Publishing a feature service for a spatial data server from ArcMap

You can publish a feature service to an ArcGIS Spatial Data Server from an ArcGIS Map document. This generates a URL through which you can use the feature service.

Although you publish a map service with feature access capabilities, a feature service published to ArcGIS Spatial Data Server is not linked to the map service after it is published; if you make updates to the map, you must republish the feature service to see the changes.

By default, the data exposed through the feature service can be queried and edited. You can alter what editing capabilities connecting users have (if any) when you publish. See Editor permissions for feature services for more information.

First, you must set up your spatial data server and connect to it. Then author a map in ArcMap that contains the data you want to publish as a feature service. Finally, you can publish the map document as a service to a Spatial Data Server and share it with others both locally and on the web. To publish your finished map document as a service with Feature Access capabilities, follow these steps:

Steps:

1. Open your map document in ArcMap and choose File > Share As > Service from the main menu.

   The Share as Service window appears.

2. In the Share As Service window, there are three options.
   • To immediately publish your data, choose Publish a service and click Next.
   • To save a service definition file to be published later, choose Save a service definition file and click Next.
   • To replace an existing service, choose Overwrite an existing service and click Next. To replace a service, the original service must be stopped first.
3. Select the ArcGIS Server connection you want to use from the Choose a server connection drop-down list.

   If the server connection you want to use is not listed, make an administer connection to the spatial data server.

4. Type a name for the service in the Service Name text box.
5. Click Continue to open the Service Editor.
6. In the Service Editor, click Feature Access.

   The URL of your service is prepopulated. Take note of the URL; this is needed for applications to access your published service.

Note:

If you want to edit through your published service from ArcGIS.com, you must publish to a server outside your firewall.

7. Choose what level of access connecting users should have to the features in the feature service. You can choose as many of the following options as apply:
   • Query: Connecting users can view and select features from the feature classes in the feature service.
   • Create: Connecting users who have the necessary database privileges can add features to feature classes in the feature service.
   • Delete: Connecting users who have the necessary database privileges can delete features from feature classes in the feature service.
   • Update: Connecting users who have the necessary database privileges can edit existing features in the feature classes in the feature service.
8. If you want a fewer number of features returned by the service at a time, type a different number for The maximum number of features returned per query.

   Increasing the number of features returned could slow performance. However, be aware that the service will not return more than the maximum number of features you specify. Therefore, it is important that you set scale ranges and initial extents on your map before publishing the feature service.

9. Optionally, change any other properties of the service, then click Analyze.

   Analyze examines your map document to see if the features can be published.

   You must fix all errors that appear in the Prepare window before you can publish the feature service. Warnings and informational messages provide tips to further improve the performance and appearance of your service. You can fix these as well, but it is not required. Some errors or warnings provide short cuts to fixing the problem. Right-click the message to see if a tool or process can be opened directly from the message to correct the problem.

10. Optionally, click Preview to see how the features will be symbolized when viewed on the web.
11. Once all errors have been fixed, click Publish.