MAKING THE LEAP Support from online communities smooths move from ArcIMS to ArcGIS Server By Matthew DeMeritt, Esri Writer Before the advent of Internet map servers, most maps were requested over the phone. GIS departments took individual requests from internal customers, then processed, printed, and shipped those orders. When Esri released ArcIMS 10 years ago, that cumbersome process became obsolete. Using a Web browser, customers themselves could access ArcIMS maps, turn layers on and off, and query features to obtain attribute information from the server. Within a few years, enabling technologies—such as broadband and map caching— allowed maps to be served more quickly. User expectations for both consumer and business mapping applications increased. In 2007, Esri released a new system called ArcGIS Server that harnessed those advances and gave organizations the ability to serve dynamic, fastrendering maps. Meeting Increasing Demands In Westerville, Ohio, ArcIMS had been used almost exclusively by management. "The speed, performance, and added content in that internal users for almost a decade. The planning and development and application persuaded Westerville management that it was a smart police departments frequently accessed zoning information, address decision," he noted. points, parcels, and aerial photography from the site. A public-facing site let citizens view simple layers. When Brian Nemec came on Getting Under Way board in 2008 as GIS manager at Westerville, his first objective was Before getting started, Nemec visited a variety of online communito configure ArcIMS to accommodate a growing clientele that wanted ties to familiarize himself with the issues associated with the transition from ArcIMS to ArcGIS Server. Because greater access to geographic information. "I hadn't worked with ArcIMS before, so "The great thing about he was most comfortable with JavaScript, he initially tapped the experience of the JavaScript I knew there was going to be a steep learncommunity. He found the sample maps and aping curve," said Nemec, who was working ArcGIS Server is that plications he needed to start creating the site. on a master's degree in engineering in GIS "I quickly learned from these online resources from the University of Colorado at Denver I didn't have to be a that I didn't need to be a programmer to make (UC Denver) at the same time. His coursea fully functional GIS Web site. After that revwork included a class dedicated to Web GIS programmer to create elation, the transition became a lot more doable technologies taught by Greg Gunther. In this and far less intimidating." class, Nemec learned about ArcGIS Server. my Web sites." Nemec began the project by taking working About that same time, internal users at samples from the community and integrating Westerville began asking for the same kind of functionality that consumer mapping services, such as Microsoft's his own data into them. He tinkered with the samples to see what did Virtual Earth (now Bing Maps), provided. Although Nemec could what. Lifting chunks of code from one example and copying and pasthave coded some of those functions into ArcIMS, this growing clam- ing them into his working sample, Nemec slowly breathed life into the or for new functionality threatened to outpace whatever progress he application. "I did the same thing with other samples, copying here and made. "The tools everyone wanted were already available in ArcGIS pasting there," he said. "When it got tricky, I simply went to the comServer, so it didn't really make fiscal sense to bolt on these improve- munities for help and quickly got everything in the right position doments one at a time to keep up with department user demand." For ing what it was supposed to do." Support sites contained more than enough working samples and coding advice to guide Nemec through Westerville's needs, ArcIMS no longer fit the bill. Nemec requested an upgrade to a more robust server that could the process. When Esri released ArcGIS API for Flex in 2008, Nemec contingrow with the expanding user base. With experience he gained from his Web GIS class at UC Denver, he set about creating a JavaScript- ued the same process, taking what he liked from samples and methodibased site that mirrored the functionality of the ArcIMS Web site cally piecing the application together. It was a good system to build the with a few additions. He presented the application to Westerville framework of the site, but Nemec knew he'd also want functionality 38 ArcUser Fall 2010 www.esri.com