Jeffrey,
Well, it's nice to know we're not the only ones.
I talked to tech support several times about this issue and I received some good feedback and advice.
Some that might be applicable to you are:
1) "Use a hosted application template rather than Web AppBuilder. The more complex structure of Web AppBuilder can sometimes affect performance." (isn't it funny that an Esri tech support person actually said this!?! I thought it was...)
2) "Host feature services on your own server, rather than in ArcGIS Online. This may help to minimize the traffic when loading the services into the map to help with speed." (again, I thought that was funny)
3) "It appears that the slower performance you were seeing in your web application and webmap can be attributed to the number of layers and the number of features that appear on your map. When you have a number of layers turned on at the time the map opens or when you are zooming, all of the features from these layers are being returned by the server, whether they're in the map view or not.
Instead, by modifying the max record count to bring it down to something around 1000 or 5000, only that number of records within the map view will be returned by the server. You can also set the visible scales for these layers, so the features only start to appear on the map as you zoom in. Not every feature in the layer will appear at this zoomed-in scale, so you likely would not exceed the set max record count by doing this. These changes can be made in ArcMap, then can be used to overwrite the service in ArcGIS Online. (http://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2012/09/24/arcgis-online-layers/)" (I actually put my max record count at 500 and it worked for my map)
4) "ArcGIS Online feature layers are dynamic and will be redrawn within the browser each time you pan or zoom around the map. Another option is to create a cached map service on your ArcGIS Server. You could use the same ArcGIS Online tiling scheme, and this will allow users to see static images on the map, but you can also turn layers on and off, and specify options to find, identify, and query the data. However, the data cannot be edited. Keep in mind that tiled services hosted on ArcGIS Online cannot be queried, nor can layers within the service be turned on and off in the layer list. (http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//00sq00000097000000)" (I cached some basemap layers and saw some improvement).
5) Some factors to consider about working in the web environment related to network are speed, bandwidth available, and possible securities that are required when accessing resources outside of your particular network.
> If there do happen to be any performance issues on the ArcGIS Online end, they should be posted on the following website:
ArcGIS Online Health Dashboard
http://status.arcgis.com/
> This blog discusses slow performance of ArcGIS Online basemaps in ArcMap, but has some good suggestions in relation to network troubleshooting. You may want to check out 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 in this case.
Troubleshooting issues adding ArcGIS Online basemaps to ArcMap http://blogs.esri.com/esri/supportcenter/2013/04/01/having-issues-adding-arcgis-online-basemaps-to-a...
> You can also consider collecting a Fiddler log to give to your IT Department to help them in finding the lag in your network. Here are instructions for collecting a Fiddler log:
- You can download it at the following link: http://www.telerik.com/download/fiddler
- Open Fiddler and go to Tools > Fiddler options > Https tab > enable the options for Capture HTTPS and Decrypt HTTPS > OK
- Go through the workflow to reproduce the issue
- In Fiddler > File > Save > All Sessions > Save the .saz file to be analyzed
We also discussed some general best practices for web map performance including:
> Use Tiled services for layers that do not need to be edited. This is discussed further in the following resource.
Best practices for using layers in maps
https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/reference/best-practices-layers.htm
> Reduce the number of layers and services in the map, if possible. Also, include only needed attribute fields to reduce the size of the services.
> Consider how to store your data (also discussed in the resource above). Is a feature service or feature collection best for the data purpose.
> Use a Maximum Record Count of 1000 or less to decrease the load on the service when it is trying to be drawn. (mentioned above too, I put mine at 500)
> Set visible scales so that features appear at the appropriate zoom level.
Set visible range
https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/create-maps/set-visibility.htm
> Simplify any complex geometry if possible.
We can also consider whitelisting the ArcGIS Online domains, if your IT team thinks this may help with speed. Typically we use these domains when services are completely blocked."
Hope all of that can help you and others out there!
A
