Can ArcPy test for availability of SDE Connection before trying to use it?

Question

In a Python script that I use to publish ArcGIS 10.0 Geoprocessing Services I have some code:

arcpy.AddMessage("If process hangs here, check for ArcSDE connections issue by trying to open " + mapFile + " in ArcMap")
mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(mapFile)

The reason I have it is that from time to time the maximum number of SDE Connections that the server can support may have been exceeded.

Before I hit this I would like to have ArcPy test:

1. If the SDE Connection can be reached at all; and
2. If the SDE Connection is to an ArcSDE which is responding within a reasonable time.

Does ArcPy have any means of testing SDE connections before trying to use them?

Answer 1

Yes, you can do something like:

try:     
      if arcpy.Exists(PropertyTax_Parcels):
         arcpy.AddMessage("Checking core Layer found? Yes and online")
except:
      raise Exception("Layer not found")

You just define it as a static layer in your SDE and if so it can continue; other wise you else out of the script. I do this in many places and will actually log and fire SMTP messages if my connections are lost in core apps.

Answer 2

Use this to check a valid SDE connection.

import arcpy
    
sde = r"C:/Path/To/SDE.sde"
        
exists = arcpy.Describe(sde).dataType == "Workspace"
if not exists:
   print("Not a workspace ({})".format(sde))

Only use arcpy.Exists() once you've verified the SDE works, as it is unreliable unless an SDE can be connected to.

Answer 3

Another way

import arcpy
import sys

from pathlib import Path
from tqdm import tqdm

input = sys.argv[1]
connection_strings = Path(input)

exists = connection_strings.exists()

print(f'{connection_strings.name} found: {exists}')

if not exists:
    sys.exit(0)

sde_files = list(connection_strings.rglob('*.sde'))

print(f'found {len(sde_files)} databases to check')

failures = []

items = tqdm(sde_files)
for connection in items:
    items.set_postfix_str(connection.name)
    
    try:
        arcpy.ArcSDESQLExecute(str(connection))
    except:
        failures.append(f'{connection.name} is not accessible')

[print(item) for item in failures]

You can place the above python in a file called test.py and run it from a terminal to validate all the .sde files within a provided folder. Be sure to install your dependencies first.

conda create --name sde-tester
activate sde-tester
conda install -c esri arcpy
pip install tqdm

python test.py "c:\projects"