Similarities\Differences between Online and Enterprise versions of Workflow Manager?

Question

Saw that Workflow Manager for ArcGIS Online dropped today. This is a really cool. I am wondering if someone from ESRI could further explain the similarities\differences and capabilities between the online version and on prem Enterprise version. Is there feature parity? Interoperbility?

If we have both Enterprise and Online would I need both "flavors" of workflow manager to work with both platforms, or are they interoperable (i.e. can Enterprise workflow manager work with ArcGIS online and can Online Workflow Manager work with Enterprise)? Thanks.

COSPNWGuy · Answer

Hi @JFarmer,

Thanks for the response and looking forward when you will post that blog.

In this particular space, I think we are hoping to reduce our overall software and infrastructure footprint as well as the hope to write business driven workflows, rather than system driven workflows. If we can utilize a SaaS offering for workflow manager to handle both Enterprise and AGO needs, this would be preferred (we always struggle with availability of network infrastructure). If we have to do on prem, that's fine, just means a little more work. What I really don't want is having to have both because we have both Enterprise and AGO. Having to implement a "flavor" of workflow manager for each platform, I think will become very burdensome, because overall our workflows are not relegated cleanly to these system delineations. For example, being a City, we have a complicated workflow every time our City Boundary changes which includes data updates, notifications, and changes to published services in multiple locations. Feature services are both in our Enterprise system as well as on AGO. Data access, view and audiences are different (private verses pulic). We have many data sets like this. I want to eliminate the need of having to author different workflows based on a system, and instead write one cohesive workflow as it truly exists defined by the business case. Would I have to write double the workflows if we have data in both systems? How do these workflows "talk" or know what step each is at? Having workflows "aware" of what is happening in either platform is important if the "flavor" of workflow manager must be separate. If AGO Workflow is agnostic to what is on Enterprise, and Enterprise Workflow is agnostic to what is on AGO, this is unhelpful. Many organizations use and need both systems, and singular workflows span both systems. Drawing a "line" based on the system platform breaks up workflows (at least I think it will for us), and will create more complexity and overhead, rather than clarity and helpfulness. We also do not have clean deliniations in terms of who uses Online vs Enterprise. Everyone in the org uses both. Some of this in my mind is still somewhat theoretical as we have not implemented any Workflow Manager at all, so I am imaging and projecting in my head how this might work, and I might not understand everything including current system capabilities (hence my oringal question 😉). Would love to discuss more!

JFarmer · Answer

Hi @COSPNWGuy

Thanks for reaching out! We're happy you're interested in Workflow Manager in ArcGIS Online!

We are working on some documentation now (likely in the form of a blog) that will cover all your questions on similarities/differences between Enterprise and Online and capabilities between the two. We should have that out soon and I will post a link here once we do.

I did want to ask about the second piece you mentioned with using both Enterprise and Online. Right now, they are two separate systems and they don't work together. There is an option to export and import configurations between the two systems though which may come of use. But interoperability in terms of using both at the same time and having them be aware of actions taken in the other platform is something we've discussed but want to learn more about from our users. How would you see this working in your organization if you did this? What kind of organizational workflows would you do? Who would be involved (are different departments using Enterprise vs. Online but not both)? Anything you can shed light on there would help.

Thanks!

Jonathan