idea Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro

BlakeTerhune — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 18:10:29 GMT

It seems the CreateGISServerConnectionFile() function was not implemented in ArcGIS Pro. It would be nice to have this available. Here is evidence this is requested from other users.

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-questions/how-to-create-an-arcgis-server-connection-file/m-p/1042845

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-questions/how-to-create-an-arcgis-server-connection-file/m-p/1032848

Re: Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro - Status changed to: Under Consideration

NaicongLi — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 22:11:05 GMT

Re: Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro

RoyJackson_AlertMedia — Fri, 26 May 2023 15:08:29 GMT

This needs to be implemented, I should not have to click buttons in ArcPro to create a connection file.

We have a multi environment platform, and need the ability to deploy services to different environments in an automated manner.

This step is the only thing that we have to do manually... not scalable, repeatable, or efficient.

Re: Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro

AlexHendriksDICTU — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:40:24 GMT

There is a workaround: https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-questions/how-to-create-an-arcgis-server-connection-file/td-p/1032848

import arcgisscripting
arcgisscripting._createGISServerConnectionFile("ADMINISTER_GIS_SERVICES", "C:/admin", "new.ags", "https://maxscoolserver.org/raster", "ARCGIS_SERVER", True, "C:/admin", "sitemanager", "password123")

But ESRI should implement this within arcpy, so this idea is still valid.

Re: Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro

RickOtten — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 17:49:05 GMT

Using an undocumented and unsupported function is generally a bad idea. There is a reason it is prefaced with an "_"

Add to the fact that it doesn't accept keyword arguments - only positional arguments - so you have to guess what those positions are and hope they haven't change...

Throw in that since it is proprietary closed source python, if it fails you have pretty much no way to troubleshoot it...

At best this is a "temporary hack" (over 2 years now?!?).

Re: Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro

crutan-metro — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 13:53:32 GMT

If this function is implemented for ArcGIS Pro, we would like it to include the option to save credentials to the Credential Manager (an option that is available when you manually add a server connection). This would allow us to easily set up access to standalone ArcGIS Servers for all users at our organization.

Re: Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro

JarrettGreen — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 12:25:36 GMT

I would like to see this functionality ported to ArcGIS Pro.

We have an automated process to publish dozens of map services to a standalone ArcGIS Server deployment. We have to manually create an ags connection file for the many environments this routine publishes to. Would be great to have this function back in the ArcGIS Pro arcpy library. I second the ability to store credentials with the connection file.

I will explore the suggestion above using the private function but hesitant to use it in a production setting.

Re: Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro - Status changed to: In Product Plan

NaicongLi — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 22:34:49 GMT

Re: Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro

BlakeTerhune — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 23:00:58 GMT

Great! Thank you for the update, @NaicongLi.

Re: Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro - Status changed to: Implemented

NaicongLi — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 18:32:22 GMT

Re: Add CreateGISServerConnectionFile() to arcpy for ArcGIS Pro

RobertWalterLKMOL — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:12:21 GMT

It would be nice to know a few more details about this. From which version is the function available? How can it be used, or where is it documented?

Greeting Robert