Configure Replicas

Publishes in Mobile config and Solution Center

Replicas are copies of operational maps that mobile users can download and interact with on their devices. Deltas contain incremental changes to an operational map that have occurred since a replica was created. ArcFM Mobile automatically downloads deltas to a mobile device when they become available and the device has connectivity. Consolidating deltas into the base replica allows any newly provisioned mobile devices to download just the replica file, rather than having to download the replica and all the deltas associated with it.

Mobile config {the link to Feature Service Publishing needs to be local

Replicas can only be created for operational maps that are sync-enabled. Refer to Feature Service Publishing for details.

Take it for a drive! (The link opens/switches to the Solution Center app and accesses the Operational Maps tab. Click a map on the left and select Replicas on the right.)

Create Replicas

Publishes in Mobile config and Solution Center

Creating a replica establishes a baseline copy of your operational map suitable for offline use. Once you have created this initial copy, later changes to the replica are introduced via much smaller deltas that apply incremental changes to the initial replica.

TIP: Users can access this replica only if they are members of a Portal for ArcGIS group that has access to the underlying feature service.

Click the Create button and type a Description for the replica. If you click Save at this point, you are asked if you want to create the replica with the full extent, as published by the feature service.
1. Be aware that the full extent of a replica likely involves a great deal of data.
2. If you want to use smaller files instead of one large file, you can use regions or work areas to break up your data in ways that make sense to your users. Then users need only download replicas for areas relevant to them.
Select a map service that contains regional layers.
Choose the layer and corresponding region feature that you want to use for the replica. Notice that the Region name is appended to the suggested Description.
Click Save.

IMPORTANT: If you are configuring replicas for the Utility Network and encounter an error that references dirty areas in a particular layer, then you must remove that layer from the feature service you wish to make available offline. See Esri documentation on dirty areas for more background on these errors.

Manage Replicas

Update Replicas

You can update each replica via the Update button in Solution Center. When you use this feature, ArcFM Mobile detects any changes to data shared in the feature service on which your replica is based. ArcFM Mobile creates a delta representing any changes so your mobile users can get the updates.

If ArcFM Mobile has been properly configured, and the Sync Service is running correctly, you can update a replica that has been downloaded on a mobile device, after which the updated data automatically appears on the device. It may take a few minutes for updates to be synced. ArcFM Mobile checks for updates (deltas) every 10 minutes.

In addition to updating replicas manually, you have the option of updating replicas automatically with a scheduled process. Refer to Scheduling Replica Updates in ArcFM Mobile for further details.

Consolidate Replicas

When you select an operational map and click View, you can see detailed information about the replica, including any unconsolidated deltas.

Over the lifetime of a replica, hundreds of deltas might be created. When ArcFM Mobile users need to download a replica for the first time, they have to download the initial replica, plus any unconsolidated deltas. Once all of those files are downloaded to users’ devices, those deltas need applied to the replica on every device.

To alleviate the need for downloading the replica and possibly hundreds of time-consuming deltas, the idea of consolidation was born. Consider this scenario prior to any consolidation:

You have a replica that is >50 MB and has 142 unconsolidated deltas.
A new user needs to download the replica for the first time since it doesn’t exist yet on this employee’s device.
That very large replica plus a sizeable number of deltas has to download and then be applied to the device.

Utilizing consolidation:

Again, you have a replica that is >50 MB and has 142 unconsolidated deltas.
You click the Consolidate button before your new user downloads the replica for the first time.
The Sync Service applies all 142 unconsolidated deltas to the replica.
Although the replica is still large, the new user only has to download the replica plus maybe a few deltas that were generated right after you consolidated.
By consistently consolidating replicas, downloading them takes far less time.

TIP: Consolidating deltas does not impact users who have already downloaded the replica. Deltas are not deleted when they are consolidated, so users who have downloaded the replica prior to consolidation can still get deltas as normal. There is no need for users to re-download the replica after consolidation.

An informational message displays at the bottom of the screen to let you know that consolidation has begun.

Troubleshoot Replicas

To assist with issues that may arise with replicas, Solution Center provides the ability to copy and paste the replica ID plus the Esri replica name and ID.

Delete Replicas

When you delete a replica, a confirmation question displays to ensure you intend to delete the replica.

Historic Replica Management

To assist in clearing out files generated by the ArcFM Sync Service for incremental updates, historic replica management can be utilized to set a timeout period for consolidated deltas. For example, if the timeout period is set to two months, all consolidated deltas older than two months are removed. If a user is back online after being offline for three months, some of the deltas that ArcFM Mobile tries to download are gone. Therefore, ArcFM Mobile will instead download the consolidated replica containing those deltas.

Historic replica management is disabled by default. Contact Schneider Electric Technical Support to enable it and set a timeout period for consolidated deltas.