How to update sync data on ArcGIS Online

[JordanMiller4]

What's the best method for updating ArcGIS Online data that has sync enabled? Currently, we have multiple offices actively using this data offline. 

[Mondi_GIS]

I have a roads dataset with 90000+ features and a polygon dataset with 20000 features - is delete and append still the only/best way to update this when Sync is enabled and users have it in use in collector?

[PhilLarkin]

@Anonymous User Do you have an update on the blog posts you mentioned? 

[Anonymous User]

Hi @PhilLarkin they're still in the works, sorry for the delay. We do hope to release them as soon as we can. 

[Mondi_GIS]

We are still struggling with this. The delete and Append route crashes multiple times and we have to keep rerunning the processes until they have delete and appended all the data. It becomes an extremely manual process and hugely time consuming. 

[HeatherWidlund]

I am struggling with this, too. I have an open support case with no resolution after weeks and weeks (includes the non-updating of Field Maps data when the data is updated using this method). I started doing the delete and append in Notebook on AGOL to try to avoid connection errors, but it still fails sometimes. I was hoping to automate it with Notebook when that functionality comes online next week but if it's still going to fail half the time that won't work either.

[NickShannon2]

Just revisiting this. 

As mentioned by @Mondi_GIS & @HeatherWidlund — the 'delete rows' Python API tool struggles with large datasets.  @HenryLindemann provided a great script to help with this:  Re: Delete features and error 504 and timed out - Esri Community  (even this script stopped a few times — my dataset has over 2 million records!). 

But, even if you get the script to work consistantly, there's another problem: data replicas.  My FHS grew to over 14GB due to replicas.   You can delete the replicas , but this is a problem if users have taken the dataset offline in FieldMaps etc. 

So, I've gone back to the drawing board — I think the way to go is to provide users with an MMPK or a VTPK package of the data.  Host the package in ArcGIS Online, and update as necessary.  The package can be linked to a map, so it gets downloaded in FieldMaps — easy for the user.  Certainly much easier than updating a large sync enabled dataset. 

Prepare maps for download—ArcGIS Field Maps | Documentation 

I'll test this out and and will report back.  

[MatthewStephenson2]

@NickShannon2, have you tested your package idea yet?  I am dealing with a similar scenario and looking for options that will work for my organization.  I'm interested to know how this idea worked out for you in practice.

[Anonymous User]

I'd probably look at an alternative route as our MMPK's or VTPK's would be rather large for our service areas. It's just not feasible for them to be updated regularly by users.

Something to consider:
https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-data-interoperability-blog/building-a-data-driven-organization-...
https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-data-interoperability-blog/building-a-data-driven-organization-...
At least one of the methods involves uploading a FGDB to ArcGIS Online and then appending from there to the hosted feature layer. This is far more performant as it's being done within the ArcGIS Online hosted data centre(s). The inbuilt Esri tools really don't seem to cope with large dataset changes.

[OliverIshmael]

@Peter_Klingman Do you have an update on the blog posts you mentioned? 

[Gavin_ZWORLD]

Additional question about updating a large Sync enabled dataset.

In my case the data are used as a view-only reference in offline maps, would simply disabled Sync on the service, running a truncate and append, then reenabled Sync be a workable solution or would it case downstream issues?