Can I add new layers to map service

Question

Hello

I have a map service published in an ArcGIS Server site. This service publishes imagery "nationwide" coverage by year and by survey mission name. A survery mission can be composed by several flight years.

The map service is published inside a folder.

Tipically, the service directory is:

Home > services > folder name  > service name (Mapserver) > survery mission name

whereis the survey mission name is a Group Layer that has sub-layers (Raster Layers) for each flight year

Question is: can I add new Group Layer and new Raster Layers as sub-layers inside the existing service avoiding to recreate the service itself with the old and new content each time I need to publish an update ?

I currently use ArcGIS 10.9.0 (build 26417).

TonyContreras_Frisco_TX · Accepted Answer

If using ArcMap, you can update the map document with the new content in a new group layer, save it and share it as a service, choosing to overwrite an existing service, then select the correct server connection and the original service. (The process is similar but slightly different for Pro)

Pay special attention to the setting for LayerIDs, they may get changed depending on the options you have selected for the Data Frame Properties. This will affect anything referencing specific layers within the map service, like a Portal/AGO webmap.

https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/sharing/overview/overwrite-a-map-service.htm

https://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/latest/map/publish-map-services/overwriting-a-service-in-arcgis-for-desktop.htm

ChrisPy · Accepted Answer

Like what Tony said, its very straight forward to update a service with new content via republishing using ArcMap or ArcPro in case you have never done it before.

The only thing I will probably advise is to put some thoughts on whether you really need to keep each yearly coverage of "nationwide" imagery in a single service. If they are high-res imagery (0.15m?), might be best to setup individual services for them as it might be optimal when rendering them in a webmap rather than the data being called from a single service. You can probably test it as well which loads faster, single service with individual years or separate services for each year. You also need to look into scenarios where more than one user is loading the service in their browser session, will these users experience latency in rendering the rasters if using it at the same time. If your max time usage of the service is less than the rendering time, you might experience time-outs. Are you also using mosaic datasets? So just a couple of things to look into for service optimization.

GiuseppeGentili · Accepted Answer

Hi Chris,

For your information, the imagery coverage are "tile cache". Anyway, I agree that it's better to keep each yearly imagery coverage in a single service. 
Tipically the "nationwide" coverage is composed by more years. I mean that there is a complete refresh of the territory every 3-4 years. Following your suggestion I could publish each complete refresh as single service ... just to group all the yearly survey imagery belonging to the same refresh.