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Reading input shape files with ArcGIS for Server DataIO extension doesn't behave like the ArcGIS Desktop extension

  • 27 May 2016
  • 1 reply
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S

I'm relatively new to using the ArcGIS for Server Data IO extension and I have experienced an odd behavior, that I think is unintentional:

We have created an ETL tool in Workbench. The tool can read multiple shape files and converts them to different featureclasses in SQL Server. The input is set as a user parameter.

When running the tool in Desktop (ArcMap) the input dialog automatically filters the file types, so the user will only sees the *.shp files in the directory he browses to. Different *.shp-files are selected, and the tool converts the data as expected.

We then publish the tool as a service on ArcGIS Server (10.3.1) with Data IO extension.

After publishing, the tool (GP-service) input dialog is opened, but now you'll have to specify all parts of the shapefile (shp, dbf, shx) in the directory - otherwise the tool will fail. This is not very convenient to an end user that could easily mistake something in the directory browser...

Am I missing something here in my setup/configuration?

I haven't been able to find any documentation on this... Any suggestions or help will be much appreciated.

Regards

Soren

1 reply

daveatsafe
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Userlevel 2
Badge +17

When reading from multi-file formats (ie. Shape, Tab, etc.) FME will automatically read all of the files necessary to import the data, even though only the .shp or .tab file was chosen in the reader. The supporting files are assumed to have the same base name and reside in the same folder.

When the ETL Tool is published to ArcGIS Server, the file read becomes a two step process: ArcGIS Servder uploads the file to a temporary folder, then then FME reads from that folder. Unfortunately, ArcGIS Server only uploads the chosen file(s), not the required supporting files.

The simplest way to avoid this problem is to zip up your multi-file datasets into a single zip file, and select that zip file as the data source. ArcGIS Server will upload the zip file, and FME's readers will automatically unzip when reading. This is pretty much the only way you can read a File Geodatabase, since the .gdb is actually a folder containing very many files.

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