ROK Technologies ESRI Developer Blog - ArcGIS General

ArcGIS Server Hosting

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:20:00 -0400

As a general rule, I don't post things here that are ROK Technologies specific. Yes, I do post on occasional demo or recently released site if I think it merits a mention. I usually stick to tips and tricks that I find when using ESRI based products. So, this is my rare exception to that rule. We have been hosting ArcGIS Server & ArcIMS applications for a long time now - but usually for our existing clients for whom we have developed an application for. However, as time passed, it became clear to us that there was a real need for better, widespread ArcGIS Server hosting. ArcGIS Server, especially with 9.3 has opened up GIS applications to the masses. That sounds very cliché I know, but it really is true this time. These ArcGIS Server services can be published and used in so many different types of clients (desktop, web, etc). But, we are also aware, that setting up a full fledged ArcGIS server environment is not an inexpensive proposition. There are some serious hardware (think multiple quad core, disk space for cached maps), software (think SQL Server & ArcGIS Server), and bandwidth requirements (more than you would think, especially for tiles!) to be addressed. The costs for implementation add up quickly. We won't even get into the ongoing maintenance required. Some folks just want to publish a service and be done with it. And we understand that. Being responsive and always available to our clients is our mantra. If you call us, we pick up the phone, and get it done. So, that being said, I'd like you to know about ROK Technologies ArcGIS Server hosting options. We have some serious infrastructure inplace (see below) and can handle any sized site you require. Some folks may just want to host services to consume in their self hosted applications. Some may want to offload their map cache tiles onto our high speed fiber network to free up their machines for serving their dynamic map services at full capacity. Do you have some data, but not quite sure what to do with it? We can provide a turnkey (think tax assessor site, data browser, and parcel viewer) website that's all inclusive (ArcGIS License, hosting & development). Yes, we can do it fast. Send us your data, and well send you your URL the next day. Or, maybe you need the soup to nuts solution - geodatabase replication, custom application development/hosting, and map cache management. We have you covered there too. Take advantage of our infrastructure. Think about freeing yourself up a bit. Our years and years of experience can help you get your site up and running fast (and right). Please do get in touch if you have any questions. info@roktech.net 888.898.3404 Click for a fullsize shot:

D-ATLAS (Diabetes Atlas) - How it works

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:26:00 -0400

What is the D-ATLAS?
The D-ATLAS (Diabetes Atlas) maps the prevalence and costs associated with type 2 diabetes.

Press Release:
The D-ATLAS: A Tool Supporting the Fight Against Diabetes

To View the Atlas, register here:
http://www.z-atlas.com/content.php?sec=diabetes

Overview
The Diabetes Atlas was built using a combination of ESRI's ArcGIS Server JavaScript API and Microsoft's .NET Framework. ArcGIS Online data is used to show the street data in the Atlas. The Disease information is displayed using ArcGIS Server MultiLayer Cached Services. Finally, the demographic boundaries are displayed using ArcGIS Server 9.3.1 Optimized Map Services and GraphicsLayers.

Managing the Cache
Although fused caches perform the best, we needed to be able to turn layers on and off. Consequently, we decided to use multilayer services that are cached. Now that 9.3.1 is out, we are looking more towards migrating these services to optimized map services. This would eliminate the struggles to manage large cached datasets. However, we've found that performance at the national level is still slower with optimized map services due to the amount of information (or polygons) that need to be rendered on the server. Using the multilayer services that are cached draws the national maps quickly by grabbing the images directly from the cached folders.

Printing:
Printing on the web is never fun. Consequently, it has by far been the biggest challenge. We have gone through many versions of printing during the lifetime of the Atlases. Now, we are using the print sample found in DS2009: Developing Advanced Applications with the ArcGIS JavaScript API. We modified the code to work with a hidden "whiteout layer" from the main page. A definition query on the "whiteout layer" is updated as users change the regions. Then when map is printed, the whiteout layer's visibility is set to true. The whiteout layer covers the non-selected areas showing only the specific region the user wants to print.

Managing the Atlases:
All the information displayed in the Atlases are managed from a SQL Sever database. The database stores information at the Disease, Disease Year, and Demographic levels. Consequently, we can easily update information in the Atlases (Legend Images, Legend Titles, Active and Inactive Services, methodology, etc) without having to touch the code. For example, if we need to update the cache for a service, we can simply set the service to inactive in the database, and it will not show up in the Atlas while the cache is being built.

Screen Grabs:
D-Atlas:

Print Page:

Coldfusion 9 Launched

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:50:00 -0400

Wow...Adobe just keeps wowing me with what they are doing with Coldfusion. Coldfusion 9 was released today. Check it out: Coldfusion 9 What a great time to be a Coldfusion developer...especially with the tight Flex integration...this make my ArcGIS Server development a breeze. I tend to do most of my searching via Coldfusion cfcs with front ends in Flex. Using serverside cfc's to construct straight REST calls to ArcGIS Server has also proved to be dead simple and powerful.

MapHIV.org scheduled for demo at the opening of the 2009 ESRI User Conference.

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:05:00 -0400

Hey all. No one from ROK will be attending the ESRI User Conference this year (more of these atlas apps coming too soon)...but we have some cool news. Jack Dangermond will be giving a demo our latest release of the MapHIV atlas. I imagine its being spotlighted because of the huge amount of press it received. Well, its a cool app too...And of course, its done with ArcGIS Server 9.3.1. So, any readers that will be at UC, make sure to let us know how the demo goes!

ArcGIS Server Training - Charleston, SC

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:45:00 -0400

Everyone always asks for an excuse to visit Charleston... well here is your chance! ROK is hosting two ArcGIS Server training classes this August at College of Charleston's GIS Lab. Administering ArcGIS Server
2 Days (Monday, August 17th and Tuesday, August 18th) $850.00
Training will cover all the steps you need to get ArcGIS Server up and running in your organization. In addition, it will go into some of the more advanced functionality ArcGIS Server has to offer including building optimized map cache and publishing geoprocessing tools to the web. Here is a link to the outline for Administering ArcGIS Server:
http://www.roktech.net/training/Administering.pdf Developing Applications for ArcGIS Server
2 days (Wednesday, August 19th and Thursday, August 20th) $850.00
Training will give you the tools and knowledge to start developing fast light weight mapping applications that users are now expecting. ArcGIS Server 9.3 offers new APIs that allow developers to get their data on the web in a quick, stylish, and developer friendly interface. We will cover the JavaScript API, Flex API, and briefly discuss the WebADF. On day two of this training, we will set aside time for you to apply the skills you've learned to start creating or continue developing applications for your organization. ROK developers will be there to help you along the way. Here is the link to the outline for Developing Applications for ArcGIS Server:
http://www.roktech.net/training/DevelopingApplications.pdf For more information or to sign up for a class, please contact training@roktech.net

Apply SP1 BEFORE installing the ArcGIS Server 9.3.1 update

Thu, 21 May 2009 15:10:00 -0400

I recently ran into some strange issues with FIND tasks in ArcGIS Server 9.3.1. This machine was a clean install and went from did 9.3 straight to 9.3.1. Everything looked great, (especially the speedy MSD files...another blog post on these coming soon) except our FIND tasks were broken. Nothing would return. No error, just an empty json response. So, tried lots of different things...Different datasources (different flavors of SDE, file based GDB, etc) to no avail. Well this morning, I wiped the machine and did a reinstall and did 9.3 --> 9.3 sp1 --> 9.3.1 and the FIND task now works. It could have been a pure coincidence, but to those that are upgrading or building a new box, it doesn't hurt to apply sp1 before moving to the 9.3.1 update. Usually, these things contain cumulative fixes, so I don't really have a good explanation. Special thanks to Ravi from the Redlands ArcGIS Server team for assisting me with this issue.

2 Handy Tools To Have When Working With ArcGIS Server

Mon, 18 May 2009 10:54:00 -0400

If you have ever worked with any ArcGIS product, you know all to well the concept of file locking. How many times have you tried to delete an old shapefile or person GDB, only to get the old 'File is being used by another process', yada yada. It always seems to happen to me when I am testing out a new Geoprocessing Tool or trying to delete an old mxd. Well, Unlocker to the rescue. This handy little utility has saved me endless frustration when dealing with these file locking situations. Not only will it tell you what process is locking your file, it can 'unlock' that process as well so you can delete or rename that file. This gets installed with me wherever I go. Careful on the install though, by default it wants to install 'ebay shortcuts', which is a money maker for the author. I'd suggest a small donation instead. The other tool that has come in handy in the past is one of the PSTOOLS...psexec. This little cmd line utility will allow you to launch a process as another user. Yes, you can also right click and choose 'run as' but this lets you create a batch file and run it over and over. Why would I want this? Well, I have had a few instances of having to connect to an ArcGIS server as another user to test permissions, etc, and this has been a handy tool to have.

ArcGIS Server JS API and IE 8

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:14:00 -0400

Hey all. Just a reminder, now the IE 8 is released, to check out your ArcGIS Server javascript api based sites and make sure they all work as you expect. I for one have had some issues with some graphic layers, so I have added a custom header to IIS instructing IE 8 to render pages in IE 7 compatibility mode. Here is how to add the custom header to IIS (lifted from msdn): To configure IIS 6 and earlier versions to include a custom HTTP response header, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Run, type inetmgr.exe, and then click OK. 2. Expand the server you want and then expand Web Sites. 3. Right-click the Web site you want and then click Properties. 4. Click the HTTP Headers tab. 5. Under Custom HTTP headers, click Add. 6. In the Custom header name box, type X-UA-Compatible. 7. In the Custom header value box, type IE=EmulateIE7. 8. Click OK two times. Sure, I should have taken the time to test with the previous IE 8 release candidates, but you know the life of the developer is filled with other more important things, like keeping clients happy and getting my fix of Mt Dew for the day. So, I'll be using this method until I can properly figure out my graphics issues. Also, another tool that I have been meaning to blog about is IEtester. It comes with 'My DebugBar' which is the IE equivalent of Firebug. Well, I shouldn't even say that, its not anywhere near as functional as Firebug. Anyway, IEtester lets you view your sites in different IE rendering engines. From 5.5 all the way to 8. Its been a pretty handy tool during testing. Enjoy. PS: Anyone have an extra Asheville Phish ticket?

Creating a Simple Layer List With The ArcGIS Server Javascript / REST api

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:41:00 -0400

I thought it was time to put my money where my mouth has been these past couple of months. I have been yapping about how easy the new ArcGIS javascript api is to work with, so I thought I'd share a very simple example. This example will show how to create a simple layer list for a DYNAMIC map service and give you the ability to turn layers on and off. Maybe I'll follow this post up with one for a tiled service. In my example, I use Coldfusion, but you could easily adapt this to your langauge of choice. Actually, you could do this with pure javascript, but using something like Coldfusion just makes sense to me - as you will see from this example. Also, lets be clear - I am terrible with javascript - and I'll be the first to admit that. However, there are thousands and thousands of examples out there to help you along. I'll show you the important parts here, but essentially its broken down into 3 parts. 1. Make a simple REST call to get a list of all the layers in the map service 2. Loop over the results to display the Layer name and a simple check box (with a onclick event) 3. Create the javascript that turns on and off the layers and then refreshes the map The simple REST call:

Now display the results of the REST call:



checked>#Name#

Lastly, add some javascript functions that will keep track of the layers to turn on and off and then refresh the map:

Note that when I make the REST call, I am using a Coldfusion component (CFC). I have included that cfc in the code download (see below for the link or get it here). So, hopefully when you see the finished code you see just how easy it really is. This simple demo is available to actually try and view here: http://maps.roktech.net/demo/layerlist.cfm. Hopefully I can get some kind of regular series of simple ArcGIS Server javascript and REST api demos going...

The unexpected surprise...

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:09:00 -0400

I hadn't counted on this. For you ArcIMS veterans, you know that it can be very, er, temperamental at times. If you are responsible for a high volume site, you dont just know it, you live it. You've written scripts to start and stop it. You've written scripts to ping your mapserver. You can refresh your services via the cmd line. You have full logging on more than you'd like too. Heck we have a utility that we wrote to send us a text message if a service comes back as unresponsive. I really wasnt looking forward to the management of a production ArcGIS server. We have been using it since its inception at version 9, and have always found it to be temperamental as well. However, with the advent of the REST api (plus its Javascript wrapper), and the extensive use of tile caching, we have found an most unexpected benefit. ArcGIS Server, when utilizing REST & JS, is very easy to manage. No more corrupted sez files. No more runaway aimserver.exe's. Strange. I'm not used to it yet. Of course, there are some obvious reasons for this - which I would say is mainly due to heavy use of caches and client side code. Granted, these apps are simple in comparison (lets say vs a heavy duty ArcIMS site). My hope is that as these new API's continue to evolve and our apps increase in complexity, that the management of the server remains to be straightforward as it is now.

ArcGIS 9.3 JS API Update Rolled Out The Door Last Night

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:54:00 -0400

The ArcGIS Server team rolled out the latest update to the 9.3 Javascript API last night. A big shout goes out to Jeremy Bartley (a fellow Coldfusion developer) from the ArcGIS Server team for the advanced notice. I was able to get my applications updated with just a few tweaks. There is a bunch of (good) changes in this release, and I suspect its getting very close to final. Things of note: The infoWindow is more configurable Serializing of Graphics Slider bar is more configurable Navigation Toolbar enhancements I ran into two gotchas...I am adding graphics to the map after its been loaded and I had to move my dojo.connect onload to just after the map creation. The only other issue was to make certain that you have your doctype set to (this was outlined in the api change doc). Looking great guys, keep up the good work.

ArcGIS Server Flex API announced!

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:17:00 -0400

I had a little bird tell me about the upcoming Flex API for ArcGIS Server. I have been sitting on this one for a while and its been killing me not to share this. Well, looks like it has been officially announced at the ESRI Dev conference today, so I guess that means it is finally public knowledge. In my mind, AGS with Flex, and a Coldfusion backend is going to be one powerful force to reckon with. From what I have been told, its going to be similar in functionality to the recently released (beta) JS and REST api. It looks like its not slated for release until 9.4....but I have been promised (by my birdie friend) access to the early beta. I'll be sure to share what I can as info comes in...

ArcGIS Server REST 9.3 Documentation is UP

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:10:00 -0400

Title says it all. Lets start digging! http://sampleserver1.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/SDK/REST/index.html Anyone interested in developing a cfc wrapper for the JS and REST api's let me know. UPDATE: Tried to take a look at this again this morning...and it looks like it got yanked. Maybe I was a bit over zealous? UPDATE 2: Looks like there is another link that is still active: http://resources.esri.com/93beta/arcgisserver/apis/rest/index.html

A Second Look at ArcSDE and SQL On Virtual Machine

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:54:00 -0400

I posted a while back about moving much of our server infrastructure over to a virtual environment. I have been pleased, for the most part with the outcome. However....While I already sorta new the answer to this question before I started, I would now not recommend a ArcSDE / SQL Server instance in a virtual machine. Or at least one where there is serious competition for disk io. So, we have now migrated our production box out of a VM onto a dedicated box. However, we still have a testing environment running ArcSDE and SQL in a VM. Its just for beta applications and has pretty low load. It was just a little too much to ask. Things ran fine, for a while, but as we brought more and more services online, it became obvious that this VM wasn't going to be able to handle the load we were throwing at it. I did even try some intermediate steps, like moving the OS and Host drive to a raid 5 array, but that still wasn't enough. Now, with all that being said...I am still extremely happy with the Virtual Environment for applications like ArcIMS, ArcGIS Server, DNS, etc. These have worked out very well for us.

ESRI Applications (ArcIMS, ArcSDE, ArcGIS Server) in a Virtual Server Environment

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 10:30:00 -0400

Over the years, we have amassed a motley assortment of servers. We had a mail server, ArcIMS production, ArcIMS Development, ArcSDE production, ArcSDE development, WINS/Domain Controller/VPN, File Server, ArcGIS Server, Webserver, etc etc etc. We were up to around 10 separate servers. Some new, some quite old. I used the basic trickle down method - relegating the old servers for the domain controllers and mailserver and reserving the new ones for ArcIMS and Database. Well, I got sick and tired on managing all of them. I need the power of the newer ones, but they rarely would come under any kind of load. Not one of them was able to utilize all of the cpu cycles available. But cramming too many applications on a single server can be quite problematic as many of you know. So, I decided to check out VMWare and virtual servers in general. After some initial testing, I set out to buy a brand new, big daddy server. Here is what I came up with: Dual Quad Core (8 effective cpus) 8 GB RAM 1 Terrabyte of RAID 5 for data 250 GB of RAID 1 for the host Operating system and virtual machine OS drives I won't go into the pro's and con's of virtualization here. You can get plenty of info out there...I'll just share my experience with ESRI products in a virtual environment. Now, when someone needs a ArcGIS Server 9.2 testing environment, its a piece of cake. Basically, the ability to provision a new server is in just a few minutes makes my life so much easier. If something goes wrong with ArcIMS, I can simply shut it down and start that virtual server on another machine. I have run into 1 issue, which I sort of expected. Disk i/o issues. I have both a production and a testing sql server on the same host server. When they are both contending for the disk I see a little slowdown - not much, but noticeable to me. So, my recommendation to you, if you choose to use virtualization is to get fast disks, in a raid 5 for your virtual 'data' drives. The end results is that I am running 6 virtual machines within my beast server. From what I can tell, I can safely run a few more. I also to kept 3 of my other physical servers which were only a year or 2 old. These are used to host the virtual machines in the case that the beast goes down. My experience thus far has been nothing short of fantastic. Anyone have any issues or info they would care to share?