ArcGIS Online Group Question: Content Visibility

[BrandonKeinath1]

We're trying to track down some interesting behavior in our ArcGIS online organization.  The first is related to content shared with the featured apps group.  I recently added a new user, Cosmo Jr‌, to our organization without adding him into any groups.  Our featured apps group is visible on the home page of the organization and I told him that content wouldn't work for him until I added him into some groups.  But clicking the content loaded everything up just fine.  Is this the expected behavior of the featured apps group?  My concern would be apps accidentally being shared with the feature apps group and it overriding group based security.

Similarly I'm wondering about the expected behavior of "sharing with the organization".  I have some anecdotal evidence from another of our organizational account users that doing that cause the content to not be visible to anyone except the user who shares it.

[KendellRyan]

Thanks for the reply. I see that now, so they do show up making that change. Unfortunately since my last reply I found forums explaining that layer files are pretty much useless in AGOL (for use in web maps).  We were hoping adding existing layer files (for our SDE feature classes) would be an efficient method for people to be able to search, find and use the data in both web maps and in desktop.  So we'll have to go with something else.

[BrandonKeinath1]

Hi Kendell,

Can you explain a little more about your goal of having people using the same data/symbology on the web and desktop?  We haven't crossed that bridge yet, but if that was a request on our side I would have thought to have them add the service into ArcMap.  I'm interested in your workflow if you'd be willing to share.

Thanks,

Brandon

[KendellRyan]

So we are trying to have one solution for users to be able to search for data and add it in either Desktop or in a web map.  Our data is in SDE (and we already have layer files that people use for Desktop). So we don't want to have to publish all of those feature classes as services in order for people to be able to access them in AGOL.  I though for a moment that it would have worked perfectly to just add the .lyr files to our content in AGOL.  Then users could discover them in AGOL or using the "Add Data from ArcGIS online" while in desktop.  But since you can't do anything with .lyr files in AGOL (other than see them) and since they don't show up when you try to add via Desktop, that won't work.  There may be something that I just haven't thought of yet..hopefully.

[BrandonKeinath1]

How many feature classes are you looking to publish as services?  We also use a SDE and haven't found the service publication to be that onerous.  Especially if you already have an established symbology that your users are used to seeing.

[KendellRyan]

We probably want to have about 60 available....

[BrandonKeinath1]

Hi Kendell,

We're in that range ourselves.  Have you looked into automating the service publication process?  Perhaps there is a way to simplify the workflow and make it a little less manual.  Especially since you already have your symbology defined.

Brandon