topic Re: Layer list in the web app is empty. in ArcGIS Web AppBuilder Questions

Layer list in the web app is empty.

GagagDa_Morvi — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 19:42:22 GMT

I have built an app using Web App Builder. It has a Map which has a map layer that is served by a map service by ArcGIS Server. All these components are local on my computer including the Portal and ArcGIS Server. Everything works well on my computer. However others are only able to see the basemap when they connect to my app but not the layer data itself. All the resources including the Map, App etc. are shared with everyone. What is going wrong here - seems I am obviously missing something? Can someone please help me - this is really frustrating. Thank you!

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

DerekLaw — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 05:33:35 GMT

Hi Gagag,

What do the other end users see when they try to access your web app?
Does the app load properly, but the map display appears empty? or is there an error message?
What kind of authentication/security model are you using for Portal for ArcGIS? for ArcGIS Server?
Is the Server site federated with Portal?
What release of the software are you using?
Are you using Web AppBuilder embedded in Portal or Developer Edition?
Can you get the other end users to install Fiddler or Firebug to monitor the network traffic when they attempt to load the web app?
Are the end users on computers that are on the same network/domain as your computer?
Can the end users access the REST endpoint of the map services directly?

Need more info to try and help troubleshoot.

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

RebeccaStrauch__GISP — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 15:40:46 GMT

...all the things Derek asked, but also check to make sure the data itself is accessible to all, and the paths are a something that can be read by others (i.e. Derek's last point, make sure others can see the end point).

It would also be helpful to know the version of Server you are using...and of Web AppBuilder (and whether using the Online version or a developer edition, and the version...or Portal version).

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

GagagDa_Morvi — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 20:21:23 GMT

Thanks for your response. It seems the issue is with the map service whose endpoint is encoded as and points to localhost. . This service was created from ArcMap by sharing the map (File->Share As->Save a Service Definition File). The connection that I use is a fully qualified machine name (not localhost). However when the service ends up in the ArcGIS server admin, I see its REST and SOAP endpoints encoded as localhost. I don't know why it happens that way. How to fix it?

Here are answers to your questions:

What do the other end users see when they try to access your web app?
- They only see the basemap. They don't see the layer.
Does the app load properly, but the map display appears empty? or is there an error message?
- Just shows the basemap. There are no errors.
What kind of authentication/security model are you using for Portal for ArcGIS? for ArcGIS Server?
- All the resources are shared with everyone.
Is the Server site federated with Portal?
- I don't understand this - is this a setting on Portal?
What release of the software are you using?
- 10.1
Are you using Web AppBuilder embedded in Portal or Developer Edition?
- I use the Web App Builder that is available in the Portal website where I author the map and the app.
Can you get the other end users to install Fiddler or Firebug to monitor the network traffic when they attempt to load the web app?
- Can't do this - IT won't allow.
Are the end users on computers that are on the same network/domain as your computer?
- They are on the same network.
Can the end users access the REST endpoint of the map services directly?
- They can't. The endpoints are encoded as locahost - so obviously that won't work on users' computer. If I manually update the endpoint url with a fully qualified name, it times out

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

GagagDa_Morvi — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 20:21:58 GMT

Thanks. Please see my response to Derek.

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

GagagDa_Morvi — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 00:12:42 GMT

Ok some update - I took care of the service url to be fully qualified server url. I also opened up all the ports to ArcGISServer.exe so that it can send and receive on any port - either TCP or UDP. With this setting, when I access the REST end point of the service from another computer, I do get the REST response. The end point uses port #6443.

However, when I access the map viewer from another computer, the layer still doesn't show up.

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

DerekLaw — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 04:58:14 GMT

Hi Gagag,

Ok, so it sounds like you are using ArcGIS Server 10.1 with Portal for ArcGIS (which release?) and it is NOT a federated deployment.

Q1. What is the security/authentication model set for the Server site? This could be the built-in identity store, enterprise identity store, etc. Help topic here,

Configuring ArcGIS Server security—Documentation (10.4) | ArcGIS for Server

You can check by logging into ArcGIS Server Manager > Security tab.

Q2. Did you enable HTTP, HTTP and HTTPS, or HTTPS only for your Server site?

Secure ArcGIS Server communication—Documentation (10.4) | ArcGIS for Server

Q3. Did you set security on your web services from ArcGIS Server?

Restricting access to GIS web services—Documentation (10.4) | ArcGIS for Server

Q4. When you added your web services to Portal by registering them - did you specify the fully qualified domain name as part of the URL that you added? If they were secure, did you save the credentials with the item?

Add items—Portal for ArcGIS (10.4.1) | ArcGIS for Server

> Can you get the other end users to install Fiddler or Firebug to monitor the network traffic when they attempt to load the web app?

Can't do this - IT won't allow.

That's unfortunate, because without this logged network traffic info, it will be challenging to help you troubleshoot your issue.

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

RebeccaStrauch__GISP — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 15:12:27 GMT

Have you set up a web adaptor for your ArcGIS Server? Typically 6080 or 6443 is used when accessing using the <machinename> to access the REST (i.e. <machinename:6080> for unsecure, <machinename:6443> for secure). If you have web adaptor(s) in place, it is port :80 for unsecure and uses http, and port :443 for secure, and uses https....but you shouldn't typically have to specify the port for these.

If you have secure services, you may need to set up a proxy GitHub - Esri/resource-proxy: Proxy files for DotNet, Java and PHP.

re: getting network traffic without firebug/fiddler.....F12 on browsers, even IE, will typically give you some feedback or going in tools and clicking on the developer tools, that is unless your IT has disabled this too.

And of course, go thru the links Derek provided, since he know more about Portal than I do.

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

GagagDa_Morvi — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 16:13:07 GMT

Thanks, Derek. I will follow up on the information that you point me to and report. Meanwhile I would like to know if this behavior is due to limitation of the software which is part of the EDN and licensed as EDN - I am using the ArcGIS Server and the Portal that I received as EDN. Could that be the case?

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

DerekLaw — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 16:24:15 GMT

Hi Gagag,

Having an EDN license should not cause the behavior you're seeing. I suspect it's a deployment/security/authentication issue.

Hope this helps,

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

TiffanySelvidge1 — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 17:52:40 GMT

Have you checked with http://servername.orgname/arcgis/manager/ page and looked at the layers' sharing properties to confirm the share request actually went through?

I ask because that has happened to me a few times. I shared the layers in Portal but no one else could see the layers. When I went to the arcgis manager page the layers did not show as 'shared'. I had to assign the sharing properties from the arcgis manager page.

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

GagagDa_Morvi — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 06:29:29 GMT

Hi Tiffany,

Thanks for your reply. Yes I have made sure that the Service is shared with everyone from ArcGIS Server Manager.

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

GagagDa_Morvi — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 06:43:19 GMT

Hi Derek,

I have gone through all the links and accordingly checked my ArcGIS Server and Portal settings. I am using HTTP/HTTPS and am using ArcGIS Server built-in security. I have shared my service with everyone. I used fully qualified server name when I created the service definition (.sd) file. When I check the details of the service in ArcGIS Server manager, I see the fully qualified server machine name, https://<servername>:6443/arcgis/rest/services/<servicename>MapServer. My web adapter is configured to work with portal.

However, I see following two interesting things:

I am able to access this ArcGIS Service from ArcMap without any problems. The ArcMap gives the usual complain about the security certificate - but I can add the layer to the map and can query it. It all works perfect.
While working in the Portal, when I create a Map and add this service as a layer to it, it only shows up in the map if I have logged into the ArcGIS Server manager in the same browser. If I log out of the ArcGIS Server Manager, the layer doesn't render in the map in Portal.

I think I am getting closer but still not there. And I am stumped as to what could be wrong in this setup here. May be I should uninstall ArcGIS Server, Web adapter and Portal and reinstall them?

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

DerekLaw — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 17:11:54 GMT

Hi Gagag,

> I am able to access this ArcGIS Service from ArcMap without any problems. The ArcMap gives the usual complain about the security certificate - but I can add the layer to the map and can query it. It all works perfect.

This is likely because you probably already signed into ArcGIS Server in ArcMap (e.g., you opened a connection to Server from ArcMap to add the service).

> While working in the Portal, when I create a Map and add this service as a layer to it, it only shows up in the map if I have logged into the ArcGIS Server manager in the same browser. If I log out of the ArcGIS Server Manager, the layer doesn't render in the map in Portal.

This behavior suggests that your issue is an authentication problem. When you've already signed into ArcGIS Server in the web browser you can access the service, but when you haven't then Portal can't see it.

FYI, ArcGIS Server and Portal for ArcGIS both have separate security models (unless you federate your Server site with Portal, and it sounds like you did not; also Server 10.1 does not support federation). For some background watch this UC tech session,

ArcGIS Server and Portal for ArcGIS: An Introduction to Security | Esri Video

Instead of adding the web services to the Portal map viewer directly, can you please add the web services a new Portal items, follow the help:

Add items—Portal for ArcGIS (10.4.1) | ArcGIS for Server

(see Add items from the web section)

When you add the item, you will be asked to save credentials with the item. Save the credentials with the item.

Then, in the Portal map viewer add the web services as Portal items, instead of adding the service directly - in this way, you'll also add and save the credentials for the web services to the web map.

Hope this helps,

Re: Layer list in the web app is empty.

GagagDa_Morvi — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 17:08:54 GMT

Hi Derek - thanks for all the help and pointers. They have been very helpful in investigating this issue. I had tried everything that you suggest in your last post but hadn't helped. I finally investigated by opening up firewall - and that made the layer appear on map. A bit more digging and I found that port 6080 was not letting the traffic through. I opened up that port by defining inbound rule and turned off the firewall. I wonder why the ArcGIS Server installation didn't configure the firewall. Anyways now everything is working as expected. Thanks again for your help!