Server replication?

[DustinHolt]

We currently have two servers in our building, Web and SQL.  We are running ArcGIS Server 2012, SQL Server 2012, Portal for ArcGIS, web adapter and Windows Server 2012 on these machines. We are going to publish web maps and services but we have two problems. First one being we have a very little bandwidth in our area, second our IT does not want to expose these services from our location; they would rather have them in their building 50 miles away. This is good and bad, the good news is they have much better bandwidth so when people start hitting our services there should not be any performance problems. The bad news is my director does not want to physically move our servers to the other location, (it’s political). He is fine with us using virtual machines and replicating or mirroring our two servers to the other location. 

I have been reading over the ArcGIS Resources web site, and have a basic understanding of services definition files and GeoDataBase replication. But, I don’t understand how we can push out our services to the VM’s? Also can we do this in such a way that it is two-way, so if one of my departments using a map service and is editing, how are these edits getting back to our servers with a replicated GeoDataBase?

I may be over thinking this and making it too hard. I have talked with several techs with ESRI and I’m getting conflicting answer on the best way to do it. I maybe not explaining it properly also, has anyone here done something similar to this, or have any good ideas. Thanks.

[JakeSkinner]

Hi Dustin,

To have the geodatabases in sync, you could create a two-way replica.  For example, you could publish the geodatabase from IT's server to ArcGIS Server as a geodata service.  You can then replicate data from your geodatabase to IT's as a two-way replica using this geodata service.  When staff in your building or ITs make edits, you can synchronize the changes in both directions so both geodatabases are updated.

As for the services themselves, this will be a little different.  You would have to send IT a copy of the MXD.  One way to do this is using ArcGIS.com.  You can upload a map package to ArcGIS.com, IT can download the map package, set the data source to their SDE geodatabase, and then publish the service.

Or, if you did not need the data local, you could simply create a hosted Feature Service in ArcGIS.com.  Your buildings staff and ITs would be able to access the service, create web map and apps, while all being in sync.

[DustinHolt]

I was reading over the two-way replication, and it seemed like the best approach.

But one thing I should have been more clear on is that my IT department wants nothing to do with this. They are building the machines and installing the software only. Everything will have to be managed from my office. We are on the same network and will have remote desktop connections to both VM.