Cache generation and update on Linux/Solaris

For Linux/Solaris versions of ArcGIS Server, a map or globe service cache can be created or updated by ArcCatalog, but can also be created and update by running scripts installed with ArcGIS Server on Linux/Solaris using scriptable GP tools. These scripts use the Server Tools in ArcToolbox. Uing them, you can generate/update map cache and globe cache from command.

Caching scripts

The caching scripts are located in the <ArcGIS Server Installation directory>/arcgis/java/tools/caching directory.

Map caching scripts

• CreateMapServerCache.sh - Initializes the cache and sets the tiling scheme. This tool does not create any tiles. To create the tiles, use ManageMapServerCache.sh.
• ManageMapServerCacheTiles.sh - Creates new tiles, replaces old tiles, or deletes tiles from the cache.
• ManageMapServerCacheScales.sh - Adds or removes scales from an existing cache.
• DeleteMapServerCache.sh - Deletes all cache tiles and the cache's folder structure.
• GenerateMapServerCacheTilingScheme.sh - create one tiling scheme to share throughout your organization. This tool creates an XML tiling scheme file. You can place this tiling scheme file in a shared location and reference it when you run CreateMapServerCache.sh.

Globe caching scripts

• ManageGlobeServerCacheTiles.sh - Creates new tiles, replaces old tiles, or deletes tiles from a globe cache.
• DeleteGlobeServerCache.sh - - Deletes the cache.

Run the scripts

The following are basic guidelines for successfully creating/updating a map cache or creating a globe cache using these tools.

The ArcGIS Server Object Container (SOC) process runs as the ArcGIS Server Install owner. By default, this user is not a member of agsadmin group.

Only members of the agsadmin group can create empty contexts on the Server, and successfully run the generatemapcache/updatemapcache/generateglobecache tools.

The ArcGIS Server install owner needs to be added with the group agsadmin. You can use the following steps to accomplish this in Manager:

1. Log into ArcGIS Manager
2. Click on "GIS Server" tab
3. Click on "Local GIS Users" link on left hand side
4. Click on "Add Users" link
5. Give the username "ags" and Group as "agsadmin" (Assuming you have chosen "ags" as the ArcGIS Server install owner.)
6. Click "Save"

Now, you are ready to run the script(s) to create the cache.

In a command window, change your current working directory to <ArcGIS Server Installation directory>/arcgis/java/tools/caching.

Follow the directions as the script guides you through the cache generation/update process.

Note: You need to pick the Server context when asked to specify the context in which the GeoProcessing tool should run - Engine or Server. You need to pick "2. Server". Otherwise you get the error message of "Could not load native libraries. ArcGIS/bin should be added to LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable."

When the process is finished, the output will be located in the cache location. The default cache location is <ArcGIS Server Installation directory>/arcgis/server/serverdir/arcgiscache.

NOTE: In some cases, you may need to increase the amount of time the server needs to keep the SOC alive and available. This is important in cases where the caching process might take an extremely long time to complete. To increase the timeout, edit the <ArcGIS Server Installation directory>/arcgis/server/system/Server.dat file on your server by changing the value of <EngineContextTimeout> to a large number, such as 36000 seconds.

Migrating from ArcGIS Server 9.2 to 9.3

Some cache scripts from ArcGIS Server 9.2 have been deprecated. They are included with the software so that your existing application will continue to run.

There deprecated scripts located in the <ArcGIS Server Installation directory>/arcgis/java/tools/caching/deprecated directory

This table shows the deprecated scripts and their replacements in 9.3:

• generatemapcache.sh - This script initialized the map cache, set the tiling scheme, and created all the tiles in the cache. At 9.3, use CreateMapServerCache.sh to initialize the cache and set the tiling scheme. Then use ManageMapServerCacheTiles.sh to create some or all of the tiles for the cache.
• updatemapcache.sh - This script created, replaced, or deleted tiles from a map cache. At 9.3, use ManageMapServerCacheTiles.sh, which can do the same things with more flexibility for updating only selected areas of the cache.
• generateglobecache.sh - This tool generated all tiles in a globe cache. At 9.3, use ManageGlobeServerCacheTiles.sh to create some or all of the tiles for the globe cache.