ArcGIS Field Maps: Offline Edits Fail to Sync - Let's Troubleshoot

[GlenShepherd]

So... We've done a cracking job of configuring our web map for working offline in ArcGIS Field Maps.  Our field team has downloaded offline areas successfully and they're out making edits in the wilderness.  They've come back within good cell phone reception (or connected to WiFi) and... Oh No...

"Sync Failed"
"Unable to synchronize replica"
"No permission to edit replica data"

Damn... So what's going on here? How can we figure out where the disconnect lies and fix our syncing issues?

Troubleshooting: Could it be...

Offline Area Update Issues?

• When managing the offline map areas, we should be aware of their behaviour and limitations if changes are made to the web map and its content:  See: Update an offline area
• If either your web map or feature layer(s) have been renamed or their schema changed (while edits were being made offline), then this can cause a disconnect when the replica (your offline map area) tries to sync back to the parent feature layer. Your edits are calling out for their parent and no one is there! Look to undo any of the changes that were made at the web portal level if possible and update those areas back to their original state. If we can't do that, you may need to download the edits and sync manually. See: How To: Access offline edits from Collector for ArcGIS directly from an Android or iOS device

Web Map and Layers Issues?

• If the 'Sync' setting is disabled and re-enabled on a particular layer, then any pending offline edits will no longer be able to sync back.
• Are we making offline edits to a 'View Layer'? We'll need to check if the view layer is still working as expected and/or if it has inherited some schema changes from its parent feature layer that might affect our edits syncing back. Please see: Feature Layer Views: Updating Parent Feature Layer Schema
• Have changes been made to the Layers' JSON via the 'Update Definition' operation? Look to undo those edits and test your workflow again. We want the 'capabilities' parameters to be conducive to working offline (e.g. 'sync' enabled).

Permissions Issues? An individual or a specific group of mobile workers are failing to sync edits.

• If the mobile team have the same (or similar) user types and member roles within your organisation, then we'll need to look into their permissions and identify what might prevent them from making edits to the parent feature layer.  Two log messages to look out for are "Unable to synchronize replica" and "No permission to edit replica data". A good, first port of call, is to log into the mobile app with an Administrator role and carry out the same workflow. If you can sync successfully, this issue could be related to the other mobile workers' accounts. See:  Taking User Types to the Field
• Look into group membership. Do some mobile workers access this web map through a 'Shared Update' group while others do not? The 'Shared Update' group setting gives members elevated privileges. See: Shared Update Groups.  You may need to change the feature layer settings and/or move members to different groups.

Network Issues? 

• If MDM Solutions are being employed to manage the organisation's field devices, you may need to ask your IT team to monitor network traffic at the time of sync failure. See if they can identify any security settings that may be blocking the communication back to your web portal. The latest support for MDM configurations can be found here:  New Technical Paper: ArcGIS Mobile Apps & Mobile Device Management (MDM) Support
• Errors or log messages citing "certificate" or "authentication" failures can be common when using ArcGIS Enterprise or services coming from an ArcGIS Server site through ArcGIS Online. If a web adaptor certificate has been updated, mobile workers will need to update this on their device. See: Learn How to Install a SSL Certificate for a Secured Portal on a mobile device

Dos and Don'ts...

• Users should always 'sync' their offline areas prior to going offline, in order to download any updates made to the web map and its content.
• After making changes to our web maps and layers, always test your offline edit/sync workflow prior to conducting further production field data capture.
• If offline map area updates are on a schedule... Don't make edits to the web map or layers' settings while mobile workers are still in the field or have un-synced edits pending
• Don't update offline map areas while mobile workers are still in the field or have un-synced edits pending