Support of PBF format with ArcGIS Javascript API 3.x

Question

I am trying to query features using ArcGIS Javascript API 3.x. I learnt that PBF format gives faster response compare to JSON format. However, I cannot specify f=pbf while querying the features (using Query and QueryTask classes). The 3.x API ignores the f=pbf and sends request for f=json. There are few things I have observed as mentioned below.

1) I can get PBF response only with the FeatureServer. I cannot use MapServer. Is this by design?

2) I can get response in PBF if the FeatureServer is published in ArcGIS Online. However, I do not get response in PBF if it is published in ArcGIS Enterprise environment (on-prem). Is the PBF support limited to ArcGIS Online?

3) Is it a good idea to use PBF format to query a million features? Or PBF has some different purpose?

Can anyone share some more insight about the support of PBF format using ArcGIS Javascript API 3.x?

MikeVolz · Answer

What version of Enterprise are you working with as it seems that although ESRI says it supports PBF format at 10.7.1, even with the Map Services Drawing Patch that talks specifically about PBF format support, the PBF format is not working in a 4.x API application?

BhavinSanghani · Answer

I had discussed with ESRI support on this and it looked PBF has better support with latest 4.x API. It didn't look very promising to me for the scenario I was trying to handle where I wanted to retrieve 100K features and cache them. Hope this will help.

MikeVolz · Answer

Bhavin:

Did you ever make any progress with this issue?

Did you need to upgrade to ArcGIS Javascript API 4.x?