Automating Fire Danger Map

[JoeStansberry]

Hi All,

So I have been wrestling with an automated map issue for some time now.

Back in version 10.0 (desktop and server) I had and automated fire danger map that was created using a MSD uploaded to ArcServer 10.0. To automate the map I had a .cvs file sent to my server on a bi-daily basis which then replaced the old (yesterdays) .cvs file through a file overwrite. This .cvs file was joined to a shapefile in the MSD which updated the fire danger rating values as well as the map on the server and was seamlessly pushed out to the web. I did not have to be present to make this happen. Now with 10.1 and 10.2 COPYING the layer files to the server this eliminates the automation to which we used. I have been looking into the use of GeoEvent Processor to replace this process.

My question is what would be the best way to automate this update again with the new 10.2 versions? Is GEP the best option or are there better solutions out there?

Thanks in advance for all the help and input!

[JonathanQuinn]

I'd suggest you look into creating a data store, so that the data the map service is referencing stays where it is, and doesn't get copied to the server.  Any updates to that data will then be reflected in the service.

[RJSunderman]

Hello Joe -

As Jonathan mentions, using an ArcGIS for Server managed geodatabase to store your data would prevent the data from being copied to the Server and provide you a way to update the feature class supporting the service - perhaps using Python and the ArcPy Data Access module. That is probably your ideal solution.

Alternatively you could update an off-line copy of the data and then develop a mechanism which would automatically republish the service (overwriting the existing service and continue copying the data up to the Server).

To leverage data store approach, the database and the ArcGIS Server would need to be on the same network.

A third alternative, relying on GeoEvent Processor, would be to use GEP's capability to watch a folder for files. This isn't ideal for your workflow however as the input connector out-of-the-box at 10.2.0 does not consider file size or last modified date; it only looks at the filename. This means that users who want to use CSV to send continuous updates into GEP need to have whatever mechanism they use to place the CSV files into the registered data folder uniquely name the files. This can be done by appending a date/time to the filename (e.g. FireRiskAssessment-09Sep13-102236.csv).

/RJ