How to update data copied to ArcGIS server

[JillSlater3]

In the scenario where you copy data to the server when publishing services for ArcGIS Server (we are not using an enterprise data environment, can't give ArcGIS server permissions to local drives), what is the best way to provide a daily update to the service, when the data editing can only happen on the local drives?

We have a stand alone table joined to polygon features. The stand alone table is updated daily by multiple people and we want the daily updates to be reflected in a web app. If the data is moved to the server, how can we access it for updates? Can I treat the "data store" as an enterprise environment and connect with a normal database connection on my local ArcCatalog? I am using Enterprise 10.6.

[JakeSimms1]

Jill, great questions.

To be able to seamlessly provide your WebApp with updated data you would need to provide at minimum read privileges to ArcGIS Server when registering data directories. This is outlined here Register your data with ArcGIS Server using ArcGIS Desktop—Documentation | ArcGIS Enterprise. Is there a reason for not being able to provide permissions to the server?

If you are able to use a RDBMS you can add that table to the RDBMS register that to the server and make edits with that connection in ArcMap/Catalog. Esri offers a SQl Server EXPRESS version for free. There are size and user limitations but this may be an option. Set up a database server—Database Server (Desktop) installation guide | ArcGIS Desktop. 

This is a lengthy conversation. I would contact Esri Technical Support and speak with a technical analyst.

Hope this helps.

- Jake

[JillSlater3]

Thanks for the response. The reason for not being able to provide permissions is because it would have to be to a shared folder and the organization that I work in keeps the permissions tightly constrained on shared folders. I have been told it won't be possible but I haven't pushed the issue yet so I was just curious if I had any good alternatives. You have confirmed that it will be difficult to work with the data once it is copied to the server, but I will keep the SQL Server express option as a backup if I am totally blocked with permissions. Thanks.

[JonathanQuinn]

So you have a standalone table that multiple people edit, are they editing their own copies? How are you merging all of the edits? When you mention "can't give ArcGIS server permissions to local drives", do you mean the local drives on the users computers?

You could automate republishing the service every night or however often the service needs to be updated, but note that requires a bit of downtime while the service is being overwritten. Another option is to disable schema locking and every so often truncate/append to the data within the arcgisinput folder. You'd need to be able to access the data on the users computer as well as the data on the Server at the same time.

You can't connect directly to the ArcGIS Data Store, but if you register one with your ArcGIS Server, you can copy data to it when publishing a feature service. Then, your users can edit the table in the feature service directly. You'd need a web application, (or at least something to interact with the applyEdits API at the REST endpoint).

What is a feature service?—Documentation | ArcGIS Enterprise 

There are a lot of ways to achieve what you're after, but the restrictions on users editing local data and copying data to the Server when publishing pose significant hurdles to your workflow.

[JillSlater3]

Hi Jonathan,

They are editing an excel file, and they don't want to change this workflow, so I was just planning on making a script that runs each day to somehow get the edits of just the one field I need into a gdb table - haven't figured out this part yet but I'm not as concerned about that step (for now anyway). The permission issue is regarding the location of the excel file, it's a shared folder in our office and I have been told I can not give our ArcGIS server permission to that drive, so was looking for alternatives. What is the process for un-registering a folder with the server?

If I automate republishing the service every night, doesn't it drop the pop up configurations I set up in any web apps? This was one thing I considered but re-configuring anything in the web app stopped me there.

I suggested a web app too as a replacement for updating the excel file, but in the end they really just want to continue with the excel file updates.

Thanks,

Jill

[JonathanQuinn]

Unregistering a folder is straightforward, just click the X next to the data store within Manager.

Since your webmap is configured separately from your service, it won't be affected by rebublishing. If the schema of your data changes, (field order, field names, layer order, etc), then you'll need to configure the popups again. As long as just data changes, you'll be fine.

I'll reiterate that this is probably the most difficult way to keep data updated in a service so hopefully the SQL Express approach or policies change to make this easier.