Project user identity

Project user identity, introduced at version 3.0, allows you to view a record of who has signed in and worked on a field project, regardless of the field device they are using. User identities are stored in a map layer that contains two text fields for storing user identity value and display name value. You can use these values to auto populate fields in other map layers that are being edited in your project. For example:

• If you have an Inspections layer with an InspectorName field, you can auto populate the InspectorName field with a user identity value or a display name value. The field applications can then automatically populate the InspectorName attribute when field crew inspects the attributes of an Inspections feature.
• If you have a Logging layer that you use to log the locations of your field crew, you can populate the user identity in a field within the Logging layer.

Note:

A mobile project can have only one Identity layer associated with it, but you can use the same Identity layer in multiple projects.

Managing project user identity

Project identity is not a security measure. Any field worker can sign in to a mobile project using an existing identity and not be challenged for a password. Depending on the project settings, he may be allowed to create his own identity as well.

Note:

For more information on security in ArcGIS for Windows Mobile, see Security overview and its related topics.

To take advantage of the functionality that an identity layer provides, create a layer specifically for the purpose of managing identity. That layer can be used to populate attributes of other map layers. Likewise, to log the locations of your field crew, create a layer specific for the purpose of logging, then the Identity layer can be used to attach an identity to the logs that are created. Adding an Identity layer to your project will require that the user signs in when opening the project. As part of establishing identity, when building your mobile project, you can force the user to sign in each time a project is opened, and you can also determine whether or not the ability to create a new identity is available in the client application or is solely controlled by the author of the Identity map layer.

Requirements of an Identity layer

To assign a layer to be an Identity layer, it must be a point feature class that includes a text field for user identity and a text field for display name, but there is no restriction with regards to the name of the layer or its fields. You can have additional fields in the Identity layer and even enable attachment support if you extend the behavior of Identity using the software development kit (SDK). The field applications do not use additional fields or attachments, but if the Identity layer contains additional information, it will be downloaded and synchronized with the device.

As with other operational map layers, an Identity layer can exist without a GlobalID column. An Identity layer without a GlobalID column means that no new identities can be created within the field applications and that field workers are required to sign in to the project using the list provided. To create new identities in the layer before deploying the project, you need to use ArcMap. In addition, an Identity layer can come from a mobile cache as an offline source or a mobile service as an online source. However, for field workers to synchronize identity information with others working on the same project, the Identity layer must come from a mobile service.

Identity layer and field auto population

Mobile Project Center provides you with the option to have fields automatically populated onto new features that you create in the field. To have a text field auto populated by user identity or by display name, you need to include an Identity layer to the project so that the field applications can use this identity information to fill out the text field.