When is the ArcGIS Web Adapter Needed?

[EricChiasson]

Since ArcGIS for Server 10.1, the deployment include the optional component of the ArcGIS Web Adapter.  Although the Deployment scenarios section in the help documentation does a good job of describing when to use the web adapter, this cheat sheet can assist GIS administrators and IT professionals to decide if the ArcGIS Web Adapter is required for their GIS architecture when installing ArcGIS for Server 10.1 and above.

A PDF is also available as an attachment for your convenience.

[DavidJenkins]

Thank you Eric, I've been looking for this documentation and this diagram is even better than I had hoped to find.

[Leandro-Zamudio]

Excellent material, very useful to understand when to use a web adaptor

[EricChiasson]

You're welcome.  I am glad you find it useful.

[mark_lee]

Thanks Eric, this is very useful. My interest is when (or if) do you use the web adapter in a intranet.  That is, if I do not plan to implement an external facing site.  If I understand the diagram correctly, I would implement the web adapter in an intranet if, I want to hide the 6080 port and I do not have a proxy server...correct?

[EricChiasson]

Correct... if you wish to hide the port 6080 but don't have a proxy server, the web adapter will get you that capability. 

Although, I don't believe that being on an intranet has any direct bearing in the decision process.  For example, you might state that you don't need to block access of ArcGIS Server Administrative Directory and ArcGIS Server Manager since you are on an intranet.  Regardless on the reason (in this case intranet) you still don't need to block access.

[EricChiasson]

Thanks for the thumb up

[BrianO_keefe]

Having a breakdown like this is something that should be a part of the documentation for the web adapter. Sadly it is not. This is an excellent, simplified, answer to many, many questions.

Nicely done Eric Chiasson‌, very nicely done.

[BrianO_keefe]

Eric Chiasson‌,

If I have a 10.2 and a 10.1 server setup, and I want to post some web maps would you register another server with the web adapter? Or is that a bad idea?

[JacobBoyle]

Web adapters have to be the same version.  i think you can install 10.1 web adapters on the same machine as a 10.2 web adapter as everything is contained to the IIS inetpub folder.

I know you can have multiple web adapters of the same version on the same machine, I currently have 3 running at 10.2.2, one for Portal, On for Portal's ArcGIS Server, and a public facing ArcGIS Server.

[EricChiasson]

Brian O'keefe‌,

I am unclear about your question.  Web adapter is not essential for web maps - but doesn't hurt either.  My diagram help establish if the web adapter is required, but someone can decide to install it regardless. 

Please elaborate on your question.

[BrianO_keefe]

I have a webmap that is an Internal version of an External map. We have the map working on our external server which is 10.1 but there are some issues that we have come to understand could be related to the difference in version between the Server and the LGDM. So we want to post the (mostly) working ParksFinder from our External server to our Internal server (which is a 10.2 Server) in order to see if that fixes the issue.

However, our Web Adapter is 10.1 and so I'm wondering if I can just post the webmap to our Internal 10.2 Server and process through the 10.1 Web Adapter.

[EricChiasson]

As stated in the help documentation for ArcGIS for Server, "The Web Adaptor version must always match the version of its registered ArcGIS Server site". So in your case, I don't believe it will work.

Hope it helps.

[AndyOmmen]

This is great Eric, thanks. I'll use this during onsite ArcGIS Server jumpstarts since many times the customer isn't sure if they need WA or not.

[EricChiasson]

You are more than welcome