I am working with the Data Interoperability Extension to connect to non ESRI file types. These interoperability connections need to be maintained actively because these files are ever changing within my work environment. What I have found to be an issue with the Data Interoperability Extension is the directory location where it stores the .fdl and .fds files. These are the files that tell ArcMap where to look to reestablish a connection to the non ESRI file types. Below is the location where these files are stored.
C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\ESRI\Interoperability\logs
If you notice the directory location will change with each user, this means the ArcMap project I’m working on with the Data Interoperability connections will not work when my co-worker needs to open the same project under their user name login.
To make the Data Interoperability extension work with multiple users for the same project the directory location where it stores the .fdl and .fds files should be a variable that an administrator can set to a network directory location so that each user on the network has the same connections at all times.
This would provide so much more function and eliminate the hassle for establishing new Data Interoperability connection every time a user starts an existing project.
