{"id":2648062,"date":"2025-01-14T10:42:12","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T18:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2648062"},"modified":"2026-03-02T11:41:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T19:41:07","slug":"getting-the-most-out-of-distributed-collaboration-in-arcgis-enterprise","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-enterprise\/administration\/getting-the-most-out-of-distributed-collaboration-in-arcgis-enterprise","title":{"rendered":"Getting the most out of distributed collaboration in ArcGIS Enterprise"},"author":10222,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[37501,23851,22941],"tags":[42301,42641,86442,34201,176452],"industry":[],"product":[36571,36551],"class_list":["post-2648062","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-administration","category-data-management","category-mapping","tag-arcgis-enterprise","tag-arcgis-online","tag-data-management","tag-distributed-collaboration","tag-mapping","product-arcgis-enterprise","product-arcgis-online"],"acf":{"short_description":"In this blog, we will take you through best practices, tips and tricks, and more to ensure you get the most out of distributed collaboration.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Though it\u2019s been available for years now, distributed collaboration<\/a> is an unsung feature when it comes to sharing content between ArcGIS Enterprise and other ArcGIS organizations. Maybe you\u2019ve never heard of it. Or maybe you have but you\u2019re not quite sure where to start; there are a lot of details to consider, and the functionality has evolved since its introduction in ArcGIS Enterprise 10.5.<\/p>\n

Regardless of your relationship with distributed collaboration, which may be referred to simply as \u201ccollaboration\u201d throughout this blog, we will take you through best practices, tips and tricks, and more to ensure you get the most out of distributed collaboration in ArcGIS Enterprise.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","content":"

What is distributed collaboration?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Distributed collaboration is a way to establish a formal relationship of trust between two or more ArcGIS Enterprise organizations or an ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise organization. This allows for content \u2013 such as items, feature layers, web maps, web apps, and more \u2013 to be shared between these organizations. Read more about it in the blog Stop, collaborate, and listen: getting the most out of collaboration in ArcGIS.<\/a><\/p>\n","image_reference":false,"layout":"standard","image_reference_figure":"","snippet":"","spotlight_name":"","section_title":"","position":"Center","spotlight_image":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Quick Links<\/h2>\n

Breaking it all down<\/a> | Collaboration management<\/a> | Workspace management<\/a> | Content management<\/a> | Putting it all together<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Breaking it all down<\/h1>\n

To break down best practices around collaboration, let\u2019s think about it in three different pieces:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Collaboration management<\/li>\n
  2. Workspace management<\/li>\n
  3. Content management<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    It may help to think about these three different pieces as nesting dolls.<\/p>\n

    For your largest nesting doll, you have your collaboration. This is a way to establish a formal relationship of trust between two ArcGIS Enterprise organizations or an ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise organization.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2650532,"id":2650532,"title":"Slide2","filename":"Slide2.jpg","filesize":158567,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide2.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-enterprise\/administration\/getting-the-most-out-of-distributed-collaboration-in-arcgis-enterprise\/slide2-9","alt":"One large nesting doll labeled collaboration.","author":"10222","description":"One large nesting doll labeled collaboration.","caption":"You can think of a large nesting doll representing the concept of collaboration.","name":"slide2-9","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2648062,"date":"2025-01-14 01:56:59","modified":"2025-01-14 01:58:41","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1800,"height":1013,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide2-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide2.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide2.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide2.jpg","large-width":1800,"large-height":1013,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide2-1536x864.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":864,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide2.jpg","2048x2048-width":1800,"2048x2048-height":1013,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide2-826x465.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide2.jpg","wide_image-width":1800,"wide_image-height":1013}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

    Collaborations contain one or more workspaces. A workspace is a conceptual space, joined to a group, that represents a project, an initiative, or another organizing principle. While content isn\u2019t shared directly to a workspace, content is shared to groups that are designated as part of a workspace. Going back to our nesting doll example, you still have your large nesting doll representing collaboration. Within this doll is a medium doll, representing workspaces.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2650552,"id":2650552,"title":"Slide3","filename":"Slide3.jpg","filesize":233638,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide3.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-enterprise\/administration\/getting-the-most-out-of-distributed-collaboration-in-arcgis-enterprise\/slide3-10","alt":"One large nesting doll labeled collaboration next to a medium nesting doll labeled workspace.","author":"10222","description":"One large nesting doll labeled collaboration next to a medium nesting doll labeled workspace.","caption":"Within your large nesting doll is a medium nesting doll representing your workspaces.","name":"slide3-10","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2648062,"date":"2025-01-14 02:00:43","modified":"2025-01-14 02:02:33","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1800,"height":1013,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide3-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide3.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide3.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide3.jpg","large-width":1800,"large-height":1013,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide3-1536x864.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":864,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide3.jpg","2048x2048-width":1800,"2048x2048-height":1013,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide3-826x465.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide3.jpg","wide_image-width":1800,"wide_image-height":1013}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

    Lastly, within each workspace is your content. These are the actual items shared back and forth between organizations via collaboration.\u00a0 Going back to our nesting doll example, you still have your large nesting doll representing collaboration, your medium doll representing workspaces, and – within that medium doll – is the small doll, representing content.<\/p>\n

    Your collaboration contains your workspace, which contains your content.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2650582,"id":2650582,"title":"Slide4","filename":"Slide4.jpg","filesize":284464,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide4.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-enterprise\/administration\/getting-the-most-out-of-distributed-collaboration-in-arcgis-enterprise\/slide4-3","alt":"One large nesting doll labeled collaboration, next to a medium nesting doll labeled workspace, next to a small nesting doll labeled content.","author":"10222","description":"One large nesting doll labeled collaboration, next to a medium nesting doll labeled workspace, next to a small nesting doll labeled content.","caption":"Within your medium nesting doll is a small nesting doll representing content. ","name":"slide4-3","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2648062,"date":"2025-01-14 02:04:43","modified":"2025-01-14 02:05:50","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1800,"height":1013,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide4-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide4.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide4.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide4.jpg","large-width":1800,"large-height":1013,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide4-1536x864.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":864,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide4.jpg","2048x2048-width":1800,"2048x2048-height":1013,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide4-826x465.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slide4.jpg","wide_image-width":1800,"wide_image-height":1013}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

    <\/a><\/h1>\n

    Collaboration management<\/h1>\n

    When configuring a collaboration, it\u2019s important to consider the goals of the collaboration. Which organizations are involved \u2013 are they both within your agency or is there cross-collaboration between agencies? Is it ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise or an ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Enterprise? Is this a pattern you\u2019ll have to follow just once or multiple times? This comes down to architecture, which then leads to additional collaboration and workspace considerations.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Architectural considerations<\/h2>\n

    When setting up collaboration between ArcGIS Enterprise deployments, consider who the host should be and who should be the guest. The host initiates the collaboration, defines the workplaces, which guests are invited, how content is shared and access. The guest controls the sync schedule and runs the synchronization jobs as well. This means it\u2019s important to consider the performance impact of being the guest in collaborations with multiple workspaces \u2013 those synchronization jobs can add up and, depending on resources available, may impact the performance of your Enterprise deployment.<\/p>\n

    When setting up a collaboration between ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Online will always be the host. Do note that ArcGIS Enterprise can only participate in a collaboration with one ArcGIS Online organization \u2013 and that is by design. Content can be shared with multiple ArcGIS Online organizations using a combination of distributed and partnered collaborations instead! Share content from the ArcGIS Enterprise to the main ArcGIS Online organization via distributed collaboration first. Then share the content from the main ArcGIS Online organization to other ArcGIS Online organizations via partnered collaboration.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2650672,"id":2650672,"title":"DC to PC image","filename":"DC-to-PC-image.jpg","filesize":65561,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC-to-PC-image.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-enterprise\/administration\/getting-the-most-out-of-distributed-collaboration-in-arcgis-enterprise\/dc-to-pc-image","alt":"Diagram of ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Online set up with distributed collaboration and ArcGIS Online set up with another ArcGIS Online via partnered collaboration.","author":"343652","description":"Diagram of ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Online set up with distributed collaboration and ArcGIS Online set up with another ArcGIS Online via partnered collaboration.","caption":"Content can be shared from ArcGIS Enterprise to ArcGIS Online via distributed collaboration, and then from ArcGIS Online to another ArcGIS Online organization via partnered collaboration.","name":"dc-to-pc-image","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2648062,"date":"2025-01-14 02:50:01","modified":"2025-01-14 02:50:20","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1611,"height":398,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC-to-PC-image-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC-to-PC-image.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":115,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC-to-PC-image.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":190,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC-to-PC-image.jpg","large-width":1611,"large-height":398,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC-to-PC-image-1536x379.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":379,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC-to-PC-image.jpg","2048x2048-width":1611,"2048x2048-height":398,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC-to-PC-image-826x204.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":204,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC-to-PC-image.jpg","wide_image-width":1611,"wide_image-height":398}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

    Once the collaboration is set up, it\u2019s necessary to understand if a retention policy is configured correctly for both the host<\/a> and guest<\/a> organizations This is important to understand what happens to items sent from or received by the organization when the collaboration or any of its workspaces is deleted and when leaving a collaboration or a workspace.<\/p>\n