How do Enterprise Geodatabases, Enterprise Portal and ArcGIS Online work together?

Question

I am considering implementing the Enterprise Portal and I am wondering how it works with Enterprise geodatabases?  The ESRI help documentation isn't giving me the detail I'm looking for.  I want to have a copy of many of my layers in ArcGIS Online so that my map viewer apps can use the layers from there instead of using ArcGIS Server.  My main questions and concerns are:

- Will I have to move my data into some other database/data store that Portal uses, and will I only be able to see and interact with it through the Portal AGOL-like interface?  OR will I be able to keep my Enterprise Geodatabase just like it is and have Portal simply access it?  OR does it work some other way?

- Second, how does the syncing of feature layers/tables between Portal and ArcGIS Online work?  I have Safe Software's FME and I could simply setup a workspace job to sync layers/data between my Enterprise Geodatabase and ArcGIS Online without using Portal.  Why would I want to use Portal instead of FME?  Is it easier/better to do the syncing of layers via whatever tool Portal uses?

That's it, thanks for your feedback!

JJChen · Answer

https://community.esri.com/t5/implementing-arcgis-blog/distributed-collaboration-with-arcgis-online-and/ba-p/886509

MatthewStull1 · Answer

Bernie,

Our current setup is similar to the one you described.  We also use GeoCortex/VertiGIS.  The reason I'm looking at AGOL and or Portal is that I see it as a much better and more flexible solution (not to mention we're paying ESRI a lot of money to use these systems and I want to make better use of them).   Here is a list of advantages that I see to using AGOL and or Portal over just an ArcGIS Server:

Flexibility – easy to share data to anyone anywhere

Feature Layers or hosted tables are easy to share for integration into other enterprise-like systems like Cityworks, IT Pipes, Accela or others.

Easy to do metadata / documentation

Easy to setup and manage permissions, licenses, groups, and users

Easy setup for mobile data use and updates

Easy to create maps and apps for whatever use.

Easy to make your data and maps available for use on various devices like website, smartphones, tablets, ArcGIS Pro

Easy to see stats and other information like:  when was the layer created, when was the layer last updated, how many views as it gotten

Editor tracking will show the actual username of who edited the data, rather than “ESRI Anonymous”.

Availability will be very high – better than our local ArcGIS Server

Don’t have to worry about internal software upgrades to Windows or ArcGIS Server that could affect the data availability.

The apps and maps should work faster.

Makes us less dependent on our Network team.  In other words, we have more control of our stuff.

berniejconnors · Answer

Matt,

I see you work for a city government.  Does your question refer to open data or does this data need to be secure?  I am in a similar situation - I work for a provincial government in Canada.  We publish many map services.  All of our map services are public (https://geonb.snb.ca/arcgis/rest/services).  We only use ArcGIS Server.  We have not deployed Enterprise / Portal.  We use ArcGIS Online to create and publish map viewers that directly consume our map services.  We do not have a need to duplicate our datasets in AGOL.  Your situation may be different.  But our situation does not require our data to be duplicated in AGOL.

Cheers,

Bernie.