Collector with Attachments will not synch

[ThomasColson]

Collector with Attachments will not synch: I finally got a collector app working in the following configuration:

Point Feature Class with attachments enabled published on ArcGIS Server 10.2.2 with sync enabled;

Webmap in Portal for ArcGIS (also 10.2.2);

I can access the map and create an offline copy on a variety of Android and IoS devices.

I can create new, and update point features and sync them (most of the time).

When I create or update a point feature AND attach a photograph to it, sync fails every time with "Illegal start of token [<]".

Since this works when I'm adding or updating features with no attachments, I'm pretty sure that the service and Portal is configured correctly. Why would collector stop working when attachments are added to the mix? Unfortunately, due to IT policy, we won't be able to "upgrade" to 10.3 which, at great cost, involves dozens of servers and thousands of desktop clients.

Is there a fix for this in the 10.x suite?

[danbecker]

we have server 10.3, and I was unable to sync attachments from iOS to a feature service that was versioned in SDE.

Follow this workflow, I bet sync with attachment will work.

1. create new SDE geodatabase, feat. dataset and feat. class

2. add globalIDs

3. enabled archiving

4. enable attachments

5. publish service with sync enabled

6. add feat. service as item in Arcgis.com, DO NOT store credentials with the item if service is secured. BUG-000084538 was logged yesterday. Support helped me to determine storing credentials with secured services when added to arcgis.com was causing issues with collector.

7. create webmap with your newly added item

8. share both service and webmap

9. take offline with collector, create points, take photos with camera

10. sync.

11. this workflow works every time, no issues.

Key items: NO versioning, NO storing credentials.

[MichaelAugust]

Could you elaborate here on how to check if you are "storing credentials with the item"? Or where exactly that setting is, I'm not familiar with it...thanks!

[danbecker]

Just add the secured item to a new web map. If you are prompted to login to the service then you have not stored credentials with the item

[deleted-user-mezzanRtr2IZ]

I've had similar issues trying to sync ~ 1GB of data over the network from Collector to the AGOL web map.  Trying to move a lot of data through collector seems to be the cause of most of these related problems.  After talking with ESRI support I've found a workaround that is suitable for our office's situation.  Navigating to the ArcGISApp folder on you mobile device, you can copy the "offline_data" folder to your desktop.  If you have ArcMap 10.*, you can use the "Copy Runtime Geodatabase to File Geodatabase (conversion)" tool to convert the .GEODATABASE file with all your data to a fGDB.  There is a folder that houses all your attachments as well.  Once I got the unsyncable data into ArcMap, I was able to append it to the master dataset and maintain Global IDs and relationship with the attachments.

[JacquelineKovarik]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the "Copy Runtime Geodatabase to File Geodatabase" tool tip - it worked great! I'm wondering if you could elaborate on the steps you took to successfully get your output from this tool "appended" to the master dataset, while maintaining Global IDs and attachment relationships? Did you use the append tool, or was there another trick?

Thanks!

Jacqueline

[deleted-user-mezzanRtr2IZ]

Jacqueline,

This part of the process was a bit more involved.  Rather than explain in detail, here is a link to another forum thread that provides the instruction.

Merging together Attachment Data sets

I hope this helps, good luck.

[JacquelineKovarik]

Thank you, Jeff!

[Anonymous User]

Jeffery,

Can you please detail how you backed up the specific Collector files to your local machine? I am using Windows 7, thanks.

"After talking with ESRI support I've found a workaround that is suitable for our office's situation.  Navigating to the ArcGISApp folder on you mobile device, you can copy the "offline_data" folder to your desktop.  If you have ArcMap 10.*, you can use the "

[deleted-user-mezzanRtr2IZ]

Jared,

My method described above is for retrieving Collector data off of your mobile device that was collected using Collector's disconnected mode.  Below is a break down of my my previous response:

1. Connect your mobile device to your PC and navigate to the ArcGISApp folder on your mobile device (I can't tell you where this is precisely and likely varies from one device to another).

2. Copy the "offline_data" folder to you desktop.

3. Use the "Copy Runtime Geodatabase to File Geodatabase (conversion)" tool within ArcMap to convert the .GEODATABASE file in the "offline_data" folder to a File Geodatabase (.gdb)

[Anonymous User]

Jeffrey,

Step 1 was the step I was hoping to get more detailed information on. I see no such folder when connecting my device to my computer. I am on Windows 7 and using an apple device. I even had ESRI tech support doing a screen share with me at the time but they didn't seem to know where to find that file either.