Notice: Breaking Changes in ArcGIS Knowledge (Q1 2023)

1892
2
01-31-2023 10:15 AM
AdamMartin
Esri Contributor
2 2 1,892

Updated April 20, 2023

Summary

Current ArcGIS Knowledge users, please coordinate with your GIS Administrators before upgrading to ArcGIS Pro 3.1, ArcGIS API for Python 2.1.0, or the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript 4.26. These releases are incompatible with earlier versions of ArcGIS Knowledge server in ArcGIS Enterprise (10.9.1, 11.0). Changes in the ArcGIS Knowledge service released in ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1, April 20, 2023, will also create services that are incompatible with earlier versions of these ArcGIS applications and developer clients in custom development projects. See graphic below for summary.

Notice to ArcGIS Pro Users: ArcGIS Knowledge desktop users should not download ArcGIS Pro 3.1 until their GIS Administrators upgrade the existing ArcGIS Knowledge servers to ArcGIS Server v11.1, which were released April 20, 2023. Please coordinate your upgrade needs with your ArcGIS Enterprise Administrator. 

Notice to ArcGIS Administrators: Please coordinate with ArcGIS Knowledge users and developers before upgrading to ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1 to prevent any disruption in work.  

Notice to Developers and Data Scientists: This ArcGIS Knowledge service update in Enterprise 11.1 will custom development projects (or plans for custom development) that leverage the ArcGIS Knowledge REST API, the ArcGIS API for Python, or the Maps SDK for JavaScript. For JavaScript apps, the upgrade should not require coding changes, but version upgrades will need to be coordinated. For Python notebooks and scripts, existing scripts should continue to returns results, however the format of the results may differ with 11.1 services and require changes.

Knowledge_11.1_BreakingChanges.png

 

What is happening? 

In order for ArcGIS Knowledge applications to support existing data in supported User Managed NoSQL Data Stores, e.g. Neo4j graph databases, the ArcGIS Knowledge services specification in ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1 will change such that earlier ArcGIS Pro versions prior Pro 3.1 will not be able to connect with the new ArcGIS Knowledge Graph services. Similarly, Knowledge functionality in ArcGIS Pro 3.1 will not be able to save new work with older versions of ArcGIS Knowledge services (in Enterprise 10.9.1 or 11.0). 

How will it impact different Knowledge users? 

For ArcGIS Knowledge Pro users, nothing needs to be done immediately. However, ArcGIS Knowledge users should NOT download ArcGIS Pro 3.1 at their primary workstation when it becomes available. It will not be compatible with existing ArcGIS Knowledge services. When the organization GIS Administrator upgrades their ArcGIS Knowledge Server to ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1, users can then download ArcGIS Pro 3.1 or a later version, and save their existing ArcGIS Pro projects that include Knowledge investigations within the new Pro 3.1 user interface. If your organization remains on ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9.1 or 11.0, users will NOT be able to upgrade to Pro 3.1 and continue to save work on existing ArcGIS Knowledge investigations. 

ArcGIS Enterprise administrators using ArcGIS Knowledge in Enterprise 10.9.1 or 11.0 will follow the normal Enterprise Server Upgrade pattern. Administrators should work with users of ArcGIS Knowledge to plan the timing of their Pro and Enterprise upgrades to ensure no disruption of work. 

For enterprise developers, this functional change is considered a breaking change in the ArcGIS Knowledge REST API design. If your organization has built or is considering building a custom web application or data pipeline application directly using the ArcGIS Knowledge REST API between now and when your organization upgrades to ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1, your application will require some migration planning and re-engineering effort at the time your organization upgrades its Knowledge Graph Services to ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1. Custom applications using the JavaScript API should not be affected. Code examples leveraging the REST API in 11.0 vs 11.1 will be developed to support this transition.  

Why the change? 

ArcGIS Knowledge enables analysts in organizations to connect, analyze and visualize large amounts of disparate data together as enterprise knowledge graphs.  Some organizations have already invested in modeling, organizing and storing connected data in existing graph databases (e.g. Neo4j) or multi-model databases with graph support (e.g. Amazon Neptune, Microsoft Azure CosmosDB). 

With ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1, ArcGIS Knowledge will support Neo4j Enterprise Edition as Esri’s first supported NoSQL Data Store with user managed data. This breaking change enables critical changes that allows organizations to leverage data stores with user managed data without needing to manage that data using ArcGIS exclusively.

ArcGIS is an open and interoperable system, allowing customers to own their data pipelines. ArcGIS intends to connect directly to more third party, user-managed graph and multi-model data stores in order to help enterprises combine the power of spatial and graph analytics while leveraging their existing IT architecture investments. In order to enable ArcGIS applications and developer tools to leverage these user-managed graph data more seamlessly, the product team needed to implement a new, more flexible engineering pattern within the Knowledge graph service. This technology change, unfortunately, is not backwards compatible with previous versions of the service.  

Summary of ArcGIS Knowledge Product Version Compatibility

(Server/Client) 

AdamMartin_1-1675175026168.png

If you have further questions, please comment on this blog and we will do our best to answer.

We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience these changes may cause, but are confident that ArcGIS will be much stronger and more flexible to meet enterprise needs going forward.

Thank you!

2 Comments
xingchenc
Occasional Contributor

@AdamMartin 

Thanks for sharing this important service change notice.

With the upcoming relase, I was wondering 

1. Will there be any significant changes in the JavaScript API? i.e. adding the support for displaying spatial data on map?

2. What about the support for spatial data in the Neo4j database(polygon, line)? And the support for existing Neo4j database from the user?

xingchenc
Occasional Contributor

Seems the long wait is over!

Accoridng to the JavaScript API 4.26 documentation, we will be able to visualize knowledge graph in a map. The only drawback is you have to upgrade your enterprise to 11.1 or later.