Map Packages

[TedCronin]

Original Post Date: Oct 23, 2009 8:56 PM PDT

Will ArcGIS Online suppport the loading of Map Packages or perhaps we can have access to a test instance?

[MichaelHogan]

Ted,

ArcGIS Online doesn't support Map Packages right now, since it is a public website available to everyone, and Map Packages won't work with existing versions of ArcGIS.  There isn't a separate website for ArcGIS Online just for the beta.

It is planned that Map Packages will be supported for upload/download with ArcGIS Online when the 9.4 software gets released.

Best Regards

__________________
Mike Hogan
Program Manager - User Advocacy Group
ESRI Support Services


Update: 11-09-09 - I just learned that MapPackages will be supported with ArcGIS Online during the 9.4 Beta Period.  They will be supported when ArcGIS Online is next updated, which is planned for sometime in December.

[TedCronin]

Will LPKs for 9.4 be supported for upload, by chance?

[MichaelHogan]

Ted,

Yes, you will be able to upload 9.4 Layer Packages, and they should be compatible in 9.3.1 clients.

Best Regards

[TedCronin]

I just think it would be best for testing to allow us to test everything like uploading MPKs, I understand the ArcMap software does not support it yet, just would be nice.  If you could force us to only publish to private sections where everything is invite only, or better yet to give us access to one private invite only AGO place, then this could be alleviated, I imagine.

[PamBrangan]

Hi - I just tried to share a layer package with a customer that is using 9.3.1 and he can't open it.
These are the error messages he is getting -
1) Initially tried unpacking the layer package file to get at the layer file, got this:
Error opening layer file.
2) Then he tried adding the from the unpackaged geodatabase and got this:
Failed to connect to geodatabase.
This release of the GeoDatabase is either invalid or out of date [Invalid Geodatabase release]
The table was not found. [GDB_ReleaseInfo]
The table was not found. [GDB_Release]

I was able to open layer package using 9.4, but I got the same errors if I tried to open using 9.3.1 on another machine.
the geodatabase I'm packaging the data from is a 9.3 personal geodatabase.

Suggests?

Pam Brangan

[Anonymous User]

Hi Pam,

The issue you are reporting is due to fundamental schema changes to the geodatabase in 9.4. Currently with 9.4 Beta 1 the ability to create a 9.3/9.3.1 geodatabase does not exist, but is under consideration.

If you need to work around this for the time being, I would create the empty File Geodatabase in 9.3/9.3.1, and then use 9.4 to populate it. As you'll see there are fewer GDB tables in the repository at 9.4. This was done to improve performance.

I apologize for the inconvience,
Andrew

[RichLeeson]

I think it is huge to have the capability to create older geodatabases.  We work at the DoD level and have customers using ArcGIS as old as 9.2 (for example the Navy NERMS program).  We currently have several laptops loaded with different versions of ArcGIS software, and use the one according to the version our client uses.  I think it should kind of be like what Microsoft has done with Office 2007 where you can save the document as a previous version.

[PamBrangan]

Thanks Andrew for the suggestion of creating a 9.3 geodatabase and populating in 9.4.  However, I think that is what I have tried.  The problem seems to be in creating the layer package for one of the datasets within the 9.3 geodatabase while using 9.4 and then trying to share that with a 9.3.1 user.
In Mike's post on 10/26/09 he says "you will be able to upload 9.4 Layer Packages, and they should be compatible in 9.3.1 clients."

I love the layer package option and it is how I share much of my data.  I hope that there will be a fix to allow 9.4 layer packages to be compatible with 9.3.1 clients.

[Anonymous User]

Hi Pam,

I tested this out and confirmed the behavior you are reporting. I have logged the following bug to address this issue.

NIM050663: Layer packages created with 9.4 do not open in 9.3.1

It is our intention that cross version functionality with layer packages does work in the final release of 9.4. We will also be providing an option to create earlier verisons of the Geodatabase with ArcGIS Desktop, but it is currently not a function of 9.4 Beta One release.

I hope this helps address some of your questions and concerns.

Thank You,
Andrew