Best Practice for Sharing Utility Network with Other Non-Pro Users

Billy

Hi,

This is the system that we have:

• ArcGIS Pro 2.7
• ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8.1
• Electric Utility Network (version 4)
• SQL Server 2018

We are creating an Electric Utility Network model from paper maps, no data migration, and we are using the Electric Network Editor map solution. As this point in the project we have added all the overhead primary lines, poles, most of the switching devices, the substations, the subnetwork controllers. The subnetworks have been created and updated.

Now we need to start sharing this content with others in the organization so they can review the accuracy of the data and the features location, while we continue to work on the model adding the rest of the devices and data.

What we need is a guide, recommendation or post about how to best share this content with non-Pro users that will need to take the content to the field (not for editing) using field maps or explorer, or in the office using the desktop computers.

These are some of the specific questions/needs:

• Do we need to create another service, separate from the one used to complete the model?
• Can the non-Pro users run traces in the mobile apps and/or web apps?
• What is the best low/no code options to share this content (Configurable Apps, Web AppBuilder, Experience Builder, or ArcGIS AppStudio)
• Using the Electric Network Editor map, what do we share? All the layers, including the UN layer? Do we share a Web Map or Web Layers?
• What configuration settings are important when sharing the Web Map or Web Layers?
• When we share the Web Map or Web Layer do we do it from a version or default?
• If we want to allow the people in the field to highlight problem areas and add notes using field maps or explorer, do they need to create a version for them or those highlights are kept in a separate layer?
• Where is the best location to share this Arcgis Enterprise or Arcgis Online, since some mobile apps are better integrated with Arcgis Online?

Thanks.

 

Anonymous User

Hi Billy,

here are some notes that Im hoping will be helpful for you. Ive been working in a slightly different environment with the following versions of the stack:

• ArcGIS Pro 2.5.1
• ArcGIS Enterprise 10.7.1
• Utility Network Asset Package v4
• SQL Server 2018

 

 Do we need to create another service, separate from the one used to complete the model?

The editable Utility Network service should only be published and consumed for use in ArcGIS Pro. This editable feature service should not be the service consumed within Portal/AGOL.

Some of the reasons for this:

1. You want to protect the utility network from accidental manual or automated updates:
1. This service is published as the utility network owner from the enterprise geodatabase.
2. This service is published with version management, archiving and editor tracking
3. The UNM may not have a protected default version
2. Each published service is built for a particular purpose. The purpose of the editable feature service is to edit the UNM within ArcGIS Pro. The symbology, scale levels, labelling and layer order will not be fit-for-purpose for other uses like Portal visualization or reporting

 

There should be a view-only feature service available for consumption within Portal which will allow for full feature access for

• Reporting
• Additional add-ons such an Insights
• Consumption within web applications

This view-only feature service should be published without editing configured, and as a read-only geodatabase user. This feature service could also be consumed within ArcGIS Pro as a non-editable feature service for use with GP tools and with full tracing capability (although as previously stated, it would require a business analysis to identify if this service is fit-for-purpose for this use, or if an additional service is required).

 

Can the non-Pro users run traces in the mobile apps and/or web apps?

Yes you can perform tracing in web applications at Enterprise 10.8.1 without the need for ArcGIS Pro. You just need a UNM within a feature service, and as previously stated, these should be non-editable feature services published from a read-only connection in the enterprise geodatabase

 

What is the best low/no code options to share this content (Configurable Apps, Web AppBuilder, Experience Builder, or ArcGIS AppStudio)

From my own experience, I would recommend using either WebApp Builder or Experience Builder. Both these options will give you a wide range of out-of-the-box tools that will allow your web-based users to analyse, query and visualise you Utility Network with zero customization required.

 

Using the Electric Network Editor map, what do we share? All the layers, including the UN layer? Do we share a Web Map or Web Layers?

What configuration settings are important when sharing the Web Map or Web Layers?

The editable UN service requires the Utility Network layer and all the associated feature classes. This service is required to be published from the enterprise geodatabase as the utility network owner. It must be a feature service with the following capabilities enabled: Version Management, Feature Access, Network Diagrams, Utility Network.

 

 

When we share the Web Map or Web Layer do we do it from a version or default?

All your Utility Network services should be published from default, and not a version.

 

If we want to allow the people in the field to highlight problem areas and add notes using field maps or explorer, do they need to create a version for them or those highlights are kept in a separate layer?

In regards to field workers, you would want to setup redlining layers for these workers to add notes and highlight problem areas – through a mobile application like Field Maps OR you can access web applications through a browser on your tablet. They may have quite different notes and items of interest that they would want to highlight, that wouldnt necessarily be the details that would be stored within the UNM data. These redlining layers can then be assessed by office workers for their relevance within the GIS or within your asset management system. 

 

Where is the best location to share this Arcgis Enterprise or Arcgis Online, since some mobile apps are better integrated with Arcgis Online?

This would require a business analyst or someone more familiar with your business processes and workflows to answer sorry. Every user is different and this isn’t a clear answer.

 

Let me know if theres any further questions I can help out with 🙂

Im also interested to see others thoughts and comments based on their own experience