You can publish layers in bulk from a database data store item in the ArcGIS Enterprise portal. When you do this, one feature layer item and one map image layer item are created for each accessible feature class and table in the database. These layers reference the data in the database; the data is not copied to another location. After the layer items are created, you can share the layers with those who need access to them so they can use the layers in their own maps, scenes, and apps.
Considerations before you publish in bulk from a database data store
Keep the following in mind before you publish layers in bulk from a database data store item in the portal:
- You must be the owner of the data store item to publish layers in bulk from it.
- You must be a member of a role that has privileges to create feature layers in bulk from a data store item and publish server-based layers.
- Bulk publishing from a cloud data warehouse or NoSQL database is not supported.
- Feature and map image layers are created for all feature classes and tables in the database that can be accessed through the database connection. If any of the feature classes or tables have related tables, separate feature and map image layers will be created for each related table. All layers have the name of the feature class or table from which they were published. Only you have access to the layers when you create them, but you or an organization administrator can share layers with other members of the organization or the public. For this reason, it is important to consider what feature classes and tables that the user specified in the connection file can access and what type of privileges the user has on those datasets.
- The database user specified in the database connection should only have access to the subset of feature classes and tables that the user needs to publish in bulk.
- Ensure that the privileges granted to the user specified in the database connection are appropriate for each dataset.
When you create feature layers in bulk, editing is not enabled on the layers. However, you can enable editing on the feature service in ArcGIS Server Manager or from the portal. If no one should edit data through these bulk-published feature layers, connect to the database as a user who has only privileges to select data from the feature classes and tables, and do not enable editing on the feature service.
- To meet the data accessibility and privilege levels that you require to publish the right layers in bulk, you may need to request a new database user from your database administrator.
- No capabilities other than feature access are enabled on the map services that are published in bulk.
- Data is published using default renderers and scales.
- Sync is not enabled on the bulk-published feature services, but you can access the service in ArcGIS Server Manager to enable sync after publishing.
- To allow efficient bulk publishing, the map services on the federated server use shared instances.
- If the data store item accesses an enterprise geodatabase, each feature class or table that contains metadata will result in a feature layer that contains metadata, such as the description and credits (attributions).
Publish layers in bulk
Follow these steps to publish feature and map image layers from all the feature classes and tables available through a database data store item in the portal:
- Open the details page for the database data store item from which you will publish.
You must be the owner of the data store item.
- Click the Layers tab and click Create Layers.
- If the data contains date and time fields that store data in a time zone other than UTC, choose that time zone from the Time zone of the data drop-down menu. To account for daylight savings time for that time zone, check the Adjust for daylight saving time checkbox.
This time zone will be applied to all layers published. By default, date and time values are assumed to be in UTC.
- To display the date and time values in the published layers in ArcGIS using a time zone other than UTC, choose that time zone from the Preferred time zone for display drop-down menu. To account for daylight saving time for the display time zone, check the Adjust for daylight saving time check box.
The time zone you choose from the Preferred time zone for display drop-down menu is stored with each map image layer and feature layer item. When users display the contents of these layers in ArcGIS Pro, date and time values will be displayed in this time zone. This display time zone will be applied to all layers published.
By default, ArcGIS Pro displays date and time values in UTC.
- Click Next.
- Choose an empty folder or create a folder in which to store the feature layers and click Next.
This folder in My Content on the Content page helps you organize the items you own. Keeping the bulk-published feature layers in a separate folder will help you identify which feature layers were published in this way and, therefore, are dependent on and can be synchronized through the data store item. You cannot use your user folder (the one that has the same name as the username used to access the organization) to store these layers.
- From the list of servers to which this data store item was added, choose the ArcGIS Server site to which you want to publish the data.
You can publish layers in bulk to only one ArcGIS Server site.
- Choose one of the following to specify a name for the folder that will be created on the federated ArcGIS GIS Server site to store the services that the map image and feature layer items reference:
- Use the same name as the folder in My Content—The folder on the GIS Server site will have the same name as the My Content folder you specified in step 3.
- Use a custom folder name—Allows you to type a name in the field if you want the new folder to have a different name than the folder in My Content.
This folder is on the GIS Server site and is part of the information that identifies where each service is running. The folder name will be part of the URL of each service.
- Click Start publishing layers.
Publishing may take a long time if the database connection you used for the data store item has access to a large number of feature classes and tables in the database.
When all layers are created, they appear on the data store item's Layers tab.
Click the layer name to manage the details and settings for each layer and share them with groups, the organization, or everyone. Item-specific settings are available for map image layers and feature layers.
Note:
Because a feature layer item is a map service with feature access enabled on the ArcGIS Server site, you must share the feature layer and its associated map image layer to the same set of users (groups, the organization, or the public). If you only share the feature layer, it cannot be used by others.