Geodatabase Replication for Utilities

Tom DeWitte
Solution Architect
ESRI – Utilities Team

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 1

Common Data Management Issues for Utilities

• Utilities are a distributed organization with the need to

maintain data at multiple locations
Outsourcing of Engineering Services Sharing Data with Remote Facilities Updating the Outage Mgmt Server

Central Office
Engineering Dept

GIS Data Server

LAN

Outage Mgmt Outage Mgmt

Data Server Data Server

Service Area Office Service Area Office

Utility Facility Utility Facility

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 2

Outsourcing of Engineering Services

• Data Management Issues Outsourcing of Engineering Services

– Updates to Asset information are performed

at the offsite Engineering facility.

Engineering Dept
– Utility staff require current information to
safely and accurately perform their jobs.

– How to get data updates from the

Engineering facility to local facility??

Utility Facility Utility Facility

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 3

Sharing Data with Remote Facilities
Sharing Data with Remote Facilities
• Data Management Issues
– Updates to Asset information are
received/performed at Central Facility.

Central Office
– Utility staff require current information to
safely and accurately perform their jobs.

– Network Bandwidth between Central

Office and remote facility is insufficient to
support live access to GIS data server at
Central office.

– How to get data to remote offices when

bandwidth is limited??
Service Area Office Service Area Office

Example:
– A T-1 line max capacity = 1.54Mb/sec.

– 1 GIS desktop user requires = 0.8 Mb/sec

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 4

Updating the Outage Management Server
• Data Management Issues Updating the Outage Mgmt Server

– A utilitie’s response to a outage event

requires current information about field
assets.

– An outage Management System requires

a redundant data source to ensure data GIS Data Server

availabilty during an outage event.

LAN

– Data editors maintain data on a separate

server then the Outage Management
server. Outage Mgmt Outage Mgmt
Data Server Data Server

– How to automatically push updates from

GIS Data server to Outage Mgmt
servers???

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 5

How Does Geodatabase Replication Solve these
Data Management Issues?
• GDB Replication provides the ability to automatically
transmit data changes between the multiple data servers.

Replication
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GDB

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 6

GDB Replication and Outsourcing of Engineering
Services
Outsourcing of Engineering Services
• GDB Replication provides the ability
to: ` LAN

– Transmit only the data changes from the Office PC

Editors
Engineering data server to the Utility data LAN

Engineering
server. ` GIS Database Server

Office PC
Editors
– Provides tools to transmit changes across Internet/

either connected or disconnected networks. WAN

– GDB Replication management tools are

provided with ArcEditor 9.2. `
LAN
Office PC
Viewers
LAN

` Utility
GIS Database Server
Office PC
Viewers

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 7

GDB Replication and Sharing with Remote Facilities

Data Sharing with Remote Facilities

• GDB Replication provides the ability
to: LAN
`
Office PC
– Allow all or part of the geodatabase to be LAN

replicated Central Office

`

GIS Database Server Office PC

• Replicate only a subset of the featureclasses
or featuredatasets. WAN WAN

• Replicate only the data changes within a

specified geography (i.e. service area).

– Transmit data changes between all three levels

of ArcSDE servers
Remote Facility Remote Facility
• Enterprise SDE GIS Database GIS Database

• Workgroup SDE
• Personal SDE ` ` ` `
Office PC Office PC Office PC Office PC
• File Geodatabase (9.3)* Viewers Viewers Viewers Viewers

*For one-way replication only

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 8
GDB Replication and Updating the Outage Mgmt Server

Updating the Outage Mgmt Server

• GDB Replication provides the ability
to:
– Have a single geodatabase participate in
multiple replicas.
GIS Data Server

– Allow users to edit the geodatabases

independently and synchronize them as
needed.
LAN

– Synchronization process can be easily

automated with Geoprocessing tools.

Outage Mgmt Outage Mgmt

Data Server Data Server

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 9

What is Geodatabase Replication?
• A set of data management tools bundled into ArcEditor
9.2 and ArcInfo 9.2 applications.

• Built on-top of SDE versioning environment.

• A database (Oracle, SQL Server, DB2) independent form

of replication.
– Example: Allows data changes on an Oracle server to be sent to a
SQL Server Express database.

• A single geodatabase can participate in multiple replicas.

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 10

Geodatabase Replication - Concepts

• Basic replication relationship is between two replicas :

– A Child Replica is created from a Parent Replica.

Parent Replica_A

Child Replica_A

• You can replicate :

– A specific version
– Specific datasets
– A subset of features in the chosen datasets

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 11

Geodatabase Replication Types

Check out / Parent Child

Check in Once Only
ArcSDE ArcSDE, Personal,
File GDB

Two Way Parent Child

Multiple Times
ArcSDE ArcSDE

One Way Parent Child

Multiple Times
ArcSDE ArcSDE
(File GDB in 9.3)

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 12

Distributing Data

• Geodatabase Replication can be

used in conjunction with other Main Office

data distribution techniques

Replication
• Example:
• Use geodatabase replication to Field Office
synchronize changes between
offices
Web
• Use mobile ADF for field workers Services
with light weight mobile devices Mobile ADF Replication
Mobile ADF
• Use geodatabase replication for
field workers who need ArcGIS
desktop or engine in the field

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 13

Geodatabase Replication

• All geodatabase replication workflows are supported on a

LAN or a WAN
– LAN - Use connections to your local geodatabases
– WAN - Use ArcGIS Server and geodata web services to access
remote geodatabases

• Supports connected and disconnected environments

– Connected
• The geodatabases are on the same network (LAN or WAN)
• Need to access both geodatabases to create and synchronize replicas
– Disconnected
• Geodatabases are not on the same network
• Replicas are created and synchronize through file exchange (i.e. delta
files are used to synchronize changes)
Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 14
Demo

• 1 way replication between 2 ArcSDE Databases

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 15

 Geodatabase Replication – Getting Started

• Use models or scripts for replicas you plan to create on a

regular basis
– You can use the create replica tool from geoprocessing tools to
build models
• Consider using the following replica creation options
– Re-use schema (check-out replicas) – uses existing schema
– Register only – replicates pre-copied data
– Relationship classes processing is optional
• Schedule Synchronizations
– You can use geoprocessing models exported to python and the
windows scheduler
– Consider synchronization order

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 16

 Geodatabase Replication – Getting Started

• Integrate synchronization with version management

strategy
– Synchronize before running reconcile and compress services

• Network speed
– Use geodatabases directly over fast networks (LAN)
– Use ArcGIS server and geodata services on slower networks
(WAN – i.e. DSL)
– Use disconnected synchronization techniques over very slow
networks (slow dial-up modem) or where there is no network
connectivity

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 17

Geodatabase Replication - Summary

• Allows data to be automatically maintained in multiple locations.

• A set of data management tools you likely already have

(ArcEditor 9.2).
– Personal SDE is also included with ArcEditor 9.2

• Designed to work within, LAN and WAN and disconnected

network environments.

• Works on-top of versioned SDE environment

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 18

Questions

Mid-West ESRI Utility Users Group 2008 19