Latest Contributions by MelanieWawryk

Enable Non-Interactive ArcGIS Pro Authentication for Service Accounts and Automated Workflows As more organizations are forced to move from Concurrent Use and Single Use licensing to Named User licensing, there is a growing need for a supported method to run ArcGIS Pro-dependent automation without requiring an interactive user session. Many enterprise GIS environments rely on: Scheduled ArcPy scripts FME Form automated workflows Windows Task Scheduler jobs Enterprise ETL processes Overnight geoprocessing tasks Data synchronization and maintenance jobs Today, these workflows often depend on ArcGIS Pro being previously opened and signed in by a user. Organizations have reported situations where automated processes fail until ArcGIS Pro is launched interactively and the Named User license is refreshed. [support.esri.com], [support.safe.com] The current model creates challenges for: Servers located in data centers Service accounts with interactive logon disabled Cybersecurity policies that prohibit user logins on servers High availability and disaster recovery environments FME and Python batch processing platforms Suggested Enhancement Provide a supported mechanism that allows ArcGIS Pro licensing and authentication to operate in a fully unattended manner. Possible approaches could include: Service Principal authentication Application identities Managed Service Account (gMSA) support OAuth client credentials flow Command-line licensing/authentication tools Named User token refresh APIs Machine-based licensing for automation workloads Headless ArcGIS Pro authentication For example: arcgispro.exe /signin service_account or proauth.exe --login service_account or an API that allows a scheduled process to securely refresh authentication without launching the ArcGIS Pro user interface. Many organizations use ArcGIS Pro as a dependency for: FME Esri Geodatabase readers/writers ArcPy automation Enterprise geodatabase maintenance Data replication Nightly GIS processing Asset management integrations Without a supported unattended authentication mechanism, organizations risk: Failed overnight jobs Manual intervention by GIS administrators Reduced reliability of enterprise automation Increased operational costs Barriers to adopting Named User licensing Benefits A supported non-interactive licensing model would: Improve reliability of enterprise automation Support modern DevOps and server environments Eliminate the need to periodically open ArcGIS Pro Enable secure service account usage Simplify migration away from Concurrent Use licensing Improve support for FME, Python, Task Scheduler, and enterprise ETL platforms As ArcGIS Pro becomes the primary desktop GIS platform and Concurrent Use licensing is phased out, unattended processing should be a first-class and supported deployment scenario for enterprise organizations. ... View more

The Web Editor is an ideal tool for lightweight, task‑focused GIS editing, especially for organizations that want to empower broader teams to make simple updates without requiring full professional GIS software. Our goal is to roll out Web Editor as a streamlined alternative to ArcGIS Pro for users who only need to perform basic, controlled edits. However, because Web Editor is restricted to the Creator user type, it becomes significantly more expensive than necessary. Purchasing a Creator license effectively bundles ArcGIS Pro and other advanced capabilities that these users do not need and will not use. This creates avoidable licensing overhead and reduces our ability to scale light-editing workflows to the staff who would benefit most. Moving Web Editor to the Contributor user type would: Enable broader adoption of light editing across organizations without unnecessary licensing costs. Support modern web‑based editing workflows without requiring ArcGIS Pro deployments or advanced GIS skills. Allow GIS teams to maintain governance and data integrity while empowering non‑GIS staff to update authoritative layers. Align Web Editor with its intended purpose—a simplified, browser‑based tool for minimal edits, not a professional‑grade editing environment. Contributor‑level access would make Web Editor a practical, cost‑effective solution for organizations looking to modernize editing workflows and reduce reliance on desktop software for routine updates. ... View more

A significant issue exists with managing groups in Portal and ArcGIS Online, especially when dealing with Active Directory (AD) groups. Currently, only group owners can administer groups, which creates serious challenges for long-term management and continuity. This problem becomes particularly evident with AD-linked groups: Group owners can't add other admins since members are restricted to AD users. Ownership can only be transferred to existing AD group members, who are typically standard users without administrative privileges. When a group owner leaves the organization, administrators are forced to manually remove all apps, maps, and other content from the group just to delete it. This is followed by transferring the content to a new admin user and recreating the AD group from scratch. Allowing Admins to manage groups without being members would solve this issue, improving efficiency and reducing administrative burdens. It would ensure that content and group structures remain intact even when ownership changes, making group management more flexible and reliable. ... View more

The new version of ArcPro 3.4.0 doesn't honour stand alone licensing. Updated version through the wizard and now it is stuck on the single use error. Created a new license provisioning file, tried to apply it and said already licensed. Open ArcPro again and still wouldn't work so needed to switch to a named user. This is on a headless server machine so we like to use stand-alone licenses for them. Not really an idea but didn't want to have to go through the million support questions to report it. I'll wait for the next update and try again and will used named user while I wait.   ... View more

We urgently need the conversion from NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_17N (WKID: 26917) to NAD_1983_CSRS_UTM_Zone_17N (WKID: 22617 or 22717) v6 or v7 for Ontario. This request has been logged as ENH-000171425, and while it has been marked as a long-term roadmap item, it’s critical to emphasize that the delay is not due to a lack of business justification but rather the significant development effort involved. However, this is a pressing need. NAD83 (CSRS) UTM v7 was released in March 2019, and v6 in 2017, yet Ontario—a large and key region—was somehow overlooked in earlier roadmaps. We cannot afford further delays. Please prioritize this conversion as Ontario's operational needs are growing more urgent.   ... View more