ArcGIS Pro Flawed Update Strategy

[JoshuaBixby]

This is a follow-on comment to an earlier post:  ArcGIS Pro update‌.

Currently, Esri has publicly released its third ArcGIS Pro Prerelease, build 1692.  The last two builds, 1566 and 1692, have been released as "Prelease Updates."  Unfortunately with the Prerelease Updates, they are not available to download through MyEsri.

If ArcGIS Pro updates were differential updates, like patches, I could see having users download build 1472 and then update the install using the application itself; however, the updates aren't updates but complete new installations.  I don't know how much has changed between builds, but I do know that I am pulling down ~700 MB for each update.  Why can't I download build 1692 from MyEsri to deploy internally?  Why do i have to create so much extra download traffic?  I have currently worked around the issue by grabbing the downloaded MSI and CAB files before the installer cleans them up, but I shouldn't need to find a workaround in the first place.

Unless Esri moves towards a truly differential update process, I think the current strategy of updating ArcGIS Pro is flawed and generates lots of unnecessary network traffic, not to mention wasted time while waiting for the not-too-svelte update to download. 

[RebeccaStrauch__GISP]

My guess is that once final is released, it will be available thru the download page. But since pre-release is just a step between beta and final I can see why the "update" would still be very large.  Hopefully it won't be such dramatic updates for final.

I am curious on where you are finding and grabbing the msi and cab files before they get cleaned up.  I have all hidden files and folders, etc. all being shown, but I'm having a hard time locating the files. Looked int eh user appdata/local, and my temp files with no luck. That would be a good workaround  to know if the update the update doesn't get better with final.  Like you, downloading 700 mb for each update to every machine with Pro is a bit much....so having a "patch" file might be nice, if it doesn't mess it up do to other "online" changes that might need syncing.

Thanks

[JoshuaBixby]

C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\{uniquiely_generated_folder_name}\downloads.arcgis.com

As soon as the installer is complete, all the files in those folders are deleted, so there is a window of opportunity to copy them out.

[RebeccaStrauch__GISP]

Thanks.  Thought I looked there (after download and before install)...better luck next time for me!

[JoshuaBixby]

I have IE11 on Windows 7, the specific path may differ by OS or IE version.

[KirstenPinkston]

Thanks for your feedback Joshua. As you suspected, ArcGIS Pro Prerelease has allowed Esri to test making full installs available through the update mechanism. However, Esri does have the ability to provide incremental updates (e.g. patches) through the updater. Thus far, we've only exercised the full install capability, but going forward where applicable or necessary, Esri may release incremental updates through the updater as well.

You can expect to see all releases of ArcGIS Pro available to download from My Esri following final release. This will hopefully mitigate any of the concerns surrounding download traffic experienced as a result of running the updater for full installs. Thanks!

[JoshuaBixby]

Kirsten Pinkston‌, thanks for the additional information.  Yes, seeing more full releases in MyEsri does assuage some of my concerns.  I remain quite interested to see how well partial updates work.

[StephenLead]

> I don't know how much has changed between builds, but I do know that I am pulling down ~700 MB for each update

Can you please write to the iTunes product manager next....

[JoshuaBixby]

If communicating with Esri feels like screaming in the wind at times, dealing with Apple is like having that conversation in an asylum.  I gave up on them a long time ago, which is too bad because they do make some good products.