VertiGIS Studio Web can be used for importing File Geodatabases (FGDB) and Layer Packages (LPKX). This is enabled by a server-side geoprocessing (GP) service in combination with a Map (Display) Service - both hosted in your ArcGIS Enterprise environment. VertiGIS provides a setup package containing a publishing script to help create and configure these services.

Who is affected?

• Customers that want to use the functionalities for FGDB and LPKX Imports. 

Before you begin

Make sure you have:

• An ArcGIS Enterprise Portal user with permissions to publish and configure geoprocessing services
• Access to the ArcGIS Server machine federated with the users Enterprise Portal or a server-side location 
• A target location for the geodata service workspace accessible by ArcGIS Server
• Permission to copy the setup package to that location
• Access to an ArcPy enabled Python environment, for example in the folder C:/Program Files/ArcGIS/Pro/bin/Python/envs/arcgispro-py3/python.exe if ArcGIS Pro was installed on the host.
• The ArcGIS Server Administrator Directory must be accessible for you

Optional:

• GP service name
• Map service name

Begin the configuration

Step 1: Download the setup package

Download here

The package contains the publishing script and the dynamic workspace folder vgs_geodata_upload that needs to be physically copied to the ArcGIS Server. Do not modify content of this internal folder unless instructed by VertiGIS Support.

Step 2: Copy the setup package to the ArcGIS Server machine

Unzip and copy the setup package to a location that is accessible by the ArcGIS Server process. You can rename the folder as you like. Depending on your server setup, the dynamic workspace folder vgs_geodata_upload may be moved to a location within or alongside the ArcGIS Server directories, for example  C:/arcgis/arcgisserver/directories/vgs_geodata_upload. Copy the path of the location for later usage. 

Important:

• The folder path must be valid from the server's perspective
• A path that is valid only on the client machine will not work
• The folder must remain available after publishing if it is used as the dynamic workspace location

Step 3: Run the publishing script using the required parameters

Running the script might take 2-5 minutes the first time. Run the script from a PowerShell or CMD (command prompt). The command must include the path to the Python executable, the path to the publishing script, and all required parameters.

Example (CMD, command prompt):

"C:/Program Files/ArcGIS/Pro/bin/Python/envs/arcgispro-py3/python.exe" "C:/Downloads/vgs-geodata-tools-dl/publish.py" --portal_url "https://foo-bar.int.vertigis.com/portal" --workspace_path "C:/arcgis/arcgisserver/directories/vgs_geodata_upload" --username "your_username" --password "your_password"

Example (PowerShell):

In PowerShell, the & (Call Operator) is required when running executables with paths containing spaces to prevent the shell from treating the command as a literal string.

& "C:/Program Files/ArcGIS/Pro/bin/Python/envs/arcgispro-py3/python.exe" "C:/Downloads/vgs-geodata-tools-dl/publish.py" --portal_url "https://foo-bar.int.vertigis.com/portal" --workspace_path "C:/arcgis/arcgisserver/directories/vgs_geodata_upload" --username 'your_username' --password 'your_password'

Publishing script:

C:/Downloads/vgs-geodata-tools-dl/publish.py

Required parameters:

 Optional Parameters:

What the script does

The script automates the publishing and configuration of the required services. It performs the following actions:

• Checks the Python environment
• Creates a log file
• Creates temporary working folders
• Prepares the Geoprocessing Service resources
• Publishes the Geoprocessing Service with all required settings
• Prepares the Display Service
• Publishes the Display Service
• Applies the required sharing settings
• Returns the required service URLs 

Step 4: Configure the services in Studio Web

After the script has completed successfully, copy the generated service URLs and configure them using the "Geodata Service". You can find it under "Services" in the App Designer.

Required URLs:

• Geodata Service URL
• Display Service URL

You are now able to use these commands:

• Import from FGDB 
• Import from LPKX 

You may have to authenticate using required username and password depending on your sharing options selected during publishing. 

Step 5: Verify the setup

To verify the setup:

• Confirm that both services were published successfully in Portal/ArcGIS Server
• Confirm that the GP service allows uploads
• Confirm that the Display service is available
• Confirm that the dynamic workspace points to the intended server-side folder:
  • Open the ArcGIS Server Manager 
  • Open the Service > Capabilities > Show Connection String
• Configure the URLs in Studio Web
• Test an upload with a supported FGDB or LPKX file

Known limitations

• Working ArcGIS Enterprise Versions:  10.8.1, 11.1, 11.3, 12
• Required user permissions: We recommend using an ArcGIS Enterprise administrator account to run the publishing script. Non-administrator accounts may require additional configuration depending on the ArcGIS Enterprise setup.
• Manual publishing is not documented as the standard workflow
• No automatic cleanup: Uploaded File Geodatabases and Layer Package files remain in the configured server-side workspace location. Administrators must monitor available storage and remove files manually when needed. 
• ArcGIS Online-only environments are not supported for this server-side setup, because the workflow requires server-hosted geoprocessing services
• In PowerShell, the $ character is interpreted as the start of a variable name, even when used inside double quotes. As a result, user names or passwords containing $ may be altered before being passed to the ArcGIS publishing script, causing authentication failures. 
  
  Resolution: Enclose user names or passwords containing $ in single quotes (e.g., 'P@ss$word') or escape the $ with a backtick (e.g., "P@ss$word"`).

Current script version: 1.0.0