An overview of GIS servers used with ArcGIS
Release 9.3 Last modified April 24, 2009	Print all topics in : "GIS Servers and services"

Note: This topic was updated for 9.3.1.

GIS is increasingly being used on the World Wide Web. Consequently, many users want to publish their geographic information to the web as well as to use GIS web services in their own applications.

ArcGIS supports two primary GIS Server environments -- ArcIMS and ArcGIS Server.

ArcGIS is engineered to support the use of the Web as both a publisher of GIS resources to ArcGIS Server and ArcIMS as well as to be a consumer of web-based geographic information.

ArcGIS includes the following server-based capabilities:

• ArcGIS Desktop can be used to access various types of GIS-based web services - from ArcGIS Server, ArcIMS, Google Maps™, Microsoft Virtual Earth™, and OGC web services such as WMS, WFS, and WCS.
  


• ESRI's server products, ArcGIS Server and ArcIMS, can be used to openly serve maps and globes, geodatabases, geoprocessing models, imagery, and metadata on the Web.
  


• ArcGIS users can openly share their geographic information using shared standards such as JavaScript™, REST, and KML. See the ArcGIS Server Resource Center for more information.
  


• ArcGIS supports a range of web clients that can access, fuse, and use various GIS web services. Web client applications include:
  


• ArcGIS Explorer, a viewer for 3D virtual worlds
  


• The Web Mapping Application for ArcIMS and ArcGIS Server, a browser-based 2D web mapping interface that supports AJAX. You can use this out-of-the-box for many web mapping solutions that require editing, geoprocessing, and mapping. In addition, both .NET and Java developers can build custom applications with the web ADF.
  


• ArcGIS Mobile, which supports the use of mobile and smart clients the can be connected and synchronized across the web
  


• REST API's and JavaScript that enable users to build custom web mapping applications and to create mashups with other content such as Microsoft Virtual Earth and Google Earth.
  


• Strong support for KML so that Google Earth, Google Maps, and other applications can be used for working with, viewing, and fusing ArcGIS information.
  


• Open OGC clients through the use of the OGC standards WMS, WFS, GML, WCS, and CSW.
  


See Open application support for more information.

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