ESRI ArcGIS Server Behind the scenes

1. ESRI ArcGISServer Behind the scenes Pavel Janda pjanda@compass.ie

2. Objectives • Quick introduction to ArcGIS Server • ArcGIS Server architecture • Web application development options • Optimising a web mapping application • Supporting tools (customisation)

3. Objectives • Quick introduction to ArcGIS Server • ArcGIS Server architecture • Web application development options • Optimising a web mapping application • Supporting tools (customisation)

4. What is ArcGIS Server • You may already have geographic resources/ documents • For example... • Maps – ArcMap documents • Globes – ArcGlobe documents • GeoProcessing Models – Toolboxes • Etc… • ArcGIS Server enables you to share these resources • The resource runs on a server • Service = resource running on a server • Users connect to the service to use it.

5. The ArcGIS Server model Author geographic content Publish geographic content Serve published content

6. Types of ArcGIS Server services Map View or query a 2D map on the server Image Quick access to Geocoded Image Files Globe View or query a 3D globe on the server Geodata Perform data replication, extraction, or query over the intranet or Internet Geoprocessing Run a tool or model on the server and get the results back Geocode Run an address locator Mobile Publish data to Mobile ADF and ArcPad Geometry Geometry Manipulation such as buffering, simplifying, and projecting

7. ArcGIS Server clients Desktop Web Mobile ArcGIS Explorer Open API’s Desktop Web browsers Mobile ArcGIS Explorer Third party

8. Objectives • Quick introduction to ArcGIS Server • ArcGIS Server architecture • Web application development options • Optimising a web mapping application • Supporting tools (customisation)

10. ArcGIS Server Components • Server Object Manager (SOM) • Manages the set of services distributed across one or more SOCs • Applications connect to SOM • Server Object Containers (SOCs) • Hosts the ArcGIS Server services • All services run on all container machines

11. ArcGIS Server Components Application SOCs SOM

12. Objectives • Quick introduction to ArcGIS Server • ArcGIS Server architecture • Web application development options • Optimising a web mapping application • Supporting tools (customisation)

13. The ArcGIS Server Overview

14. Web Applications development options • Web API’s • JavaScript • Flex • Silverlight • WebADF’s • .NET • Java http://resources.esri.com/arcgisserver/index.cfm?fa=applications

15. How do I decide? • Consideration: • Your skills and passion • Level of complexity required • Your constraints (standards, legacy applications) • Functionality • Design

16. Sample applications National Biodiversity Data Centre mapping system River Basin Management Plans mapping system EPA Unregulated Landfill Risk Assessment EPA Assimilative Capacity Modelling for Industrial Discharge Licensing Generic Map Viewer – not being presented

17. Objectives • Quick introduction to ArcGIS Server • ArcGIS Server architecture • Web application development options • Optimising a web mapping application • Supporting tools (customisation)

19. Optimising a web mapping application

20. Servicing requests Hardware and software options Configure your web server Configure web application server configuration options and design (SOC’s and SOM’s)

21. Authoring Web maps Authoring a map for ArcGIS Server has some restrictions! We have to plan and design our maps for the Web Dynamic mapping vs. cached maps

22. Dynamic mapping • More layers = more work = more time rendering • Don’t forget that symbology can make one layer look like many • Set scale-dependent rendering for layers • Use the same coordinate system for your data and map • Pre-calculate all you can • Use the new optimisation toolbar

23. Dynamic mapping • Simplify layer symbology – ESRI_Optimized style • Halos, transparency, etc. – look nice, affect performance… • Choose colours to avoid dithering • Use field visibility • Hide unnecessary attributes • Carry out joins in the RDBMS, not in MXD • Use definition queries carefully • Consider creating DB views

24. Dynamic mapping - Labelling • Labelling takes time: calculation and placement • Avoid complex label expressions; pre-calculate if possible • Use indexed fields (reduce label SQL query and complexity) • Avoid special effects (fill patterns, halos, callouts, background) • Avoid Maplex for dynamic labelling • Consider annotation

25. New optimised maps (9.3.1) • New optimised drawing engine • Anti-aliasing • Resource is map service definition file (.msd) • Map Service Publishing Toolbar

26. What is map caching? Very effective way to make your maps run faster Entire map is pre-generated at several different scales Only for static data

27. Map caches • Fused • Single image tiles for all map layers at each scale • Best performance • No control over individual layer visibility • Multi-layer • Image tiles for each map layer at each scale level • Only practical with ArcMap clients • Avoid with web applications

28. On-demand caching To build a map cache could take days or weeks Create tiles as they are visited by users and adds them to your cache First visitor to an area must wait for tiles to be created Pre-create tiles for areas that you anticipate will be most popular

29. Data (vector & raster) Set minimum and maximum scale sensibly Use spatial views and spatial indexes Make sure pyramids are constructed for raster data Raster datasets perform quicker than raster catalogues … but takes longer to build

30. Storage DBF file Raster file Shape file Personal GDB File GDB ArcSDE GDB

31. Objectives • Quick introduction to ArcGIS Server • ArcGIS Server architecture • Web application development options • Optimising a web mapping application • Supporting tools (customisation)

33. Biodiversity Maps - background • Mapping page is usually just the tip of the iceberg • Data Validator • Data Loader • Species Dictionary Extractor • Conversion tools • Custom visualisation • XML Framework

34. XML-Driven Mapping Engine

35. Objectives • Quick introduction to ArcGIS Server • ArcGIS Server architecture • Web application development options • Optimising a web mapping application • Supporting tools (customisation)

36. ESRI ArcGISServer Behind the scenes Pavel Janda pjanda@compass.ie