Common problems and solutions

This topic lists questions or issues that you might face when working with ArcGIS Server and suggests possible solutions. If you don't find the problem you are looking for, you can also search for articles on the Esri Support Center website.

Installation

Administration

Manager

Services

Is an installation log or summary stored somewhere for me to review later?

The installation is not automatically logged, but if you run the installation from the command line, you can include parameters that create a log file. See the ArcGIS 10.1 for Server (Windows) Installation Guide to learn about creating a log of the installation.

You can view which features of ArcGIS Server are installed through the Programs and Features dialog box in Windows. Select ArcGIS Server > Uninstall/Change > Modify to view or change the list of installed components.

I was unable to install ArcGIS Server because my machine name contains an underscore character.

Several widely-used Internet hostname specifications have designated the underscore character as nonstandard. Although Windows allows you to use the underscore in a machine name, it can still cause problems when you interact with other servers and platforms. For this reason, ArcGIS for Server will not proceed with installation on servers that have an underscore in the hostname.

Why are some folders left behind after uninstalling?

When you uninstall ArcGIS Server, some folders and files are left on disk. These are left for your convenience if you reinstall or upgrade the product. If you don't plan on reinstalling, you can delete these files.

You might notice persisting files located at <ArcGIS Server installation directory>\arcgisserver that include the following:

  • server directories
  • config-store
  • log files

Leaving these folders preserves map and globe caches, your installation configuration, and other server resources that you might want to keep if you reinstall. Server directories that you created and registered on your own are also not affected by uninstalling.

I get an error message about my license being expired.

If you receive a message about your license being expired, contact Esri Customer Service to obtain a new license, then reauthorize ArcGIS Server using the ArcGIS Software Authorization Wizard.

How do I change ArcGIS Server to use a port other than 6080 and a site name other than arcgis?

By default, ArcGIS Server exposes its web services through port 6080 and uses a site name of arcgis. For example, the default URL to an ArcGIS Server site is http://<GIS server name>:6080/arcgis. The recommended way to expose your web services through a different port and site name is to install the ArcGIS Web Adaptor.

How do I change the ArcGIS Server account?

After you install ArcGIS Server, you can change the account by using the Configure ArcGIS Server Account utility. This utility is bundled with the ArcGIS Server installation and can be launched from the Windows Start menu under ArcGIS > ArcGIS 10.1 for Server > Configure ArcGIS Server Account.

You should not use your operating system's tools to manually change the ArcGIS Server account. The utility has been designed to apply permissions to various directories across all the machines in your deployment. Changing the account manually could result in server failure leading to system downtime.

For full instructions on how to change the ArcGIS Server account using the utility, see The ArcGIS Server account.

I am concerned about the security implications of the primary site administrator password reset (PasswordReset.bat) script. What can I do about this?

If you are in a highly secure environment, you should restrict file permissions to the configuration store and disable the primary site administrator account. Performing these two tasks ensures that the primary site administrator account password reset script will have no effect on the security of your site.

To learn more, see Best practices for configuring a secure environment.

Will ArcGIS Server work when disconnected from the network?

If you have multiple GIS server machines participating in your ArcGIS Server site, the site requires the network in order to function.

If you have a one-machine deployment—that is, one GIS server machine participating in an ArcGIS Server site—ArcGIS Server will operate correctly as long as all the data referenced by your GIS services are stored locally on that machine. Additionally, if the GIS server machine is part of a domain and you have disconnected the computer from the domain, you must specify a local account as the ArcGIS Server account.

I'm attempting to connect to the server in ArcGIS for Desktop through the ArcGIS Web Adaptor, and my connection fails.

If your server administrator has configured the Web Adaptor to block administrative access to the server, you will not be able to connect to the server in ArcGIS for Desktop through the Web Adaptor URL using an administrative or publisher connection. Alternatively, you can connect directly to the GIS server in ArcGIS for Desktop by using the URL format http://<GIS server>:6080/arcgis. For more information, see About connecting to ArcGIS Server in ArcGIS for Desktop.

Can I safely rename a GIS server machine in my ArcGIS Server site?

Yes. ArcGIS Server will automatically detect a machine name change and reconfigure your site to use the new name. After you use your operating system's tools to rename the machine, you may see the following message in the server logs:

ArcGIS Server has detected that the server machine [old machine name] has been changed to [new machine name]. ArcGIS Server will be updated automatically to use the new host name.

Depending on your site deployment, you may need to perform some additional steps to ensure that your site is configured properly to use the new machine name:

  • If you've enabled SSL for your site and your certificate was using the previous machine name, you'll need to generate a new SSL certificate and configure your site to use it. For full instructions, see Enabling SSL on ArcGIS Server.
  • If you've configured the ArcGIS Web Adaptor to use your previous machine name, you'll need to configure it with a new URL that uses the updated machine name. For full instructions, see Configuring the Web Adaptor after installation.

I disabled HTTP-based communication in my ArcGIS Server site and now I can't access the help using the installed shortcuts.

After disabling HTTP-based communication, you will be unable to access local help documentation from the installed shortcuts since they are configured to use HTTP in their URLs. As a workaround, you can manually modify the shortcuts to use HTTPS. Keep in mind that this only applies to local help resources, not content hosted on the web by Esri.

I see an error "Invalid database connection" or "The data item is inaccessible" when I try to register a database with ArcGIS Server.

These errors can appear if the database client software or libraries are not found on the server machine. Each GIS server on your site must have the 64-bit version of the database client software installed before you can register your database with ArcGIS Server. See the following topics to learn about the required client software:

Once you have installed the client software, restart the ArcGIS Server service.

The ArcGIS Web Adaptor does not recognize unavailable machines or new machines I've added to my site.

By default, the ArcGIS Web Adaptor checks the site for new or unavailable machines every minute. If you've waited over one minute since a machine was added, removed, or disabled, and the Web Adaptor still doesn't recognize the changes, it could be because you changed the properties of the user who originally registered the Web Adaptor with the site.

For example, if the account used to register the ArcGIS Web Adaptor with the site was disabled, the password changed, or the role type was demoted to a role that does not have administrative privileges, the Web Adaptor will be unable to check the status of your site for new or unavailable machines. To fix this issue, you'll need to reconfigure the Web Adaptor. For full instructions, see Configuring the Web Adaptor after installation.

I attempted to create or join an ArcGIS Server site and something failed. How do I troubleshoot the issue?

If you encounter a failure when creating or joining an ArcGIS Server site, you can troubleshoot the issue by addressing the error messages reported in the create site or join site summary panel. Additionally, a log of the event is recorded on disk, located at <ArcGIS for Server installation directory>\ArcGIS\Server\usr\logs\<machine name>\server. The messages in the log can provide additional insight into what caused the issue. To view the log, navigate to the logs directory and open the log in a text editor.

I can't log in to Manager.

To log in to Manager, you must enter a user name and password that has been granted administrator or publisher privileges to the GIS server. User names and passwords are case sensitive. You must provide the proper case in order to log in to Manager. Talk with your server administrator to find out which user name and password you should use. If you are the administrator, enter the user name and password that you specified when creating the site. For more information, see Logging in to Manager.

Which browsers are supported by ArcGIS Server Manager?

To have access to the best possible user experience, it is recommended that you use ArcGIS Server Manager in either a Firefox, Chrome, or Internet Explorer 9 browser. Using Internet Explorer 7 and 8 may result in a lower quality display of Manager.

In version 10, I could retrieve my Bing Maps key from Manager. How do I do this in 10.1?

The ability to retrieve your Bing Maps key using Manager has been removed at 10.1. You should visit the Esri Customer Care website or contact your Esri customer service representative to find out your key.

When attempting to publish a service definition file in Manager, I can only browse my local file system. Why can I not see the server's file system?

When you publish a service definition file (SD), it is uploaded to the server. By design, Manager only shows you the file system of the local machine when browsing for an SD.

The common workflow is to sign in to Manager on the machine containing the SD, choose to publish a service, then browse to the SD. The SD is then automatically uploaded to the server and deployed as a service.

I upgraded to ArcGIS 10.1 for Server, and now my service URL and instance name are different than they were at 10.

By default, ArcGIS Server exposes its web services through port 6080 and uses a site name of arcgis. The services you create at 10.1 will include port 6080 and arcgis as part of the service URL. For example:

ArcGIS Server version

URL example

10http://myserver.domain.com/planners/services/MyMapService/MapServer
10.1http://myserver.domain.com:6080/arcgis/services/MyMapService/MapServer

If you want to preserve your version 10 service URLs and instance name at 10.1, you should install the ArcGIS Web Adaptor. The Web Adaptor connects ArcGIS Server with your enterprise web server, allowing you to configure a URL for your site that matches your ArcGIS 10 deployment. For more information, see About the ArcGIS Web Adaptor.

Why can't I publish MXDs, MSDs, address locators, and other GIS resources to the server using Manager?

At 10.1, GIS resources that you attempt to publish to ArcGIS Server are put through a more rigorous analysis process to make sure they are ready to be exposed on the web. Since you'll need to analyze your GIS resources before publishing, ArcGIS for Desktop has now become the primary tool that you'll use to publish services to ArcGIS Server.

However, if you are in a cloud or highly secure environment, you can create service definition files that can be published to ArcGIS Server using Manager. Service definition files offer you a way to take a snapshot of your GIS resources and data and publish them to ArcGIS Server as services at a later time. Any GIS resource can be analyzed and encapsulated as a service definition file in ArcGIS for Desktop. Once the service definition file is created, you can browse to it in Manager and publish it as a service.

For more information, see About publishing services.

After creating an ArcGIS Server site, I notice services appearing in the services list in Manager. What are these? Why can't I delete some of them?

ArcGIS Server comes installed with a variety of preconfigured services that help you do common tasks such as:

  • Caching maps and image services (CachingTools, ReportingTools)
  • Publishing services (PublishingTools)
  • Printing web maps (PrintingTools)
  • Performing geometric calculations (Geometry)
  • Searching for GIS content (Search)
  • Previewing the functionality of ArcGIS Server (SampleWorldCities)

Essential services, such as CachingTools, PublishingTools, and ReportingTools are started by default and cannot be deleted. Stopping these services would be detrimental to the performance and functionality of ArcGIS Server.

Nonessential services, such as Geometry, Search, and PrintingTools are stopped by default. If you need to use these services, you can explicitly start them in Manager or ArcGIS for Desktop. The SampleWorldCities map service is started by default and can be deleted at any time.

Keep in mind that server resources are consumed only when a service is started and requested to perform a task. For more information, see the preconfigured services section of What's included with ArcGIS Server.

I added a service to a web application, but the service seems to be unavailable.

If your web application references a service from a remote server (a different server from the one where your web application is hosted), the server hosting your web application needs to have permission from the remote server to access the service. Often, the server hosting your web application is the one installed with the ArcGIS Web Adaptor, and the server hosting your services is a GIS server. If these two servers reside on different domains, the web browser plug-in running the web application is not allowed to access the service for security reasons. To access services across web domains, a client access policy file must be present in the root directory of the web server hosting the service.

If your server administrator has enabled security on your ArcGIS Server site, this file may need to be modified to include the domain of the server hosting your web application. For more information, see Restricting cross-domain requests to ArcGIS Server.

I updated my map document and restarted my service, but I don't see the updates in my map service.

In previous versions of ArcGIS Server, any changes made to the GIS resource referenced by a service could be made available to clients by restarting the service. In 10.1, you'll need to overwrite the service so clients see changes to your GIS resource and its source data.

For instructions on how to overwrite your service, see Overwriting a service in ArcGIS for Desktop.

I try to publish a service definition in Manager and my browser crashes.

Service definitions that contain source GIS datasets can take a long time to publish because the data must be transferred to the server. However, it is a known limitation that service definitions over 2 GB in size cannot be published when running Manager in the Internet Explorer or Firefox web browsers. Service definitions over 2 GB can be published when you run Manager in Google Chrome.

If you're unsure whether your service definition is over 2 GB, examine its properties in Windows Explorer immediately after you create it. If you didn't change the default staging location, the service definition will be in C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\ESRI\Desktop10.1\StagingFolder.

When attempting to publish a map service in ArcMap, I click File > Share As but the Service option is unavailable (grayed out).

If your ArcMap session is running in Layout View, the option to share the map as a service is unavailable. Switching to Data View will allow you to publish the map as a service. See Displaying maps in data view and layout view.

What OGC-compliant services can I publish with ArcGIS Server?

Using ArcGIS Server, you can publish Web Coverage Services (WCS), Web Feature Services (WFS), Web Map Services (WMS), Web Map Tile Services (WMTS), and Web Processing Services (WPS). Additionally, you can configure map services to return Keyhole Markup Language (KML) if requested.

Learn more about OGC support in ArcGIS Server

I can't publish a service to an ArcGIS Server site that uses a CA-issued SSL certificate.

If SSL is enabled using a CA-issued certificate, the CRL Distribution Points (CDP) defined in the certificate must be valid and accessible from the machine or machines hosting ArcGIS Server. If the CDP defined in the SSL certificate is invalid or inaccessible due to network and/or firewall settings, publishing will fail in ArcGIS for Desktop and the following severe error message will display in the ArcGIS Server log:

Error while using HTTPS security, URL = https://gisserver.domain.com:6443/arcgis/services, HTTP Status Code = 0 and Status Text = (WinInet error code = 12057)

To work around this issue, you can disable the validation of the CDP by following the steps below:

  1. On the machine hosting ArcGIS Server, log in as the ArcGIS Server account. This is the account running the ArcGIS Server service.
  2. Click Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. Stop the ArcGIS Server service.
  3. Click Start > Control Panel > Internet Options.
  4. Click the Advanced tab and scroll down to the Security section.
  5. Uncheck the option Check for server certificate revocation and click OK.
  6. Click Start > Log off to log off the current user.
  7. Log back in to the computer and start the ArcGIS Server service.
  8. Repeat these steps on all other GIS server machines in your ArcGIS Server site.

I'm having trouble creating a service that contains layers from a geodatabase.

To understand how to configure the correct permissions required for ArcSDE and other geodatabase layers, see Making your data accessible to ArcGIS Server.

I started creating a map cache, and it's taking a long time. When will it finish?

The amount of time needed to create your map cache depends on the scale levels you have chosen, the amount of server resources you have dedicated to generating the cache, and the settings you have chosen (tile format, storage format, and so on). These factors are discussed in detail in the section Anticipating cache creation time in the topic "Planning a map cache."

I recently updated my map and globe caches. Are client applications automatically aware that the updated tiles are available?

If you update an area of a map or globe cache, users of ArcMap, ArcGlobe, and ArcGIS Explorer who have already visited that area and extent must clear their local image caches before they can see the updates. As a server administrator, you need to alert your users when updated data is available so that they know to clear their caches. Consult the help system for your client application for instructions on how to clear the local cache.

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12/18/2014