using the downloadable configurable app - what to ask my IT department

[SusanWinchell-Sweeney]

Hi,

I've successfully created interactive map at ArcGIS Online using my personal ESRI account to demonstrate to my organization what is possible with the data we have. They would like to launch this from our own website, and I have downloaded the StoryMap Journal configurable app which I know needs to be accessed through a web server in order to "build."

Here are my newbie questions: a) what do I need to ask of our IT department in terms of space, etc for installing the StoryMap Journal template?; b) the photos I am using currently are hosted on Flickr - can they be installed on a directory on our own web server and accessed from there without much fuss or rewriting of code? c) Can the draft interactive map already created and hosted on ArcGIS Online be imported and saved in the StoryMap Journal template when installed on our own web server?

Thank you in advance for any advice or assistance!

Susan

[RupertEssinger]

Hi Susan

Sorry about the delay replying. First I just wanted to check why you want to download the app. You are welcome to of course! But the Map Journal is available as a hosted story map that can be immediately deployed without downloading anything. I wasn't sure from the first line in your post whether you have made a map journal already or have just made an online map. So you could make a map journal and then link to it from your website without downloading anything, like a lot of authors are doing (nice example we saw today: http://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/wildlife-walks‌ ). So in other words before you download the app, just wanted to check that you know that you don't need to in order to make a map journal.

Anyway, here's the answers to your questions:

a) The app itself is just a very small set of source code files and takes up very little space. You are just downloading the app: the web map(s), data, pictures, etc used in your map journal remain in Esri's cloud, or elsewhere on the web in the case of pictures you reference in Flickr. etc. Also note that when you download the app, you are just putting it onto a folder on a web server or hosting service: ArcGIS Server is not required. Just wanted to mention that because some folks think they need ArcGIS Server to host an app download.

b) Yes, you could move your photos to your server or any other location you like. As long as they have a URL, they can be accessed by the app (or by the map(s) that you use in the app if the photos are referenced from the data.

c) It's simpler than that. Your map journal just references the web map that is in Esri's Cloud. There's nothing to import.

But just want to make clear that you don't need to worry about any of the three questions above if you just want to make a map journal hosted in ArcGIS Online. Just go to this page: App List | Story Maps‌  and click 'Build A Map Journal'.

[RebeccaStrauch__GISP · Accepted solution]

Good info Rupert, but I'm wondering if the reason Susan is asking is because she developed the StoryMap journal on her esri personal account and not on an enterprise account?  My guess, Susan, is that is because your organization doesn't have an Organization/Enterprise ArcGIS Online account?  If not, leaving it on you personal account and/or using for you organizations account may not be allowed (technically or licensing wise).

However, if you do have an enterprise AGOL account, I think what Rupert suggested is good advise.  Leave is on ArcGIS Online and have you organizations web pages point to it.  The reason for this, is the templates you download typically, if not always, are the "generic" web application, and you then have modify it with your data.  There are usually clear, fairly simple instructions to do that, but I know I get frustrated that you can get perfect online just to have to start from scratch again.  I have not played with the StoryMap, so I can't verify that's the case with that template.

Again, if you have access to an enterprise account, there are various tools available from Esri · GitHub‌ that help with the administration of AGOL, including I believe a way to transfer maps and apps to a different AGOL enterprise account.  I'm not 100% on this since I am just looking at all the options myself and trying to get them to work for us. 

[SusanWinchell-Sweeney]

Thank you, Rebecca and Rupert! Yes, for the sake of expediency, I developed a map journal using my personal account to produce an interactive demo map within a day or so of the request from my "higher-ups" without going through the lengthy process of asking for space, getting access, etc. I have since learned we do have an enterprise account and the IT staff is working on setting that up so what's been done already can be imported, and hosted through one of our own web servers - again, thank you very much for your responses!

[RupertEssinger]

Thanks Susan. There's not a way to move an application entry in ArcGIS Online between a public account and an org account. (With a web map of course you could just do a Save As). Inside an org items can be transferred between different named Org account users). There are some tools in Github as Rebecca kindly pointed out, but I've not used those and am not sure what they do.

I would recommend just re-creating your map journal on the Org account. There's an Export option in the Organize dialog in the Map Journal builder. And the web map(s), images, etc will all be accessible to that new account, so we are just talking about the Map Journal content. So in other words I wouldn't download the app just to keep using the original version of the app you created with your public account. Once you download the app you are for example no longer automatically getting the benefits of fixes we make to the hosted version. And downloading the app to point at the map journal on your public account in an enterprise context doesn't sound like it is completely meeting the licensing terms of use (although I won't tell anyone )

[SusanWinchell-Sweeney]

Rebecca and Rupert - a quick update: one of the the tools you suggested in GitHub [ago-assistant] worked beautifully and simply - within seconds - to copy content from my personal account to my organization's account, and have received access and publishing privileges to the organizational account...now operating completely on the up and up.

Thank you again for your responses.

Best,

Susan

[RupertEssinger]

Thanks so much for the reply and tip about that tool! This is really useful to know