ArcGIS Explorer vs ArcGIS Server Map Services

[TimHayes]

Can you use ArcGIS Explorer with existing Map Services from ArcGIS Server on our own server? We are trying to decide on whether to use ArcGIS Explorer vs developing our own Map Service for internal use to our organization.

[MichaelBranscomb]

Hi,

Are you referring to ArcGIS Explorer Online or Desktop? In either case the answer is yes. For ArcGIS Explorer Online, because it's a SilverLight application you'll need to follow some additional steps (standard for accessing resources across domains from a SilverLight web application)...

1. Create a new text file and save it as "clientaccesspolicy.xml"

2. Edit that file in a text file and paste in the following text:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<access-policy>
    <cross-domain-access>
        <policy>
            <allow-from http-request-headers="*">
                <domain uri="*"/>
            </allow-from>
            <grant-to>
                <resource path="/" include-subpaths="true"/>
            </grant-to>
        </policy>
    </cross-domain-access>
</access-policy>

3. Copy this file to to C:\inetpub\wwwroot on your ArcGIS Server machine.

4. When adding services from your local ArcGIS Server you'll then need to use a fully qualified domain name e.g. Instead of http://mymachine/ArcGIS/Rest/Services you should use http://mymachine.esri.com/ArcGIS/Rest/Services (depending on your network domain name).

Oh and if it's ArcGIS Explorer Desktop? It should just work - e.g. use http://mymachine/ArcGIS/Services.

Regards

Mike

[NickRose]

Hello,

I am testing out a few services on ArcGIS Explorer and I am unable to get them to add. The message I receive is just " Unable to add service ..." I tried the xml file you mentioned but it did not work. I just wanted to know if there is any other steps to get a ArcGIS Server map service to work in ArcGIS Explorer.

Thank You
Nick

[MichaelBranscomb]

Nick,

Assuming you're referring to ArcGIS Explorer Online... does it display a list of services then fail when actually trying to add a specific service?

My suggestions would be:

1. Check your REST capability is working on you ArcGIS Server machine: enter http://<servername>/arcgis/rest/services into a web browser - you should see the REST services catalog.

2. Check your clientaccesspolicy.xml file on your ArcGIS Server machine: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc197955(VS.95).aspx

3. Check how you're referring to your ArcGIS Server machine
e.g. For my machine "kinesis" I need to use http://kinesis.esri.com/arcgis/rest/services/ instead of just http://kinesis/arcgis/rest/services/ (which I would usually use for local applications)

4. Just to check... you need to click Add Content > GIS Service then in the "Search" pane that appears on the left hand side click the "URL" option > paste the fully qualified URL (example above) and click the search button (magnifying glass).

Regards

Mike