenticated sde user and its schema for you and grants the privileges necessary to create a geodatabase before the tool creates the geodatabase. To use the Enable Enterprise Geodatabase geoprocessing tool or script to enable geodatabase functionality in an existing PostgreSQL database, the database administrator must create the sde user and schema and grant the privileges required to create a geodatabase before you run the Enable Enterprise Geodatabase tool.
Keep in mind that the geodatabase administrator user is not the same as the database administrator. Although conditions in your organization may necessitate that the geodatabase administrator maintain database administrator-level permissions at all times, this is not required for day-to-day operation of a geodatabase.
Only database-authenticated sde logins are supported in cloud database service offerings of PostgreSQL at this time.
The sde login role and schema
In PostgreSQL, login roles do not automatically have a schema with the same name as their username. However, to use PostgreSQL with ArcGIS, users who own tables and other database objects must own a schema that has the same name as the username. This applies to the sde user as well as nonadministrative users who own data. The sde user owns the geodatabase system tables and other objects; therefore, the sde user must own a schema named sde.
Following the practice of storing only system tables in the geodatabase administrator's storage space simplifies the management of the geodatabase and makes it easier for you to delete the geodatabase from the database if you ever decide to do so.