Updating your hosted feature services with ArcGIS Pro and the ArcGIS API for Python

The first step is to install the ArcGIS API for Python; from within ArcGIS Pro, find and add the arcgis package using the Python Package Manager. Alternatively, open a Python command prompt from: Start > ArcGIS > ArcGIS Pro > Python Command Prompt and use the following command, agreeing to update packages (if necessary):

 conda install -c esri arcgis

After installing the ArcGIS Python API you need to define the steps of your update process. Typically, this will involve one or more authors working on the local datasets that were shared to ArcGIS online. The source documents and data will be used to create a service definition (.sd) file using Python. At a prescribed time, perhaps every night at midnight, the local .sd file with your new data will be uploaded to ArcGIS online where it will be used to replace the hosted service.

Copy the following code and save it locally as a Python file (updatewebmap.py). This code creates the .sd file and upload/publishes it on ArcGIS online. A number of variables will need to be set within the script; the path to the project, service name username, password, metadata and sharing options when you create the file.

[sourcecode language=”python”]
import arcpy
import os, sys
from arcgis.gis import GIS

### Start setting variables
# Set the path to the project
prjPath = r”C:PROJECTSNightlyUpdatesNightlyUpdates.aprx”

# Update the following variables to match:
# Feature service/SD name in arcgis.com, user/password of the owner account
sd_fs_name = “MyPublicMap”
portal = “http://www.arcgis.com” # Can also reference a local portal
user = “UserName”
password = “p@sswOrd”

# Set sharing options
shrOrg = True
shrEveryone = False
shrGroups = “”

### End setting variables

# Local paths to create temporary content
relPath = sys.path[0]
sddraft = os.path.join(relPath, “WebUpdate.sddraft”)
sd = os.path.join(relPath, “WebUpdate.sd”)

# Create a new SDDraft and stage to SD
print(“Creating SD file”)
arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True
prj = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject(prjPath)
mp = prj.listMaps()[0]
arcpy.mp.CreateWebLayerSDDraft(mp, sddraft, sd_fs_name, ‘MY_HOSTED_SERVICES’, ‘FEATURE_ACCESS’,”, True, True)
arcpy.StageService_server(sddraft, sd)

print(“Connecting to {}”.format(portal))
gis = GIS(portal, user, password)

# Find the SD, update it, publish /w overwrite and set sharing and metadata
print(“Search for original SD on portal…”)
sdItem = gis.content.search(“{} AND owner:{}”.format(sd_fs_name, user), item_type=”Service Definition”)[0]
print(“Found SD: {}, ID: {} n Uploading and overwriting…”.format(sdItem.title, sdItem.id))
sdItem.update(data=sd)
print(“Overwriting existing feature service…”)
fs = sdItem.publish(overwrite=True)

if shrOrg or shrEveryone or shrGroups:
print(“Setting sharing options…”)
fs.share(org=shrOrg, everyone=shrEveryone, groups=shrGroups)

print(“Finished updating: {} – ID: {}”.format(fs.title, fs.id))
[/sourcecode]

You can run the code from command line with the following command.

C:Program FilesArcGISProbinPythonenvsarcgispro-py3python.exe c:mycodeupdatewebmap.py

Once you’re sure the script has properly updated your hosted feature service, you can use the command in a scheduled task. This blog has more information about creating a scheduled task.

Important Notes: