Include “Publish” option for ALL ArcGIS Server Connection instances in Pro

[Jeff-Reinhart]

The only place the “Publish” option in the right-click menu for an ArcGIS Server Connection is available is when it is listed under Catalog > Project > Servers.

If the same connection (AGS file) is moved to Favorites, the “Publish” option is no longer included.

If the exact same connection file is viewed under Catalog > Project > Folders, the “Publish” option is no longer included.

In response to BUG-000167223, Esri replied that this is by design, stating “To publish to a standalone server, add the server connection to your project.”

I don’t see how removing functionality on an element in the UI when it is viewed in certain places is “by design”. I would like to have my server connections for non-federated servers in one place with one instance of the AGS file in my file system. This is a cleaner approach for file management and it means I don’t have to update passwords for every instance I have strewn across projects if I were to take Esri’s recommended approach.

[SusanTran]

Hi Jeff,  thanks for your feedback. To publish to your standalone server, you will need to add the connection to your project. Adding a server connection to your project using an .ags file doesn't change the file or make copies of it. You can still maintain a single file in your file system if desired and in doing so, there would be no need to update passwords in multiple places. 

[Jeff-Reinhart]

Can you please explain why it is "by design" that I can publish when the AGS file is in my project but not when the AGS file is in Favorites? It seems that having the same functionality for the Server Connection in both places would be more intuitive.