Viewing a Feature Layer vs a Map Image Layer in Portal for ArcGIS

[PaulMcCord]

I'm setting up a base deployment of ArcGIS Enterprise 10.7. To test things out, I've added one other person from my organization as a Viewer member to our Portal for ArcGIS. When this individual views a Map Image Layer (i.e., adds it to a web map) they have no issue. It appears on the web map with no issue. This Map Image Layer was created by publishing a shapefile to ArcGIS Server from ArcMap, and then sharing the content to Portal for ArcGIS (we've federated the server).

However, when this same user tries to view a Feature Layer in a web map, they get the error: "The layer, XXXXX, cannot be added to the map." The web map zooms to the extent of the feature layer, but it isn't added. This Feature Layer was added to Portal for ArcGIS by simply zipping a shapefile and then uploading it to Portal. 

Both the Feature Layer and the Map Image Layer are shared to Everyone. And I'm able to add both to a web map with no issues as the Administrator. Is there a reason why the Viewer is only able to bring in the Map Image Layer and not the Feature Layer?

[Anonymous User]

Hi Paul, as the Viewer user, are you able to see the attribute table by selecting the item, going to the details page, and selecting the data tab? On the visualization tab, does the data draw?

[PaulMcCord]

Hi Hilary, as the Viewer, I don't see the Details page. When I click on the web map that was set up to display the Feature Layer, the only options I see are Open in Map Viewer and Open in ArcGIS Desktop. When I click on Open in Map Viewer, that is when I get the error that the layer could not be added to the map. 

I know that the Viewer role is very limited, but is it possible that it is limited to the point that web maps with Feature Layers cannot be viewed?

[Anonymous User]

Hi Paul, here's a hosted feature layer I created by uploading a CSV to the portal and publishing it - this is the vantage point of a Viewer who has access to the item:

There shouldn't be anything specific to a Viewer license that would allow viewing a map service vs. a feature layer as long as the Viewer has access to the layer. Is it possible the feature layer was somehow corrupted (though it's interesting you as the admin can see it). Can you try to republish it/reproduce? Might be something to contact technical support on so they can have a look at your environment.

[PaulMcCord · Accepted solution]

Thanks Hilary, 

I contacted ESRI support about this issue and some other poor performance problems that I was having with Enterprise. It turned out that the disk space for our test environment machine was getting low. Looking at the index status of Portal, we discovered that it was out of sync. We ended up rebuilding the index. After rebuilding the index, I republished the feature layer, and it was then viewable by the Viewer role.

I'm a little stumped why I could view it as the Administrator even when it was corrupted. Nonetheless, the issue appears to be resolved and I'm now adding more disk space to avoid a recurrence of this issue.

Thanks for your assistance.