SUPRISE! Here's an AWS ArcGIS Enterprise deployment!

[AdamRepsher_BentEar]

Hello All,

I am new to cloud deployment (on AWS or anywhere) and have a Single-machine base ArcGIS Enterprise deployment that was already running when I arrived on the scene.  I do not have access to the person who created the deployment and only have access to the machine instance itself, through RDP.   I am used to having VMs set up already and then deploying Enterprise in what I think is referred to as an "on-premise" install - I download the executables and run them on the VM or multiple VMs.

After hours of reading documentation like AWS CloudFormation and ArcGIS and Simplify deployments with ArcGIS Enterprise Cloud Builder for AWS and a little email history, I believe that this machine was deployed via launching a CloudFormation stack from the AWS Management Console.  Not sure though.

The problem:  Where to start.

• Nothing is running.  Services for AGServer and Portal are stopped.
• Found other services such as the GeoEvent Server components (do these get deployed in every instance by default?) but also not started.
• IIS is not running.

I started from what I thought was logical:

1. I began by starting IIS (had to start WAS service).
   1. Noticed that there is no secure binding (HTTPS) set up in IIS.
   2. Both "portal" and "server" are set up in the Default Web Site.
2. There is an "arcgis" Local User account already set up.  Need to get that password.
3. When browsing to http://localhost/portal (or the same with the IP address) - the Web Adaptor setup appears (http://localhost/portal/webadaptor).
4. When I try to go to https://privateIPaddress:7443/arcgis - I am taken to https://privateIPaddress:7443/arcgis/home/createadmin.html and asked if I want to "Create a New Portal" or "Join Existing Portal".
5. Checked the C:\arcgisportal folder and found one log.  It starts out: "The machine name has been changed. The machine name in the portal-config.properties file is 10.7.207.170. The fully qualified name for the local host is [I deleted this IP address]. A new self-signed certificate has been created."
6. https://localhost:6443/arcgis/rest/services gives me an error - 
   ArcGIS Server Site is not initialized.
7. https://localhost:6443/arcgis/manager/ gives me the ArcGIS Server Setup Wizard.

I have searched for licensing and can't seem to find it in the normal place - just EULAs.

Is this a "normal" deployment result?  To me, it feels like it was missing a configuration file to begin with.

Where do I go from here?

Thanks,
Adam

[RyanUthoff · Accepted solution]

I am in a similar situation where we are deploying ArcGIS Enterprise in AWS for the first time.

First of all, it possible that ArcGIS Enterprise could have been deployed using an AWS AMI as well. At the software level within the VM, I am not sure if there are any differences between the AMI and CloudFormation. Using the AMI, we experienced the same things. Nothing (except ArcGIS Server) was running and all of the services had to be turned on. To answer your question about GeoEvent Server, that service is deployed in every instance when using the AMIs.

Regarding the steps you listed, you essentially need to follow the ArcGIS Enterprise base deployment installation steps to get started. The only difference is that all of the software has been installed, just not configured. The ports have also been opened in Windows Firewall, but you'll also need to make sure they are open within AWS as well. To setup your ArcGIS Enterprise, you will need to create your server and portal site and configure your web adaptors.

You are definitely on the right track with the steps you listed. You will need to:

1. Configure Portal (create Portal)
2. Configure Portal web adaptor
3. Configure Server (create server site)
4. Configure server web adaptor
5. You didn't mention Data Store, but you can configure that as well.

Obviously, there could potentially be a lot more steps depending on your deployment needs, but that's a good starting point.

Also, don't forget to set your services to start automatically (such as Portal, Server, etc.). Otherwise, if you have a machine restart, it won't start those services automatically.

Regarding licensing, I believe Esri follows the bring your own license model. So a CloudFormation/AMI will NOT have any licensing. You will need to contact your Esri account representative to obtain licensing information. There isn't any special AWS licensing or anything. The licensing is the same whether or not you use it on-premise or in the cloud.

Unfortunately, Esri's documentation regarding AWS AMIs/CloudFormation is very......lacking. I understand that Esri can't necessarily provide documentation regarding AWS configuration, but it would be nice to have some documentation regarding the VMs itself. Such as, what is already pre-configured? What is turned on/off by default? I had to figure everything out on my own.

Anyway, I hope that helps! I think what you are experiencing is "normal." You just need to continue with the configuration as if you were doing an on-premise deployment.

[AdamRepsher_BentEar]

@RyanUthoff 

This is exactly what I was looking for!  THANK YOU for spending the time.😊

...and you were right about the deployment using an AWS AMI.  After I figured out some of the questions to ask, I was able to pull that out of another discussion.  I will have to lead them through producing a license at some point - but at least now, I am not worried about anything being there and partially configured.

Again, thank you so much!

--Adam