Frequently Asked Questions
Show/Hide All AnswersGeneral | ArcGIS | Getting Started
- Are there inexpensive, online training resources for ArcGIS Server?
- Yes. ESRI provides free, self-paced online training for ArcGIS Server via our popular Training Seminars. Training Seminars deliver focused lectures and demonstrations on the topics most asked for by our customers. Each recorded session lasts approximately 60 minutes.
Check out the top ten ESRI Training Seminars for ArcGIS Server:
- Building Mashups using the ArcGIS JavaScript APIs
- Authoring and Publishing Optimized Map Services
- Using ArcGIS Server Geoprocessing Services
- Implementing and Optimizing ArcGIS Server Map Caches
- Publishing KML Services with ArcGIS Server 9.3
- Building Applications with ArcGIS Server Using the Java Platform
- Implementing Security for ArcGIS Server 9.3 Java Solutions
- Implementing Security for ArcGIS Server .NET Solutions
- ArcGIS Server Setup and Administration
- Imagery in an Enterprise GIS
- How do I create a Web application with ArcGIS Server?
- Watch this quick video: Creating a web application with ArcGIS Server Manager.
- Are there free resources available to help me get started with ArcGIS Server?
- Yes. ESRI provides Web Help for both ArcGIS Server for the Microsoft .NET Framework and ArcGIS Server for the JavaTM Platform. These online documents are excellent resources for understanding important concepts and include valuable tutorials to help you get started quickly. At 9.3, the ArcGIS Server Resource Center provides you access to online software developer kits (SDKs), sample GIS servers, and online content that you can include in your applications.
Other free resources include
- What is ArcGIS Explorer?
- ArcGIS Explorer is an easy-to-use geobrowser client for mapping and 3D visualization. It provides a fast and simple way to access the rich functionality of ArcGIS Server. It is intuitive and free. This software is designed to work as a client to ArcGIS Server and can integrate other Web services including OGC WMS, ArcIMS, ArcWeb Services, and KML. ArcGIS Explorer also can read and display local data including shapefiles, file geodatabases, and a wide variety of image formats.
ArcGIS Explorer is not a stand-alone solution but rather an integrated part of the ArcGIS system. We believe that ArcGIS Explorer will be very powerful for GIS organizations to make their GIS knowledge universally available.
Go to the ArcGIS Explorer blog to find out more.
- Can you use ArcGIS Server to manage imagery?
- Yes. At 9.3, ArcGIS Image Server is integrated with ArcGIS Server as an optional extension: ArcGIS Server Image Extension. For a good overview of ESRI's image management solution, read the ArcGIS User article, Visualizing an Enterprise Approach to Imagery.
Licensing | Installation | Platform Support
- My organization has restricted access to the Internet. Can I install the ArcGIS JavaScript API's locally?
- Yes. An ArcGIS JavaScript API's DVD is available for customers with Standard or Advanced Editions of ArcGIS Server 9.3 as well as EDN subscribers. ESRI recommends that you use the ESRI-hosted ArcGIS JavaScript APIs. This will give you access to the latest samples and tutorials as well as additions to the API. If your organization runs on a restricted network with no access to the Internet, you can order the ArcGIS JavaScript APIs DVD from ESRI Customer Service.
Please note that the ArcGIS JavaScript API's are not updated with every Service Pack. The ArcGIS JavaScript API's have an independent release schedule. If you install the ArcGIS JavaScript API's locally, you will need to order a new DVD to obtain the latest copy. - Is ArcGIS Server Supported with Microsoft Windows 2008 Server?
- Yes, at version 9.3 ArcGIS Server is supported with the Windows 2008 (32 bit and 64 bit) operating system.
- What licensing options are offered for ArcGIS Server?
- Depending on what features you need and how many simultaneous users you plan to serve, you can choose between three editions of ArcGIS Server (Advanced, Standard, and Basic). The functional editions of the product include
- Basic—This edition provides users with a comprehensive GIS server for spatial data management. It focuses on organizing and managing geographic datasets.
- Standard—This edition provides users with a comprehensive GIS server for spatial data management and visualization (mapping). This includes 2D mapping, 3D rendering (globe) services, and a suite of related features such as geocoding, gazetteer, routing, and so forth. (All aspects of the Basic edition are included in the Standard edition.)
- Advanced—This edition provides users with a comprehensive GIS server for spatial data management, visualization (mapping), and spatial analysis including browser-based editing, geoprocessing, spatial analysis, and modeling. (All aspects of the Basic and Standard editions are included in the Advanced edition.)
Furthermore, each functional edition has levels that define capacity. These levels are
- Workgroup—This level is designed and limited to run on a single machine with a single socket (single or dual core) and with an included SQL Server Express database engine.
- Enterprise—This level is designed to run and optionally deploy a GIS server on multiple machines, with scaling beyond two sockets per machine and on a user-defined database (SQL Server, DB2, Informix, or Oracle).
Talk to your local ESRI representative to find which configuration of ArcGIS Server is right for your organization.
- How is ArcGIS Server licensed in a virtualized environment?
- ArcGIS Server has two licensing options. You can choose to license by the number of cores on either the physical or virtual server(s) (as described below) whichever is the smaller number.
Option 1: Licensed by the number of cores on the virtual server. When creating a virtual server, a specific hardware server emulation configuration is typically defined. For example, a virtual server could be configured to run on a 2, 4, 8, 16 core physical server (the physical server does not matter for this option), or could be configured to use the cores from multiple physical servers. If the virtual server is configured as a 4 core virtual server, the license (and license fee) would be for a 4 core license. If the virtual server is configured as an 8 core virtual server, then the license and license fee would be a 4 core license with 4 additional cores. In this license model, the number of cores for the "virtual" server configuration is used to determine the license fee. The numbers of cores on the physical server(s) that support the virtual server are NOT used to determine the license fee.
Option 2: Licensed by the number of cores on the physical server(s) on which the virtual server is defined. Customers can license the physical server(s) on which virtual server(s) are configured. Generally, this model requires that ALL cores on the physical server(s) supporting virtual server configurations must be licensed. However, some virtualization technology now supports hardware partitioning. If the customer can document that their virtualization technology supports hardware partitioning, ESRI allows licensing based on the specific hardware resources being utilized by the hardware partition. For example, if the virtualization software supports creating a virtual server that utilizes a particular socket, or specific cores on a socket, then licensing is based on the specific number of physical hardware cores specified. Note: fractional partitioning below the core level still requires that the entire core be counted for licensing purposes. When licensing by the physical server, customers are free to install and run any number of instances of ESRI server software in any virtual servers that they create without the need for additional software licenses, provided that the physical server they are using is properly licensed to run this server software.
In summary, customers can choose whichever option provides the least number of cores to be licensed.
- Can an old ECP registration code be used for licensing newer versions of ESRI software?
- No, the ESRI products, ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Engine, and ArcIMS require a new ECP registration code for each released product version.
Contact ESRI Customer Service for specific information on Product Registration, such as obtaining a new registration number or an authorization file.
- Do I have to uninstall 9.2 to upgrade to 9.3?
- Yes, it is required to uninstall all previous versions of the software before upgrading to 9.3.
- How do I upgrade my existing ArcGIS Server applications from 9.2 to 9.3?
- See the help topic: Moving to ArcGIS Server 9.3.
- Is an additional license required to install components of ArcGIS Server on another machine (Distributed Setup)?
- Yes, whenever you take the installation media and install a component on another machine, it requires an additional license for the software. Please see your ESRI account rep for more details.
- Can I use the Windows XP or Vista operating system as a production environment for ArcGIS Server?
- ArcGIS Server 9.3 supports Windows XP and Vista operating systems for basic testing and application development use only. They are not recommended for deployment in a production environment.
For more information on Microsoft Vista support, see ESRI Support Center article: 34020.
- Does ArcGIS Server support 64-bit processors?
- ArcGIS on Windows is supported on 64-bit processors with ArcGIS 9.2 Service Pack 3 and higher. At Service Pack 3, the supported 64-bit Windows operating systems are Windows XP 64-bit and Windows 2003 Server 64-bit. ArcGIS 9.2 Service Pack 3 runs as a 32-bit application on these 64-bit Windows platforms, thereby taking advantage of some of the performance benefits of the 64-bit environment.
ArcGIS Server for .Net and Java and ArcIMS are native 32-bit applications. They are both certified running as a 32-bit application on 64-bit (x64) Microsoft Windows. Web server support is based on the Web server vendor's support of 64-bit Microsoft Windows. Check with a Web server vendor, if the Web server is supported on 64-bit Microsoft Windows. In addition to Windows, ArcGIS Server for Java and ArcIMS are supported on Solaris and Linux. ArcGIS Server for Java and ArcIMS are both supported in a Solaris 64-bit environment. ArcGIS Server for Java and ArcIMS on 64-bit Linux are not supported.
For more information on 32 and 64-bit support, see ESRI Support Center article: 29391.
- Where is the ArcGIS Server Post Installation summary log file location?
- After running the Post Installation for ArcGIS Server, a summary log file is created. This log file is used to review how the ArcGIS Server environment was configured and to resolve any permission/rights issues after installation.
The log file name is ArcGISServerPostInstallLog.txt. On Windows, the log file is written to the %TEMP% directory defined for the Windows user account that installed ArcGIS Server. On Solaris/Linux, the log file is written to /var/tmp.
- Where is the ArcSDE Installation CD/DVD?
- ArcSDE is no longer shipped as a separate product in a separate box. This functionality is now included with the ArcGIS Server Enterprise software licensing option in the ArcGIS Server Enterprise box.
If you received an ArcGIS Server Enterprise box, locate a separate DVD in the media kit that contains the ArcSDE installation.
Even though you may have the Windows version of ArcGIS Server, the ArcSDE DVD installation disk contains the setups for ALL platforms.
If you are current on your ArcSDE maintenance, you should receive the ArcGIS Server Enterprise 9.2 box when the product gets shipped. If that is not the case, please contact your ESRI Regional Sales representative.
- Can ArcGIS Server and other ArcGIS products be installed on the same Linux or Solaris machine?
- Yes, it is possible to install ArcGIS Server and other ArcGIS products on a single Linux/Solaris machine. To prohibit the two applications not interfering with one another, ArcGIS Server must be installed with a different user account and in a separate location from the other ArcGIS products. The other ArcGIS products must also be installed in Single User mode, not Multiple User mode. Warning messages are displayed reminding the user of these requirements if conflicts are detected during installation.
Data Management | Image Management | Database Integration
- What is the difference between the new image service available with ArcGIS Server 9.3 and the new ArcGIS Server Image extension?
- An image service is one of the core services available in ArcGIS Server. This means that you can create image services out of the box with the Standard and Advanced editions of ArcGIS Server.
- Image services can be created from any raster dataset in any format.
- Image services provide advanced visualization. For example, Desktop users can connect to an image service and change the band combination of a multiband image.
- Image services provide optimized data transmission. You can adjust the image service for low bandwidth networks.
- Image services can be used as inputs to geoprocessing. For example, Desktop users can use image services with other geoprocessing tools to model geophysical phenomenon, such as solar radiation or change detection.
The Image extension allows you to create a compiled image service definition file (.ISCDef). With ISCDef files, you can define what images are included in the image service, how they will be mosaicked, and other parameters like orthorectification, pan-sharpening, and enhancements. This innovative approach to imagery publication reduces the time between imagery acquisition and exploitation.- The Image extension simplifies image management. For example, not only can you directly publish images in their raw format (without preprocessing) but you can create an image service from a large number of individual images that may be in different projections, pixel sizes, or locations.
- The Image extension improves the performance of your image services.
- The Image extension allows you to optimize imagery for multiple applications within a single service. For example, elevation data can be served with a range of different renderings.
- The Image extension includes technology that allows you to dynamically change the ordering of overlapping imagery, which is critical for temporal analysis.
- The Image extension also provides detailed metadata about the imagery being viewed.
- Is there an overview of the enterprise geodatabase architecture?
- For a concise overview of the enterprise geodatabase and a list of related resources, read the ArcUser article, Enterprise Geodatabase 101. If you just need a basic understanding of the geodatabase, read the Geodatabase Essentials - Part I: What is the Geodatabase? post on Inside the Geodatabase blog.
- What can I do with my database to improve performance?
- Read the Five Best Practices for Maintaining an ArcSDE Geodatabase post on Inside the Geodatabase blog.
- Does ArcGIS Server support an open source enterprise database?
- Yes - PostgreSQL. Read the PostgreSQL database support at ArcGIS 9.3 post on Inside the Geodatabase blog.
Server Administration | Performance | Scalability
- How can I learn more about map caching to improve performance?
- If you're new to map caching, start with Map caching for beginners and Updating your map caches automatically on the ArcGIS Server Development Blog. Next, read Part 1 of Deconstruction the map cache tiling scheme. Then read Part 2: (Part II): Working with map caches programmatically.
You may also be interested in the Creating a 3D globe cache from a 2D map cache post.
Watch the free Training Seminar, Authoring and Publishing Optimized Map Services.
Tutorials can help you create a map cache and tiling scheme in the Web Help.
Application Development
- Can I have the .NET 2.0 framework and .NET 3.5 framework on the same machine?
- Yes, ArcGIS Server for the .NET Framework at 9.3 requires a minimum of .NET Framework 2.0 to run applications, but both 2.0 and 3.5 can co-exist without issues.
- What has ESRI done to improve the WebADFs?
- At 9.3 we have dramatically improved the performance of .Net WebADF applications by reducing the number of callbacks to the server and optimizing different aspects of the application. We have also worked on improving the user experience while configuring applications with ArcGIS Manager, and also while using the Web Mapping Applications.
A new out of the box Print task has been created and its source code is now part of the Code Galleries available from the Developer Help at resources.esri.com. We will continue to post the source code of new tasks in the future.
From a developer point of view, we have fully implemented Ms AJAX allowing developers to follow standard coding patterns in .Net. JAVA support to AJAX as also been improved. Also, WebADF Java components are delivered to the NetBeans platform as Netbeans plugins that can be updated on-line, in the same way as other standard netbeans modules can be delivered/updated.
Finally, both the .Net and Java WebADFs include more comprehensive developer documentation.
- Does the Web ADF for .NET version 9.3 support Microsoft AJAX 1.0?
- At 9.3 ESRI does plan to support Web ADF controls with ASP.NET AJAX. For a good discussion on this topic, read the Using ASP.NET AJAX with the Web ADF post on the ArcGIS Server Development Blog.
- How does the Java Web ADF handle cached ArcGIS Server services that have been added to the map?
- The Java Web Application Developer Framework (ADF) allows multiple resources to be added to the map that is displayed in the browser. Any combination of ArcIMS, ArcGIS Server, Web Map Server (WMS), and ArcWeb services can be added to the map. When dealing with ArcGIS Server services, the Java Web ADF differentiates between those that have generated map cache and those that have not generated map cache. In all cases the cache is used. Of the two scenarios below, the first generally runs slower.
- If the cached ArcGIS Server service is above a layer that does not have cache, then it asks the MapServer server object container (SOC) for that resource and the MapServer uses the cache in generating an image.
- In all other situations the Java Web ADF retrieves the cache directly or accesses it through the cache tile handler.
- Where can I learn more about best practices or tips and tricks for developing with ArcGIS Server?
- You can watch or download presentations made by ESRI's product engineers and managers at the 2008 ESRI Developer Summit. For a list of ArcGIS Server presentations go here.
Standards | Interoperability | IT | Security
- ArcGIS Server seems oriented to large integrated systems. Can it be used by small organizations or workgroups?
- Yes, ArcGIS Server has undergone three major changes that support its use in small organizations and workgroups:
- It is much simpler to install and administer. It has been designed for easy deployment by GIS professionals.
- It has out-of-the-box applications that can be used immediately (in the same manner as ArcGIS Desktop).
- New licensing options make it affordable and scalable based on capacity and functionality.
- How can ArcGIS content be exported for visualization in Google earth?
- At 9.3, you can publish your GIS content as KML. Keyhole Markup Language (KML) is an XML-based file format used to represent geographic features in applications such as Google Earth and ArcGIS Explorer. If you haven't tried it, yet, download ArcGIS Explorer (a free, Google Earth-like application) that handles KML easily.
For ArcGIS Desktop, there two new tools in ArcToolbox: Map To KML & Layer To KML. These tools will allow you to publish your GIS content and add it to Google Earth and ArcGIS Explorer. You will literally be able to drag and drop the KML files on those applications to visualize the information. This means you won't have to include basemap information in your map or create a basemap layer because you'll be using Google Maps or ArcGIS Explorer basemaps.
For ArcGIS Server, any service you create is automatically output as KML as well. Keep in mind that ArcGIS Server services are available to a variety of client applications, including ArcMap, ArcGIS Explorer, Google Earth, Google Maps, and Microsoft Virtual Earth. Check out Services Directory website for the portland service hosted on ArcGIS Online. Here, you get metadata about the service and you can preview the ArcGIS Server service (Portland/Portland_ESRI_LandBase_AGO (MapServer)) that's open to the public in any of those client applications. If you choose Google Earth, you can download the KMZ file for the service and then drop it onto Google Earth or ArcGIS Explorer. If you choose ArcGIS Explorer, you can download the NMF file for the service and then drop it onto ArcGIS Explorer. If you choose ArcGIS JavaScript, you see an interactive map of the service. With ArcGIS Server 9.3, a Services Directory website is automatically generated for every service you create.
- Does ESRI support ArcGIS Server in virtualized environments?
- Yes. We support all the components of ArcGIS Server in virtualized environments as long as they run on supported platforms. Xen, Solaris Zones and VMware are some of the virtualization/hypervisor products on the market today. If you have questions or problems, contact the Support Center and we will assist you to the best of our abilities. It is important to note that ArcGIS Server works in virtualized environments but it is not certified on them. To be certified would mean that ArcGIS Server has passed our rigorous testing program on systems, which includes various OSs, DBMSs, chipsets, etc. that are running in a virtualized environment. Given a finite set of resources, ESRI had to limit the breadth of technologies/platforms we test in during our certification process. To date, none of the virtualization/hipervisor products are one of those platforms (nor are other enterprise technologies such as DBMS replication, fail-over solutions, etc). While not "certified", we do have lots of customers that have gotten ArcGIS Server to "work" on virtualized environments (especially on VMware, which is as of date the most popular).
- Is there compatibility between ArcGIS Server and ArcIMS products and versions?
- Yes. For more information, see FAQ for compatibility among ArcGIS Server and ArcIMS products and versions. [PDF]
- What versions of AutoCAD does ArcGIS for AutoCAD work with?
- ArcGIS for AutoCAD requires the .NET API implemented in AutoCAD 2007 and newer versions. Starting with ArcGIS for AutoCAD 9.2.2816.24072, AutoCAD 2007 and 2008 are supported. This includes all AutoCAD-based products that support the AutoCAD .NET 2.0 APIs, such as AutoCAD 2007 and 2008. AutoCAD versions prior to 2007 and AutoCAD LT do not support these necessary APIs required by ArcGIS for AutoCAD.
- Can the Mobile ADF connect to ArcGIS Server for Java running on Unix or Linux?
- Yes, the Mobile ADF in ArcGIS Server can be used to connect to ArcGIS Server Advanced editions. The type of Web ADF, .NET or Java, installed on the server does not matter.
The Server Object Container (SOC) must be installed on a Windows machine. SOCs installed on Linux and Solaris machines do not work with the Mobile ADF.
- Are there instructions for securing ArcGIS Server using a reverse proxy system?
- For the complete discussion of using reverse proxy with ArcGIS Server, see ESRI Support Center article: 32634.
