Special Events removed from LGIM model and moved to ArcGIS Online only.

[BrettSanders]

I just recently downloaded the latest LGIM model.  It would seem that ESRI has removed the Special Events feature classes, modified them to group with Community Events (which is fine), add comments, attachments and at least a relationship class, but have hosted them as Feature Layers Online only.  These feature classes have been removed from the LGIM data model.  What?  Why would you remove these extensively used feature classes from our Enterprise geodatabase?  I might see the advantages to using online, but not exclusively.  These types of community events are also typically, and by definition, used at the Local Government level, not the State level that the remaining single feature class remains and all documentation refers to...  Three are probably more instances of this occurring with this June release of the LGIM data model, but I have not yet thoroughly addressed the schema changes.  I guarantee I'm not the only one that will be confused and potentially upset about this drop/move of locally stored/managed data.

[BrettSanders]

Not sure why this was marked as Assumed Answered, because it has not been answered...

[ScottOppmann]

Brett - 

Yes, we have been removing operational layers (like community events) from the Local Government Information Model and instead providing them as service definitions you can quickly deploy online or on premise without having to worry about the larger information model.  Our goal is to leverage advancements in ArcGIS and simplify your adoption of the ArcGIS for Local Government solution.  The release of the Community Events solution in June (previous version was an ArcMap workflow - new version is a collection of apps that are tuned for specific users in your organization) was a perfect time to simplify these features and remove them from the information model.    Saying that, the service definitions can be used to stand up community event layers in your enterprise GDB.

This is a trend you will see going forward in the ArcGIS for Local Government solution.  We will be removing content that can be quickly deployed with service definitions (on premise or online) from the information model and only delivering content in the Local Government Information Model that is pertinent to desktop data management and analysis workflows. 

Hope this helps and let me know if you have any further questions.  

Scott

[BrettSanders · Accepted solution]

Thanks for your response.

I can definitely see the reason to deploy those services online, especially if you are not planning to utilize LGIM at the enterprise level.  My issue is that we were planning to migrate our City's current model to LGIM very soon with some potentially added fields that apply to our unique uses only.  What I don't understand is why remove them (and as you say many other features are to be moved online in the future) from the enterprise model?????  I know there are business needs for both implementations, so why not keep both?  This was one of the first set of feature classes that the City implemented from LGIM and is almost exclusively used internally for Fire, EMT, Police, Code Enforcement and Engineering departments.  This has potentially large impacts on our future deployment, so I would appreciate it if you would give my concerns some serious thought.

Thank you,

Brett

[ScottOppmann]

Brett - 

We never envisioned the local government information model as an all encompassing (or enterprise) data model for cities and counties.  It was designed to support the ArcGIS for Local Government solutions and provide you a way to organize your geographic content so you could quickly deploy the configurable maps and apps in the solution.  When we started developing the solution, a geodatabase schema was the only way we could provide that information model to ArcGIS users.  But as ArcGIS has evolved and web services have become a larger part of the deployment model, we have been able parse the information model in to more bit size chunks (service definitions) that directly support the specific solutions we provide. This simplifies the deployment of each individual solution offering yet still allows you to configure the individual layers to meet specific needs of your organization.

Please don't assume that these service definitions have to be deployed in ArcGIS Online.  You can deploy these services on premise with ArcGIS for Server (or Portal for ArcGIS) or in the cloud with your ArcGIS Online subscription. 

You will certainly be able to take the layers we provide going forward and merge them in to a single enterprise model for your organization.  I don't generally suggest users implement the entire information model we're providing and instead focus on the specific solutions you'd like to deploy in your organization.  Once you identify the solutions you'd like to deploy, then work through the required services, maps, and ultimately the underlying information model.  

Would be glad to discuss this  more fully if you'd like and how you might be able to incorporate our plans in your implementation.  Just send me an email if you'd like to connect up.

[BrianO_keefe]

Scott Oppmann‌, so for my City I have been tasked with implementing all aspects of the Events Package and Solutions. We would prefer to utilize our ArcGIS for Server on our systems internally tho. Are there directions for doing this? Because I can ONLY find the means to accomplishing this setup using AGOL and that is not something we are considering at the moment.

[ScottOppmann]

Brian - 

The workflow is very similar to the configure feature layer topic.  Essentially the steps are:

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization.
2. Export the data from the hosted feature layer you deployed in your ArcGIS organization.
3. Browse to the file geodatabase item in your ArcGIS organization, then click Open and Download to save the zipped file geodatabase locally.
4. Unzip the file geodatabase and place the contents on your computer.
5. If necessary, modify the file geodatabase schema with ArcCatalog.
6. Author a map with layers and/or tables you modified.
7. Optionally, load your data into the new layers and tables.
8. Publish a new feature service to ArcGIS Server using ArcMap.
9. Configure the map and application you deployed in your organization and wire up the new ArcGIS Server service. 

Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any further questions.

Scott

[BrianO_keefe]

On line 2 you mention I should 'export the data from the hosted feature layer you deployed in your ArcGIS organization' and I'm sitting here wondering what this even means?!

I am trying to setup and configure the Events Permit through to Events Calendar solutions.

We don't have the layers in our Enterprise LGM Database anymore because the layers being used aren't in the LGM. I'm trying to get the feature classes in place first and I can't as they aren't in the LGM...

So step one is to have the feature layers so I can create an MXD so I can publish to a REST Service so I can prop up the solutions and go...

How?!

[ScottOppmann]

The first thing you need to do is create the feature layers in your ArcGIS organization.  Here is a help topic that will guide you through the process of using our feature layer templates to publish a new service in your organization.  Once you have it in your ArcGIS organization, you can download the layers as a file geodatabase and merge it in to your local geodatabase as you wish. 

Don't hesitate to contact Esri support services as well for assistance here.  I would be glad to get on a call with you as well if you'd like.