Editing without ArcGIS Enterprise

[BrandonPlewe]

I just wanted to verify. Is it really impossible to edit an ArcGIS Pro parcel fabric on an enterprise geodatabase without publishing it as a feature service on an ArcGIS Enterprise server? I have a small fabric (2,000 parcels) that requires multi-user editing, but I don't have Enterprise installed and although I have a license available, I really, really, REALLY don't want the nightmare of trying to install and maintain an Enterprise instance by myself just for this one function. Really!

Can someone tell me why this restriction is there? With every other kind of data, Esri has actually freed things up recently, like allowing multi-user editing without versioning. I'm sure there are lots of awesome features that make the overhead of Enterprise worth the trouble, and I'm sure the primary user is a county government that has Enterprise running anyway so this is no big deal, but why can't they allow people like me with simple needs to forego all those awesome features and just edit a few parcels without Enterprise?

[NateArnold · Accepted solution]

This is indeed true, and it still boggles me.  The answer to why it's required is because of branch versioning - though why GDB versioning was insufficient for the Pro fabric is not clear to me.

IMO, Enterprise makes Pro fabric editing an overly complex setup.  It will be a barrier to success for smaller shops.

[DanielStone]

Hi Brandon,

The latest evolution of the parcel fabric provides a comprehensive framework for managing, editing, and sharing parcel data in both a multiuser (ArcGIS Enterprise) and single-user environment.

You are correct, in a multi-editor environment you must publish the parcel fabric as a feature service through ArcGIS Enterprise. Why did we do this? Several reasons.

In previous versions of the Parcel Fabric, if you wanted to share your land records data you had to export it in order to publish and make available to public facing web applications and apps, like dashboards. Having the parcel fabric as a service gives us the ability to feed these applications without the ETL processes of exporting and publishing. The data is always live to feed these apps and support additional devices like tablets, smart phones, and web applications.

Since the ArcGIS Parcel Fabric is a web service, it now has the ability to integrate with other applications through a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). This makes integration with third party systems, like recording, valuation , lease management software much easier. The capability exists for these system to create records, or merge parcels by calling the REST API.

Using a feature service, also allows us to take advantage of Branch versioning. Branch versioning allows us to take traditional editing workflows and push them into a web services environment. Esri has placed a large focus on reengineering ArcGIS to be a service-based platform to support the web approach.

I don't think it is a secret that on the ArcGIS Parcel Fabric Roadmap is the ability to support the ArcGIS Parcel Fabric within ArcGIS Online. There are capabilities that ArcGIS Online does not currently support that will limit initial releases, so it may not be a fit for all organizations, and ArcGIS Enterprise will still be the preferred platform.

I appreciate your feedback and understand change is sometimes difficult.

Hope this helps

Dan Stone
ArcGIS Parcel Fabric Product Manager

[BrandonPlewe]

So basically what I said originally; the new system provides lots of amazing features for large shops that I don't need for my small project, so I am out of luck. Since my server is running Apache, installing Enterprise is extra challenging; yet another way that my needs don't match Esri's demands.

[BrandonPlewe1]

FOLLOW-UP:

Okay, I buckled and installed a standalone ArcGIS Server 11.0 (no Portal, I don't have a license available and Web Adaptor is not an option with Apache; I'm fine running on Port 6443). AGS works okay generally. When I try to publish the parcel fabric as a feature service (without Portal, I'm saving it as a service definition file to import into AGS). It says I have to include the topology, but when I include it, it says "topology layer is not supported on a non-federated ArcGIS Server." This sounds I not only have to be running Portal, but I have to be running it on multiple servers. Is that the case? Why does this have to be so complicated (and expensive)?

[DanielStone]

Hi Brandon,

I understand and can relate.   You have to have Enterprise in order to publish the fabric.    This is because we need to establish an identity.

An identity establishes who you are (same as a login into an Enterprise Geodatabase), What you can do (View, edit, analyze, create, share), what apps you have permission to (Field Apps, Dashboards, Storymaps) and additional capabilities such as editing a parcel fabric (Parcel Fabric user type extension).

This does not have to be on separate machines, although it is recommended for performance purposes.  I run Enterprise on my Laptop.  That includes the web adaptors, Portal, Data Stores, and ArcGIS Server.   I also have SQLServer running on my laptop.   I'm not a production shop, but I have multiple fabrics published, one with over 1 million parcels.  

As I stated above, we plan to release the parcel fabric on ArcGIS Online.  For your given scenario of about 2K parcels, this may be a good solution.    I know if does not help you now, but hopefully by this time next year.  

Dan Stone
ArcGIS Parcel Fabric Product Manager