webgis architecture

1. Web GIS:
Architectural Patterns and Practices
Philip Heede
Shannon Kalisky

2. Web Maps
Layers
Apps
Desktop
Server GIS
Web Scenes
Web GIS | Transformation of the ArcGIS Platform

3. Web Maps
Web Scenes
Web Layers
Apps
Users
Services
Data
Web GIS
Pervasive use of web layers, scenes, and maps
within all of the ArcGIS apps
Server GIS
Silo’d use of GIS services within custom applications
App
Services
Data
… n+1
portal
Web GIS | How is it Different from Server GIS?

4. Web GIS | Anatomy
Desktop Web Device
Server Online Content
and Services
portal
1. Users & Apps
2. Portal
3. GIS Server 4. Basemaps & Utility Services

5. Web GIS | How to get a portal
ArcGIS for Server ArcGIS Online
• Software
- Portal for ArcGIS as part of
ArcGIS for Server
- Releases 1-2 times per year
- Upgraded manually (by organization)
- Organization controls SLA
• Core Web GIS functionality
(visualization, smart mapping, analysis…)
• Enterprise Integration
- Web SSO via SAML
- Web-tier Authentication via Web
Adaptor
- Enterprise Groups
- ArcGIS Server Integration…
• Advanced GIS functionality
• SaaS
- www.arcgis.com
- Releases 3-4 times per year
- Upgraded automatically (by Esri)
- Esri controls SLA
• Core Web GIS functionality
(visualization, smart mapping, analysis…)
• Enterprise Integration
- Web SSO via SAML
• Esri-provided content and services
- Basemaps
- Living Atlas
- GeoEnrichment, Routing, …

6. Web GIS | Anatomy of the portal
Desktop Web Device
Server Online Content
and Services
portal
The portal in ArcGIS Online just is:
hosted by Esri and no need for installation
or maintenance nor breaking apart into
the backend components..
For a deployment using Portal for ArcGIS there are
three main components that make up a Web GIS:
Portal for ArcGIS
Hosting server
(ArcGIS Server)
ArcGIS Data Store

7. Web GIS | Anatomy of the portal
Portal for ArcGIS
Hosting server
(ArcGIS Server)
ArcGIS Data Store
Web GIS
components
in your own infrastructure
Supports hosted data as well
as the app and collaboration infrastructure;
does not replace Server GIS infrastructure
Server
Supports publishing of authoritative data
from enterprise geodatabases;
can be used in conjunction with a Web GIS
Server GIS infrastructure
Enterprise
geodatabase

8. Portal
Online Online Online
Portal Portal
Customer Managed
Infrastructure
On-premises
Private Cloud
Public Cloud
(AWS, Azure, others)
Managed Services
Begin with ArcGIS Online & SaaS
Begin with Server GIS, On-Premises
ArcGIS Online
Web GIS Deployment Patterns | Typical Evolution(s)
Basemaps &
Content Services
ArcGIS Server ArcGIS Server ArcGIS Server ArcGIS Server

9. Distributed Web GIS | Next Evolution in GIS
Desktop
GIS
(standalone GIS)
Server
GIS
(client-server GIS)
Web GIS
Distributed
Web GIS

10. Technology People
Process
Succeeding with Web GIS | Requires More Than Technology
Planning

11. How members engage with your Web GIS | Where do you start?
• Who can access content?
• What content can they access?
• What can users do with the content they access?

12. Build Web Competency in Your GIS Team
Operations
Mobile Workforce
GIS Professionals
Knowledge Workers
Executives
• Curate Content
• Author Maps
• Configure & Develop Apps
Analysts

13. … … …
GIS Team
Secure Executive Sponsorship

14. … … …
GIS Team
Location Enabled
… … …
GIS Team
Secure Executive Sponsorship

15. … … …
GIS Team
Location Enabled
… … …
GIS Team
Location Enabled
Secure Executive Sponsorship

16. Aligning technology with your needs
• How will you implement your Web GIS?
• Your Choices: Physical machines, virtualized environments, cloud, or a combination
• How many machines do you need?
• Consider: the machine’s hardware specs, software and components
needing to be installed, etc.
• What deployment pattern is best for your organization?
• What are your SLA expectations?

17. Partner with IT
Operations
Mobile Workforce
GIS Professionals
Knowledge Workers
Executives
Analysts
• Curate Content
• Author Maps
• Configure & Develop Apps
IT Professionals
• Ensure Business Continuity
• Apply Security
• Enforce Governance

18. Leverage IT to help you scale
GIS GIS
Don’t neglect your GIS infrastructure!

19. Operations
Mobile Workforce
GIS Professionals
Knowledge Workers
Executives
Analysts
• Curate Content
• Author Maps
• Configure & Develop Apps
IT Professionals
• Ensure Business Continuity
• Apply Security
• Enforce Governance
Know who you need at the table as you grow
Subject Matter
Experts
• Operational Data Experts
• Drive Requirements
• Power Users

20. Portal
Story Maps
Explorer
Collector
Office
Focused Apps
(Configured and/or Customized)
Dashboard
Think about your users …
… deliver the app(s) they need
Tackle your Mapzillas

21. Go After Low Hanging Fruit
Level
of
Difficulty
Narrow / Small Broad / Big
Hard
Easy
Organizational Impact

22. Don’t Underestimate Design

23. Configure first, but don’t be afraid to customize
ArcGIS Local Perspective Template
City of LA Street Wize
• Updated styling & symbology
• Tailored workflow to the user
• Tailored application to the data

24. Show Something New
Mobile Story Maps
3D
Integration
(MS Office,Microstrategy…)
Real Time

25. Planning
Requirements
Design
Develop
Deployment
Operations
• Maintain SLAs
• Transparency Into System
• Tune System Stability & Availability
• Reduce Risks
• Optimize Performance
• Identify Bottlenecks
• Improved Capacity Planning
Plan for change … it’s inevitable
Network
Hardware
Web Server
ArcGIS Server
Geodatabase
RDBMS
Monitor your Web GIS
Don’t set it and forget it