Enable File Geodatabase downloads (on Open Data) for ArcGIS for Server feature services.

[KerryWright]

Not having the option to download a file geodatabase impacts all users of our Open Data site.  Currently the only option is to download a shape file.

When you download a shape file you are impeded by size limitations and you lose data integrity because any and all domains associated with the data are lost. 

I understand that the option of downloading as a file geodatabase is available if we host our data in ArcGIS Online but for our organization that is not a viable option.

These limitation cause our open data site to be used less than it should be.   We consistently get requests for file geodatabases and end up having to provide the data the old fashioned way - zipped and emailed or via FTP.

In addition, when we need to acquire data from our partnering communities, data that is used to support several critical systems, we are forced to request file geodatabases from them via zipped email or FTP rather than use their respective Open Data site because shape files do not meet our requirements.  This makes the true impact of this for us two-fold. 

[AndreaConver]

Can you please send me the link to the bug report? The links are still missing on my pages. I tried removing the PDFs and adding them back, but still no luck. Thanks!

[Cityof_Roseville__CA]

Apologies for the late response.  I just tried it again with a very simple polygon feature. The option to download as a file geodatabase is still available but now it just sits and pretends to download (the download icon on open data indicates the content is downloading but no output is produced).  I checked the server logs and I do not get the error message you mentioned. Instead I get a sync tool error.

[TaupoDistrict_Council]

Hi, thanks for testing. I tried again this morning and have not been able to successfully download as fgdb, perhaps Daniel Fenton‌ has some insight?

[LynnBerni]

Our stream water quality monitoring data is comprised mainly of related tables that house the sampling data. All those relationships are lost when data is only available as shapefiles and spreadsheets. Ugh.  We want data users to have the option to download a complete fGDB!  

[Anonymous User]

hi Lynn I agree, good point, a complete download should be possible.

[RonnieRichards]

Agreed complete FGDB downloads w/ relationships is a must. At the moment relationships are completely lost and undiscoverable in the open data application while other vendors are promoting relationships or linked datasets and allow these relationships as properties of the data set.

It is not the exact picture of what has been discussed but I did create this idea some time ago to allow users to add downloads to a "cart" and download them all into a single geodatabase. It has not received much traction and probably because it needs a better description and has some duplicate ideas. 

https://community.esri.com/ideas/14809-enable-cart-for-multiple-open-data-downloads

Same as these ideas

Select Multiple Items in Open Data and Download as a Group

Multiple dataset downloads for Open Data Portals  

[ClintonBallandis1]

Hi,

ESRI can we please make this a priority. I try not to promote the use of shapefile as a File geodatabases are far superior. It seems that most organisations will want the downloads to come from their AGS service rather than having to host the layer on AGOL. This is especially true for data that is consistently changing. We could script an upload process however this is more overhead for us.

Thanks,

Clinton

[CheriMansperger]

You can add a link as a resource to have a file GDB as an option for download

Here are quick directions.  If this doesn't make sense let me know.

To add fgdb option to data download

Go to Service and then metadata tab in AGO

Distribution

Online Resources

Click + button

Copy url for location of zip file on server (we have a zipped file of the geodatabase on a server)

Scroll down and name it file geodatabase

Function = download

[Anonymous User]

The time has past for ESRI to stop utilizing shapefiles. Perhaps ESRI need to inform all their staff of published information on the problems of shapefiles. Like this link on their own website!!!

Geoprocessing considerations for shapefile output—Help | ArcGIS Desktop 

[Anonymous User]

It would probably be beneficial for Esri's marketshare to open up the geodatabase file format and make it a standard. You want give away the razor and sell the blade.