Best Practice for AGOL data types to allow File Geodatabase downloads in Open Data

[kmsmikrud]

Hello,

I'm trying to figure out the best practice for adding data to AGOL so that when I share it in the Open Data group the data layer download options will include a file geodatabase.

In our organization, we have individual layers that were uploaded to AGOL directly so they are hosted and I have went thru the process of changing the settings for "Allow others to export to different formats" and reset the index in hub so these layers now provide the option for downloading as a file geodatabase.

However I've now tried adding an item from the web using the Rest End Point (published on our local server) to create a new feature layer in AGOL and what I've noticed is the settings option "allow others to export to different formats" isn't even an option. When I share to our Open Data group, this feature layer can be downloaded as a shapefile, spreadsheet, or kml which is great but we really need the file geodatabase option.

I also read on the ESRI help or similar that the file geodatabase option will only be available for hosted rest services, so I also created a service (with multiple layers) and published this service to our AGOL. When I added the individual rest endpoint for a new feature layer and shared with Open Data I still do not see the options for allow to export to different formats.

What data types in AGOL will allow for the file geodatabase options in Open Data/Hub? From my current understanding the only way to allow for this is to upload each individual layer as a hosted feature service but this doesn't seem correct.

Thanks for your help!,
Kathy

[TylerBurns · Accepted solution]

Hello Kathy,

You are correct in that File Geodatabase downloads are only available as an export format for feature services that are hosted in ArcGIS Online at this time. For any services published to an ArcGIS Server installation, FGDB is not an available export option by default, even when the layer is added as an item in AGOL. 

An Enhancement has recently been logged to call attention to this, and request this functionality to be implemented in a future update. This enhancement is identified as ENH-000104096. This associated Ideas Portal post can be found below.

Enable FGDB downloads in Open Data for AGS Feature Services:

https://community.esri.com/ideas/14733-enable-file-geodatabase-downloads-on-open-data-for-arcgis-for...

A potential workaround in the meantime is hosting an independent File Geodatabase copy of the AGS Service data on your AGOL content as an item, and making it available as an additional download file by adding it to the 'distribution' section of the metadata of the item for the AGS Layer in ArcGIS Hub. More information on how to do this can be found in the below link.

Add Additional Download Files to an item in ArcGIS Hub:

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/hub/data/prepare-data-for-your-site.htm#ESRI_SECTION1_3BCB1D7E697F4F4F8F3D...

Regards,

TB

[kmsmikrud]

Thanks Tyler Burns!

That is really good to know on the logged enhancement.

I did go ahead and add additional download files to the distribution tab within the metadata for that layer. I've also reset the download index in hub numerous times but have yet to see the download option for that file geodatabase actually update to show. Do you know if there is any issues/special things to do for the reset to complete to show these additional resources?

Thanks so much!,

Kathy

[kmsmikrud]

I did finally get the file geodatabase links to work and I think it was just my own error of not populating the correct sub-tab, but now it works! I also added links to static maps of the data which is really a nice feature. Thanks again for your help.

[NataliyaLys]

Hello Tyler, 

On my Open Data site, I have the layers that are all published to the local ArcGIS Server, and referenced as an items in AGO. I recently started looking into adding an option for the users to download the data as a file geodatabase. When I looked at some of my layers, I noticed that some of them already have an option to download data in file geodatabase format, but some of them don't? I am not sure why is that happening?

Thanks,

[DavidColey]

Hi Nataliya - I just recently noticed the same thing for some of my layers that are available to Open Data as well.. The differences in my case is that I send layers to AGOL as part of Collaborations.  The source layers are hosted feature layers in our Enterprise Portal at 10.7.1.  But I don't know why I am also seeing some layers as available for file geodatabase download and some are not.

One thing I suspect is that -1, we have a fairly mature open data site and many mature layers.  Some of these layers were previously hosted in ArcGIS Online in order to take advantage of the FGDB downloads.  Could be that for whatever reason Hub or Open Data still thinks some of these layers are hosted, rather than coming from a collaboration.

But I don't know either

[kmsmikrud]

Hi David Coley‌ and Nataliya Lys‌,

I was wondering if you ever figured out why your registered ArcGIS Services were allowing the option for file geodabase downloads? I need to register some more of our rest services in AGOL/Open Data  and would really love the option for file geodatabase downloads without having to post a file geodatabase for it to link to.

I had read on another post and wondered if the ability that you are seeing for certain services that enable file geodabase download is because the service was published to have feature access capabilities and data export enabled? If yes, is the data for your service coming from an enterprise database or file database? 

I was hoping the enhancement would have been resolved.

Thanks,

Kathy

[NataliyaLys]

Kathy,

I haven't looked at it much more lately. I did look again this morning to remember what was the issue. So on my open data site (hub), most of the data that I am sharing comes from the ArcGIS Server services registered with the AGO and I have a couple layer that are hosted feature services in the AGO.

For the AGO Hosted Feature services, the file geodatabase download is available, but if I try to download a file geodatabase it doesn't seem to be working every time. Sometimes it works, sometime it's doesn't. 

For the ArcGIS Server feature services, data comes from both enterprise database and file geodatabase. The feature access and the export is enabled. However, when I checked the download options this morning I could not find any layers with file geodatabase download enabled. The behavior seems to be inconstant. 

So the long answer to your question, Kathy, no I haven't figured out anything with this issue.

Nataliya

[DavidColey]

Hi Kathy, no.  Like Nataliya Lys I have nothing more to add.  We continue to encounter the same inconsistent behavior as well.  As I mentioned, all of our our layers are fully hosted in our portal and then sent to AGOL groups that participate in our opendata site via collaborations. 

Enabling or disabling export seems to have no effect. 

I often encounter difficulties downloading large datasets, like our Address Points layer - maybe as a result of the layer being a collaborated layer, maybe not - I have no way of knowing.  In fact, I have had to fully host our Parcel layer in AGOL (no collaboration) because it simply stopped downloading from open data as a collaborated layer.

David

[RandyKreuziger1]

Tyler, it's now a year later.  Can you give us an update on enhancement  ENH-000104096?