Enterprise geodatabase size and name limits

Limits on the size of database objects in an enterprise geodatabase are mostly dependent on hardware limitations. The limit on database object name size is the smaller of either the limit enforced by the database management system or the geodatabase limit. Limits vary from one database management system to the next. The types of characters allowed in object names vary by database management system but are also affected by how ArcGIS stores and queries the object information.

Size limits

Most size limits in a database depend on the database management system edition and hardware limitations. See the documentation for your database management system to determine size limits.

Number of characters in object names

The following table lists the maximum number of characters allowed by ArcGIS for each type of object name.

Note:

If your database allows fewer characters than what ArcGIS allows, you are limited to the number of characters allowed by the database. Consult the documentation for your database management system for its object name limits.

The number of characters listed assumes the use of single-byte characters.

Object typeMaximum bytes allowed by ArcGIS

Database name

31

Table, feature class, or view name

128

Index name

16 if created in ArcGIS. ArcGIS can read up to the database limit for indexes created outside ArcGIS.

Field (column) name

31

Field alias*

255

Password

256

User or role name

31

Version name*

62

*Versions are not database objects; rather, they are defined in geodatabase system tables. Similarly, field aliases are stored in system tables and are not database object names.

Character type limits in object names

Database management systems have different definitions of acceptable characters for object names. Most names must begin with a letter and cannot contain spaces, backslashes, or reserved database management system keywords. Some databases allow special characters such as forward slashes (/), underscores (_), dollar signs ($), dashes (-), dots (.), or mixed cases. Sometimes the database allows you to use special characters or reserved keywords, or force mixed-case, uppercase, or lowercase names if you provide the object name enclosed in delimiters, such as double quotation marks.

However, ArcGIS does not delimit object names. Do not create any tables, feature classes, indexes, databases, users*, roles, or other object names that require delimiters if you will be using them with ArcGIS. The object will be created in the database, but you cannot access it from ArcGIS.

*Microsoft SQL Server user names containing special characters are delimited to fully support Active Directory Groups and Windows Authenticated logins; however, ArcGIS does not support user names containing single quotation marks or apostrophes.