Pro Publishing Workflows

[mpboyle]

What are other user's recommendations for publishing services with Pro?  We would like to enable our users to pick and choose feature layers to add within their Portal web maps or Pro.

Is it better / recommended / best practice to create one map with several layers (ex: address points, centerlines, parcels, easements, etc...) and share the web layers? ... creating one map image layer with several feature layers OR share each layer individually (right-click, share as web layer) creating one map image layer and one feature layer?

I suppose I see pros and cons to each, but am wondering if there is a preferred option?

Thanks!

[DerekLaw]

Hi Matthew,

> We would like to enable our users to pick and choose feature layers to add within their Portal web maps or Pro.

For ease of use and making data layer searches easier in a portal (either ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS), I would choose the second option you mentioned, "... share each layer individually".

Hope this helps,

[AmyRoust]

My follow up question to this: for my web apps that are designed for viewing only, I like to publish all of the layers for that app in one service and then add that whole service to the base map. Right now, each web app has its own separate ArcMap mxd. I assume that it is possible to have a Pro project with multiple maps and then publish each map as a separate service. BUT -- is this advisable? (Or a best practice, if you prefer.) If combined, I would have one project with 15+ maps in it. Would there be performance issues with doing that?

Edited to add: I was under the assumption that Pro could publish web services to Online or Portal. Evidently, that is not the case? I either have to publish a web layer or a web map? (I saw the ArcGIS Idea that asked Pro to have the ability to publish services to Server, and that Esri is hoping to have it available in Pro version 2.4.)

[DerekLaw]

Hi Amy,

Sorry for the late reply, I was out on business travel all last week.

> I assume that it is possible to have a Pro project with multiple maps and then publish each map as a separate service. BUT -- is this advisable? (Or a best practice, if you prefer.) If combined, I would have one project with 15+ maps in it. Would there be performance issues with doing that?

I can't really comment on ArcGIS Pro performance of a single project containing multiple maps - each powering a different map layer. I suggest you ask about Pro performance in the ArcGIS Pro forum.

However, if it was me, I would have each map that powers a different map layer in its own project. Why? Because if there were performance (or other) issues, then I could easily track down and isolate the problem on a per layer basis. Instead of having to sort through a single project contain many layers and having to then refine/isolate the cause of the issue. Does that make sense? I realize you would have to manage more ArcGIS Pro projects though.

> I was under the assumption that Pro could publish web services to Online or Portal. Evidently, that is not the case? I either have to publish a web layer or a web map? 

Correct. ArcGIS Pro is the premier client to share either a map > which becomes a web map, or a layer > which becomes a web layer to a portal (either ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS). In the latest Pro v2.3 release, you can use Python to share a layer directly to a GIS Server to create a web service, and in the forthcoming Pro v2.4 this should be available in the UI.

Hope this helps,