ArcGIS Image Dedicated is a fully managed SaaS enabling organizations to efficiently serve, process, and analyze imagery and raster data stored on Azure or AWS without the burden of managing infrastructure. Esri manages the servers, computing resources, and software to ensure scalability.
ArcGIS Image Dedicated is updated quarterly. The current release introduces enhancements to streamline workflows and future-proof deployments.
Let’s explore what’s new this quarter.
Imagery Server: Smarter Inputs & Safer Upgrades
Imagery Server Upgrade Support
You can now create Dynamic and Tiled Imagery Servers using ArcGIS Server version 12.0. Existing Dynamic and Tiled Imagery Servers can also be easily upgraded. We recommend upgrading as it unlocks performance boosts, service improvements and includes all security updates.
Upgrading servers in ArcGIS Image Dedicated is very simple. Click on … for the server that needs an upgrade. From the drop-down list, click Upgrade Server Version. Complete the Upgrade Server Request form and click Upgrade Server. A new server will be set up using a defined DNS name, and you will be notified via email. During the 7-day trial period, you must test and verify whether the DNS swap can proceed or place the DNS swap on hold until issues identified are resolved. Once the DNS swap is completed, the old server will be permanently deleted.
Auto-Fill Alias & DNS Prefix on Server Upgrade
The Server Alias and DNS Prefix fields are automatically generated in the Upgrade Server Request form. A timestamp is added to ensure each value is unique and to avoid duplication, while also confirming that the DNS prefix is not already in use.
Direct Folder Selection in the Create Image Definition GP Tool
Creating image definitions used to define a service just got easier. You can now directly select tile cache datasets or 3D tiles from folders, skipping manual path copying.
Smarter Cloud Store Management
Register and update Non-Default Cloud Stores
With the administrator’s permission, you can now register new cloud stores directly for Imagery Servers. The credentials of existing cloud stores can be validated or updated, giving more flexibility and control over secure access across environments.
Support for Public S3 Buckets/Containers
You can now register public cloud storage options, such as S3 buckets or containers, as cloud stores in Imagery Server.
Managed RDBMS Enhancements
Extend Term Length
You can now extend the term length of a Managed RDBMS, giving flexibility to align database lifecycles with your project timelines.
Update WMS and WCS Properties
You can update WMS and WCS properties of a service using the Manage Dynamic Services GP Tool, ensuring that anyone consuming the service has a clearer understanding of the service publisher.
Deeper, Clearer Performance Insights
Starting with ArcGIS Server 11.5, Imagery Server performance metrics have been expanded to give you a clearer picture of how your services are running.
Key enhancements include:
- Request Count Tracking to understand traffic patterns and service demand.
- CSV exports for audits, reporting, and long-term planning.
- Metrics retention for the last three scaled-in machines, helping you analyze usage even after instances shut down.
- Grouped metrics that separate machine-level and load balancer insights for easier interpretation.
ArcGIS Image Dedicated App: Smarter Navigation and Controls
Searchable Dropdowns for Geoprocessing Tasks
Drop-downs in Processing and Analysis ->Geoprocessing Task → Update Item now includes ascending sort and type-to-search functionality. This means faster access to the items.
Smarter Table Sorting for Seamless Data Management
The ArcGIS Image Dedicated app now allows sorting tables in the following tabs: Dynamic Imagery, Tiled Imagery, Orders, Pro Machines, Managed RDBMS, Data Storage Accounts, and Job Status. This improves navigation for longer lists.
IP and Disk Update Restrictions when the Machine is Stopped
To prevent unintended changes, the app now restricts IP address and additional disk storage updates when a Pro Machine is in a Stopped state. This ensures configuration changes only occur when machines are active and ready.
Auto-Refresh
The app now refreshes only inactive sections instead of reloading the entire page. This delivers a noticeably smoother experience, including:
- Preserved user context — selections like cloud provider remain intact.
- Restored open windows and forms after refresh.
- Faster performance with no workflow interruptions
Pro Machine Page Upgrade
The Pro Machine Page includes more detailed information and machine configurations, providing data transparency for troubleshooting or for close monitoring.
Pro Machine Power-Off Status Synchronization
When a machine is powered off within the VM, the UI now accurately reflects the “Stopped” state after logout, eliminating stale indicators.
Password Visibility Toggle in Credentials Dialog
A small yet impactful UX upgrade: you can now click the eye icon to toggle password visibility in the Pro Machine login dialog. This minimizes login errors due to misspelled credentials.
Pre-Release Notification Upon Login
You will be notified of any upcoming scheduled release starting five days before the release date when you log in. This advance notice helps you plan proactively, minimize disruptions, and maintain better control over your update experience.
Pro Machines: Futureproofing & Enhancements
Pro Machine 3.6
Pro Machines with ArcGIS Pro 3.6 are now available and include several enhancements:
- ArcGIS Pro 3.6
- Reality Studio 2026.1
- Pre-installed Deep Learning Libraries – Available with or without the deep learning template,
- Upgraded Windows Server
- Updated NVIDIA Drivers
Managing NVv3-Series Azure VM Deprecation
Microsoft will retire NVv3-series Azure virtual machines on September 30, 2026. We have proactively upgraded the Large GPU instance to Standard_NV12ads_A10_v5 with fallback to Standard_NC16as_T4_v3, wherever needed.
Managing Retirement of Standard HDD OS Disks on Azure
Microsoft has announced the retirement of Standard HDD OS disks on Azure managed disks, effective 8 September 2028. To combat disruptions, we transitioned OS disks to Premium SSD well ahead of the retirement date.
Stop AWS Pro Machine after Volume Modification Error
You can now stop AWS Pro machines even after hitting disk storage limits and encountering a Volume Modification error. This ensures better recovery options.
Persist Imagery: Enhancements to the Toolbox
The Persist Imagery toolbox has evolved to give more control, flexibility, and quality assurance when working with imagery caches. With the new tools, creating and managing tile caches and cloud raster formats (CRF) is even easier. The toolbox now provides:
- Generate Tile Cache – for creating tile caches with advanced options.
- Generate Cloud Raster Format (CRF) – for generating CRF outputs directly.
The Generate Tile Cache tool builds on the familiar parameters of the previous Submit Job but adds powerful new functionality:
- Generate by Specific Levels: Sometimes, you don’t need the entire pyramid, just a few key levels. You can now select pyramid levels using the Scales [Pixel Size] parameter. This saves time and resources by focusing only on the required levels.
- Generate by Specific Bundles: You can select bundle features (created by the Generate Bundle Map tool) and pass them to the Bundle Geometry parameter to define the target bundle IDs. This allows granular control, ideal for large datasets or distributed systems.
- Generate by Area of Interest (AOI): You can define a clipping geometry to generate imagery only for the regions required. You can provide a feature class with a single feature or use an SQL query to select a feature.
- Validate Tile Cache During Generation (Tile Synopsis) When the Ready to Serve format is selected, the Tile Synopsis option enables validation during cache creation. You can:
- Specify a tile synopsis output folder to store validation results as TIFF images.
- Choose a validation mode to tailor the tile synopsis.
The Generate Cloud Raster Format adds new functionality:
- Generate by Area of Interest (AOI): You can define a clipping geometry to generate imagery only for the regions required. You can provide a feature class with a single feature or use an SQL query to select a feature.
- Generate Tile Synopsis: creates a raster in TIF format where each pixel represents either the Size or Average of the tile covering the same extent. Size indicates the entropy or amount of detail in the tile, while average should provide a low-level image. The TIF files can be viewed in ArcGIS Pro as part of quality checks and to look for outliers that can indicate issues in the tile cache.
Updates to Get Bundle Cache Tool
- The tool has been renamed to Generate Bundle Map. It now supports bundle maps, (a feature class containing the spatial footprint of bundles at each level for a given input mosaic dataset) generation for:
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- CRF format
- Tile Package format
Support Update for Pro Machine 3.1, 3.2, and ArcGIS Server 11.1
To align with the ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Pro product life cycles, support for Pro Machine 3.1, Pro Machine 3.2, and ArcGIS Server 11.1 machines in ArcGIS Image Dedicated has been discontinued. Existing machines will continue to be supported through June 2026; after this date, they will no longer receive updates or technical assistance. We encourage customers to plan their upgrade to ensure continuity and take advantage of the latest capabilities.
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These updates help you work smarter, scale faster, and deliver more value from your imagery workflows.
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