Hybrid Cloud Architecture

The ArcFM XI series has adopted a hybrid cloud, services-based architecture to help utilities leverage the benefits of both customer-managed and provider-managed solution environments, and specifically to enable seamless upgrades, which was a significant challenge reported by customers with the ArcFM Classic product.

With this design, you manage your GIS enterprise data (Portal for ArcGIS and AcrGIS Server) either on-premises or in the cloud of your choosing while Schneider Electric manages all ArcFM out-of-the-box and customer-specific application configuration. We also manage the coordination of moving jobs between people and within applications, both inside and outside of the ArcFM ecosystem, through our partnership with Microsoft Azure at the Microsoft data center you requested to meet regulatory compliance.

ArcFM’s cloud-based architecture also provides a single application, ArcFM Solution Center, to facilitate configurations across ArcFM applications. With a single, intuitive interface, Solution Center provides an out-of-the-box (OOTB), single source for configuring each application to meet your unique needs. Additionally, the ArcFM XI series has a number of REST-based APIs to support development and integration needs beyond functionality provided by Solution Center. With ArcFM’s hybrid cloud approach, you can enjoy seamless upgrades because your customizations reside in the cloud and, therefore, recompiled as our part of the software upgrade.

Which ArcFM services live in the Microsoft Azure Cloud?

An ArcFM Azure-based service sends and/or receives information, usually between applications (e.g., ArcFM Designer XI to ArcFM Editor XI and data sources (geodatabase, vector tile package file, street address locator, etc.).

It is important to note that different services are associated with different persona-based ArcFM applications. Not all implementations include all ArcFM services. You can discuss the details with your account manager to understand which services are associated with your organization’s implementation of ArcFM applications. The following is a list of all current ArcFM XI series services hosted in the Azure cloud managed by Schneider Electric:

1. Access Service: Allows for interaction with Auth0; securely managing the users and roles within the ArcFM environment determined by Portal for ArcGIS.

2. Editor Service: Manages the assignment of work associated with the session in the ArcFM XI ecosystem, currently used by Editor XI.

3. Designer Coordination Service: Manages the assignment of work associated within designs in Designer XI.

4. Feeder Services: Securely manages and tracks information involved in integrating GIS with external systems like ADMS via geodatabase region resources (GRRs).

5. Geodatabase Manager: Securely automates the reconcile and post process and other processes needed for the Utility Network (UN) to move your edited data to your GIS Enterprise (default).

6. Mapping Service: Manages the sharing of map services across ArcFM XI series applications and tools.

7. Markup Service: Manages the assignment of work associated within jobs sent to ArcFM Mobile.

8. Session Manager: Securely manages the lifecycle associated with a version of the GIS data as it moves around ArcFM XI tools.

9. Sync Service: Manages available replicas and deltas for consumption by the ArcFM Mobile and Designer XI apps.

10. Proxy Service: Securely allows ArcFM XI services to access data from the your ArcGIS Enterprise.

Which ArcFM Services can the customer choose to manage?

As previously mentioned, utilities have some flexibility in choosing to manage some ArcFM services to increase data control. There is a notable cost of ownership associated with customer-managed services. A dedicated web server with an SSL certificate is required, and the you must install and manage updates to the service. If there are issues with the service, you must collaborate with SE Support to access log files for troubleshooting. These services, which can either be hosted and managed by Schneider Electric or customer-managed, are primarily associated with Designer XI ArcFM Mobile. These services include

1. Edge Service: Allows for extracting data for ADMS or other ArcFM XI applications that use geodatabase region resources (portions of the data) and allows for the return of altered data to the ArcGIS Enterprise system.

2. Design Storage: Securely stores the extracted data (geodatabase region resource) from the Edge Service.

3. Sync Integration Service: Queries ArcGIS Server to create replicas and deltas and writes them to the file system.