Additional Considerations for Designer XI

All ArcFM XI Series applications share some common considerations and requirements, but a few are specific to Designer XI and depend on your Esri network type (Geometric Network or Utility Network) and your utility domain (electric or gas).

All Designer XI Implementations

All Designer XI implementations require that you configure ArcFM Session Manager, which is part of the ArcFM Editor XI application. Session Manager is integral to the overall ArcFM system of design.

All features that will be edited using Designer XI must have Global IDs. Schneider Electric can help identify these features and enable them, if needed.

The feature classes in your Network Feature Service must be registered as versioned so they have editor tracking fields that contain create and update timestamps. For these to work properly, you must use the Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) standard, which is the default.

Know which authentication method you are using. Depending on your other applications, Schneider Electric might have already configured your authentication method during a previous implementation.

Know which spatial reference your company uses.

IMPORTANT: Using Web Mercator as a spatial reference for Designer XI is not recommended, as it results in inaccurate data and measurements both within the application and in any data pushed to the GIS. When choosing a spatial reference, follow these guidelines:

Use a map projection designed to minimize errors in distance measurements. Otherwise, CU quantities for linear components such as conductors and pipes can be inaccurate, and the measure tool and precision editing tools do not function correctly.
For a United States customer, a state plane spatial reference containing the entire service area is a good place to start.
A custom projection tailored to your specific service territory produces the most accurate results.
Consult with a GIS expert to choose a spatial reference that is right for your organization.

Ensure Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) mode is turned off on devices and networks that use and support Designer XI. The application uses cryptographic algorithms that offer more enhanced security than those approved by FIPS. Despite offering a higher level of security, the algorithms are not FIPS compliant, and running applications with FIPS mode on results in network conflicts and errors.

Gas Implementations in Designer XI

Designer XI supports the Esri Utility and Pipeline Data Model (UPDM) with the Utility Network, and it also supports the Geometric Network.

Geometric Network Implementations

Configure the ArcFM Process Framework Administration Tool.

Utility Network Implementations in Designer XI

Use your current desktop configuration to document all the autoupdaters assigned to the features that are going to be edited using Designer XI, and provide that list to Schneider Electric. Autoupdaters are configured differently when passing through ArcGIS Server, and some limitations exist. Schneider Electric requires this list upfront to best manage autoupdater implementation in a server-based environment.