How Often are the OSM Vector Tiles Actually Updated?

[jcarlson]

Is there are "regular" schedule, or is it sort of ad-hoc? Was it delayed due to the recent shift to the Daylight map distribution?

I ask because there are areas I've made changes in OSM nearly a month ago, and have yet to see them represented in the vector tiles.

I really, really like the convenience of having custom-styled vector tiles of OSM data available to us, and it's something we use extensively. We're working on getting more of our Open Data into OSM, and it's great to see those items part of the basemap. But relying on this service for things like street name labels can be problematic if the updates are so far apart, in the event that an incorrect label is identified and fixed in OSM.

I do sometimes get asked how soon a given change will show up in our maps, and I never have a good answer. So I thought I'd ask.

[BernSzukalski · Accepted solution]

Hello Josh,

As described in the item details, the OSM content is updated monthly based on the Daylight Data Distribution releases. This differs from the OSM update interval at openstreetmap.org.

Daylight provides additional value and benefits, such as curated content, reduction/elimination of malicious additions, Microsoft building footprints, etc. So all of our OSM-based vector basemaps will be updated with the Daylight Distribution monthly. 

Cheers,

Bern

[jcarlson]

Ah, right! I forgot to check the details page after the switch to the Daylight stuff. Glad to hear it, and thanks!

[jcarlson]

This may be a question for Daylight, but do you happen to know the delay between "cutting" the data for a release and the layer itself being updated?

I know of a few features in OSM that were added by a Pokemon Go player, which I personally fixed on 15 May 2021. https://www.openstreetmap.org/changeset/104743330

And in Daylight, as of just now:

These fake parks and the block-long building were removed a month and a half ago. The latest Daylight release was June 7.

As I see it, this means that either the Daylight release is running > 3 weeks behind OSM itself, or if the release was up to date, the vector tile layer is taking > 3 weeks to actually update with the latest release.

[BernSzukalski]

I am not sure of the answers to your questions. But the Daylight Map Distribution site has How to reach the team links to contact the team towards the bottom of that page. Please share anything you learn here.  And I'll check with Living Atlas colleagues as well...

[DeaneKensok · Accepted solution]

Hi Josh,

Your last note above is probably about right.  I believe there is a ~4 week period from the time the Daylight team begins a build of a Daylight release with the latest OSM edits and the time it is publicly released.  This is the time in which the OSM data is being run through a series of integrity checks and fixes are being made iteratively.

Once Daylight is released as a PBF and OSC files, there is a ~3 week period where it is loaded, cached, and published as hosted vector tiles by Esri.  While that is happening, the next release of Daylight is already well underway and nearing completion.

I agree with Bern that it would be worth reaching out to the Daylight team regarding your process, and we'll discuss with them as well.  There might be some ways we can optimize the process to get your critical edits in more quickly.

On a related note, Esri is hosting a set of OSM feature layers (now in beta) that are being updated directly with minutely 'diffs' from OSM.  These are not vector tile basemaps, but they are an alternate way to get access to the latest edits very soon after they are made in OSM, and could be overlayed on the basemap in a web map.

Cheers,

Deane

[jcarlson]

I've reached out to the Daylight team and am awaiting their response, but the timeline you've laid out makes sense.

None of my basemap edits are quite as noticeable as the example I shared, usually just minor typos or roadway alignments, or else I'm adding missing features like small ponds and streams, building footprints, or addresses.

I do use the feature services for other things, and find them quite useful.

Importantly, though, I've got a good sense now of when an edit made today might appear in the basemap tiles. Thanks very much!

[DeaneKensok]

Hi Josh,

One more thing related to my previous reply.  I spoke briefly with the Daylight team about your feedback and they wanted to take a look at the edits that you made a few weeks ago and consider how those might be brought into Daylight more quickly.

Would you mind sharing the OSM username and/or changeset ID for the edits that you made?  You could send me an email (dkensok@esri.com) or message me on OSM (user Deane Kensok).  I see an OSM account for you but not sure if it's the one you used for the edits you mentioned.

Thanks,

Deane

[jcarlson]

I'm on there as jdcarls2, but I try to keep my work and personal OSM stuff separate. Anything that comes through on the KCGIS account is the "official business", be it fixing road name typos, adding building footprints from our open data, and the like. Changeset 104743330 is thankfully the only major vandalism we've come across.