Adding a new service

ArcGIS Server 9.2 offers five service types: map, geocode, geodata, geoprocessing, and globe. Before you can create a service, you must first create the GIS resource that it will access. For example, a map service uses a map document. You must create the map document and make it available on a shared network directory before creating the service.

This chart summarizes the GIS resource required for each type of service.

Service type GIS resource
Map service Map document (.mxd, .pmf)
Geocode service Address locator (.loc, .mxs, SDE batch locator)
Geodata service Database connection file (.sde) or Personal Geodatabase or File Geodatabase or Map document with a layer that references a layer from a versioned geodatabase
Geoprocessing service Map document with a tool layer or Toolbox (.tbx)
Globe service Globe document (.3dd, .pmf)

Choosing how you will publish the service

There are two ways to create services in ArcGIS Server. In Manager, these are described as "Publish a GIS Resource" and "Add New Service". Choosing "Add New Service" allows you to set all of the service properties at the time you create the service. In contrast, "Publish a GIS Resource" only prompts you for the minimum required information.

When you choose "Add New Service" you can only create one type of service at a time. For example, if you have a map document with a tool layer which you want to use to publish both a map service and a geoprocessing service, you must create the services individually if you use "Add New Service". If you use "Publish a GIS Resource" you have the option to create the two services at the same time.

The following instructions explain how to use the "Add New Service" option. For help with using "Publish a GIS Resource" see Publishing a GIS resource to the server.

Note: When you choose "Publish a map, globe, or other GIS resource as a service" in Manager's Home tab, this opens the "Publish a GIS Resource" wizard.

How to add a new service using Manager

  1. In Manager, click the Services tab.
  2. Click Add New Service. Note: If this is the first time you're accessing the server, you'll need to add one or more container machines to it before you can add a service. See Adding a server object container for information on adding container machines.
  3. Type the name of the service. This is the name people will see and use to identify the service. Be descriptive. The name can only contain alphanumeric characters and underscores. No spaces or special characters are allowed. The name cannot be more than 120 characters in length.
  4. Click the Type dropdown arrow, click the service type, and click Next.
  5. Set the initialization parameters by following the instructions below that pertain to the type of service you're creating
    • If you're creating a map service, browse to the map document and choose the data frame to display. Optionally, specify an output directory and a cache directory.
    • If you're creating a geocode service, browse to the locator and set the batch size. Click Next.

    • If you're creating a geodata service, choose whether you want to create the service directly from a geodatabase, or from a map document containing a layer from a geodatabase. If you are creating the service from the geodatabase directly, browse to the file geodatabase, personal geodatabase, or database connection file you'll be using. When you make a database connection in ArcCatalog, the connection information is stored in your profile directory (Example: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\ESRI\ArcCatalog\Connection to myServer.sde). It's a good idea to copy this file into a shared network directory to which all of your container machines have read access. When creating the service, browse to this shared directory and select the connection file.

      If you're publishing the service from a map document containing a geodatabase layer, browse to that map document.

      Once you've browsed to the database or map document, specify an output directory.

    • If you're creating a geoprocessing service, first choose whether the job will be performed synchronously (optimal for short jobs) or asynchronously (optimal for long jobs, and the results are stored on the server for future retrieval). Then, browse to either the toolbox or the map document containing the tool layer you want to publish. The results of the service can optionally be returned to the client as a map service, which you can select from the Result Map Service dropdown.

      Geoprocessing services use jobs directories, which you must specify, as well as an associated virtual directory. For the jobs directory to be available, you must have specifically created it as a jobs directory using the Directories tab in the Server Properties. You'll also need to specify a server output directory in the same way.

    • If you're creating a globe service, browse to the globe document you want to use, then specify the pre-created globe cache location and virtual directory.
  6. If the type of service you selected has any available capabilities, a new panel will appear where you can choose the capabilities you want to enable and set their properties. In this panel, you can also choose whether Web access will be available for the service, and the allowed operations for that Web access. (To learn more about operations, see this link from the topic  Securing a service.)
  7. Click Pooled or Not Pooled and optionally change the maximum usage and wait times. Click Next.
  8. Set the process isolation level and the recycling parameters. Click Next.
  9. Review the information about the service that will be created and click Finish.
  10. Verify that your service is working properly. If the service is started and working correctly, you should be able to see a thumbnail image in Manager's Services tab when you click the plus (+) button next to the service name. If, for some reason, your service is not working as expected, you can review the log files for errors. Note that log files refer to services as "server objects".

How to add a new service using ArcCatalog

  1. Create an administrative connection to the GIS server on which you want to add a service.
  2. Right click the server or folder to which you want to add the service and click Add New Service. Note: If this is the first time you're accessing the server, you'll need to add one or more container machines to it before you can add a service. See Adding a server object container for information on adding container machines.
  3. Type the name of the service. This is the name people will see and use to identify the service. Be descriptive. The name can only contain alphanumeric characters and underscores. No spaces or special characters are allowed. The name cannot be more than 120 characters in length.
  4. Click the Type dropdown arrow, click the service type, and click Next.
  5. Set the initialization parameters by following the instructions below that pertain to the type of service you're creating
    • If you're creating a map service, browse to the map document and choose the data frame to display. Optionally, specify an output directory and a cache directory.
    • If you're creating a geocode service, browse to the locator and set the batch size. Click Next.

    • If you're creating a geodata service, choose whether you want to create the service directly from a geodatabase, or from a map document containing a layer from a geodatabase. If you are creating the service from the geodatabase directly, browse to the file geodatabase, personal geodatabase, or database connection file you'll be using. When you make a database connection in ArcCatalog, the connection information is stored in your profile directory (Example: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\ESRI\ArcCatalog\Connection to myServer.sde). It's a good idea to copy this file into a shared network directory to which all of your container machines have read access. When creating the service, browse to this shared directory and select the connection file.

      If you're publishing the service from a map document containing a geodatabase layer, browse to that map document.

      Once you've browsed to the database or map document, specify an output directory.

    • If you're creating a geoprocessing service, first choose whether the job will be performed synchronously (optimal for short jobs) or asynchronously (optimal for long jobs, and the results are stored on the server for future retrieval). Then, browse to either the toolbox or the map document containing the tool layer you want to publish. The results of the service can optionally be returned to the client as a map service, which you can select from the Result Map Service dropdown.

      Geoprocessing services use jobs directories, which you must specify, as well as an associated virtual directory. For the jobs directory to be available, you must have specifically created it as a jobs directory using the Directories tab in the Server Properties. You'll also need to specify a server output directory in the same way.

    • If you're creating a globe service, browse to the globe document you want to use, then specify the pre-created globe cache location and virtual directory.
  6. If the type of service you selected has any available capabilities, a new panel will appear where you can choose the capabilities you want to enable and set their properties. In this panel, you can also choose whether Web access will be available for the service, and the allowed operations for that Web access. (To learn more about operations, see this link from the topic  Securing a service.)
  7. Click Pooled or Not Pooled and optionally change the maximum usage and wait times. Click Next.
  8. Set the process isolation level and the recycling parameters. Click Next.
  9. Click Yes to start the server object now and click Finish.
  10. Verify that your service is working properly. You can preview or display the properties of a service in ArcCatalog to ensure that the service is correctly configured. If, for some reason, your service is not working as expected, you can review the log files for errors. Note that log files refer to services as "server objects".