Advices on Geodatabase in ArcGIS Online

[SalvatoreValente]

Hi guys,

We recently bought an ArcGIS Server and we federated it with an ArcGIS Portal to create a web-GIS application that will allow people to visualize and query many layers of a specific region.

Currently, we are using an Oracle Database as Datastore to store our layers, but we would like to get rid of it because our IT boss thinks that the Oracle instance is very demanding in terms of resources on our server.

I thought we could use different File Geodatabases as Datastore, instead of the Oracle Database, to organize our feature data, but I'd like to ask some questions I couldn't find the answer to.

1) Can I store different kinds of layers (i.e. line, polygon, and points) in the same gdb file?

2) Is there a limit on the number of layers you can store in the gdb file? From what I read in the ESRI documentation, there is a limit to the number of features that can be visualized, but this can be unlocked by editing the MaxRecordCount parameter in the REST endpoint in ArcGIS Online. Can I unlock this number for the entire geodatabase?

3) Is it possible to append layers to an online geodatabase?

4) Suppose that the team that manages the content of the Portal is scattered around the country, what do you think should be the best practices to upload the geodatabase and update them?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[SalvatoreValente]

I do know how to publish a simple layer from ArcGIS Pro, but it's not the same thing with an entire fgdb. I don't understand how to publish it. Should I just import in the Map all the layers of the fgdb that I want to publish? In that case, how does ArcGIS know that these layers are part of the same fgdb?

[Waffle_House]

You cannot publish directly from the catalog. You have to add it to a map and share the map or layer(s): https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/sharing/overview/share-a-web-map.htm

You can then log in to your ArcGIS Online account and you should be able to see the contents you published.

[SalvatoreValente]

Thank you for the reply Waffle. 

I can't manage to get Kristal's layer section neither with Share the Map nor Layer. Do you copy the data on the AGOL ? Do you use a feature layer? Any other important options or things to know?

[Waffle_House]

Let me try to reply to some of the questions above:

Should I just import in the Map all the layers of the fgdb that I want to publish?

Yup! You can set up the symbology you want in Pro as well, and most of it is compatible with AGOL (ArcGIS Online). 

How does ArcGIS know that these layers are part of the same fgdb?

It doesn't! Once your data is uploaded to ArcGIS Online though, you can work with your AGOL (ArcGIS Online) content directly in ArcGIS Pro after you have uploaded it which can reduce your need for a File Geodatabase by clicking on the Portal tab of the Catalogue.

I would recommend posting in the Data Management and Pro product pages as well for more advice, if you like.

[SalvatoreValente]

Thanks Waffle, that is clear now.

Now, I would like to know how I am supposed to publish my layers to get @KristalWalsh's layer list? I know that the feature layer with that "kind of visualization" (I don't even know the differences) has more options, such as the upload method Kristal mentioned. Could be due to some piece of software that is not installed on my pc? Any update that we lack on the ArcGIS server? Or maybe some kind of different license that we don't have?