What’s New in ArcGIS Server 9.3.1

I just returned from the ESRI Petroleum User’s Group (PUG) conference in Texas. The buzz this year was a little lower than those of an anticipated major release. The featured release during this gathering was 9.3.1. As I mentioned in a previous post, nary a word was mentioned regarding Desktop, it was all about “Web GIS.” Given my professional interest in this platform, this was ok with me. While many of the demos highlighted the various development platforms including the JS and FLEX API’s, a few included new features in 9.3.1. Probably the most anticipated, at least for AGS users, is increased performance for dynamic map serving. As far as I could tell, implementation of this new feature is actually done via a tool designed to help optimize the map document. The demo illustrating this improvement included a side-by-side comparison of the same dynamically generated map service, one that had been “optimized” using the new optimization tool and one that hadn’t. Each map display included a timer depicting load times. Anecdotally, map services which had been “optimized” using the new tool loaded about 3 times as fast. The optimization tool, utilized in ArcMap during the demo, looked at characteristics of the map document including whether the projection of the data frame matched that of the data, whether any data links were missing, scale dependent rendering, symbol level drawing and a couple of others that I missed. The workflow for tool use included an iterative process of optimization and map service preview. The demo was good and even generated a fair amount of applause. However, if faster dynamic map generation centers on checking the characteristics I listed above, don’t hold your breath. It seems to me that most folks are already looking at these sorts of things.

Other features mentioned but not demoed in the 9.3.1 release included the ability to publish to AGS directly from ArcMap and integration of Virtual Earth base data (not Google) directly into the ESRI platform including ArcMap. There was also some discussion about the new sharing framework via ArcGIS Online. While some may say “not another one” this one features content sharing and discovery definitely designed for a GIS pro and not so much for general consumers. Other notable discussions included AGX build 900 and the notion of what ESRI is calling a layer package (not sure if this is 9.3.1 or 9.4). The layer package is simply of was of packages data and cartography for sharing purposes.