Exploring Simpler Alternatives to Traditional Versioning and Easier Rollback Mechanisms

MuhammadAnwar — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 16:42:03 GMT

I currently manage an Enterprise Geodatabase (PostgreSQL on GCP) with traditional versioning. The workflow includes multiple user versions, a protected “custodian” version, and then a final post to the default SDE version. One major bottleneck we’ve encountered is the lack of a straightforward way to roll back changes after they’ve been posted—especially if something goes wrong.

I’m considering alternative approaches to simplify version management and enable easier rollbacks:

Portal-Centric Setup:
- Use ArcGIS Enterprise Portal, leveraging the ArcGIS Data Store (Esri’s “black box” datastore with limited direct user access).
- Rely on feature services and branch versioning.
- Manage permissions and workflows directly within Portal.
- Question: Does this approach make it easier to revert unwanted edits?
Hybrid Approach:
- Keep the PostgreSQL EGDB for core data.
- Publish feature layers in Portal that reference the EGDB data.
- Use ArcGIS Pro or Portal for controlling permissions, workflows, and possibly branch versioning.
- Best practices for rollback or “undo” functionality in this scenario?

Has anyone made the transition from traditional versioning to a Portal-centric or hybrid setup to address rollback challenges? I’d love to hear your pros/cons, lessons learned, or recommended best practices for managing versions, permissions, and especially rollbacks when something goes wrong.

Thanks in advance for any insights!

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Exploring Simpler Alternatives to Traditional Versioning and Easier Rollback Mechanisms