{"id":663552,"date":"2020-02-06T04:00:15","date_gmt":"2020-02-06T12:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=663552"},"modified":"2025-07-01T06:01:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T13:01:44","slug":"dirty-area-management-with-the-utility-network","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/utility-network\/data-management\/dirty-area-management-with-the-utility-network","title":{"rendered":"Dirty area management with the utility network"},"author":7501,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[23851],"tags":[526682,512182,35461,512172],"industry":[],"product":[36571,36561,515312],"class_list":["post-663552","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-data-management","tag-dirty-areas","tag-network-topology","tag-utility-network","tag-validate","product-arcgis-enterprise","product-arcgis-pro","product-utility-network"],"acf":{"short_description":"In this blog, we discuss dirty area management and introduce some changes that have been made for their management in ArcGIS Pro 2.5.\u00a0","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Dirty areas don\u2019t have to be a dirty secret.\u00a0 In this blog we want to shine a light on dirty area management and introduce some changes that have been made for ArcGIS Pro 2.5.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before we get too far, it’s important to understand why dirty areas exist and their purpose. All utility networks have a network topology that is responsible for managing\u00a0<\/span>connectivity and network attribute\u00a0<\/span>information\u00a0<\/span>for<\/span>\u00a0features.\u00a0<\/span>The network topology\u00a0<\/span>caches this information, which is\u00a0<\/span>then\u00a0<\/span>used by<\/span>\u00a0tracing and diagramming\u00a0<\/span>operations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The network topology\u00a0<\/span>engine\u00a0<\/span>also maintains connectivity between features and ensures features comply with\u00a0<\/span>network rules\u00a0<\/span>and feature restrictions<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for<\/span>\u00a0a utility network.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What exactly are dirty areas<\/span><\/b>?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dirty areas<\/a> are\u00a0<\/span>used\u00a0<\/span>as a visual marker\u00a0<\/span>to detect\u00a0<\/span>where edits to features have taken place<\/span> that require incorporation into the network topology. <\/span>They are created when an edit is made to feature geometry, terminal configurations, associations, the subtype field, and attributes that are defined as network attributes. Dirty areas are also created for <\/span>error features.<\/span><\/a> Also, keep in mind that currently dirty areas are created during reconcile and post operations for any edit made in a user version.<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

Dirty areas are only generated from edits when the network topology is enabled. A single dirty area exists for the extent of the service territory feature class when the topology is disabled. <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Since dirty areas can be accessed as a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>sublayer of the utility network<\/span><\/span><\/a>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>you\u00a0<\/span><\/span>can work with these in a similar manner as any other layer: label them, symbolize them, or simply turn them on or off.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Editor tracking is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>e<\/span><\/span>nabled for dirty areas<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and can be used to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>further understand wh<\/span><\/span>ich user<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0performed specific edits at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a specific date and time.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

UpdateType<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is a system-provided and managed field\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>can be used<\/span><\/span>\u00a0when working with symbology to help you understand the source of dirty areas in your network.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","content":"

Dive-in: <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The specific operation that created the dirty area is represented by the <\/span>UpdateType<\/span>\u00a0field. This is a field in the dirty\u00a0<\/span>areas<\/span>\u00a0sublayer of a utility network. The update type field has a coded value attribute domain assigned that lists the different types of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>updates that triggered creating<\/span><\/span>\u00a0the dirty area. Edit operations generate dirty areas with an<\/span><\/span>\u00a0i<\/span><\/span>nsert, update, and delete\u00a0<\/span>UpdateType<\/span>. Errors generated during enable or validate operations create dirty areas with the error\u00a0<\/span>UpdateType<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image_reference":false,"layout":"standard","image_reference_figure":"","snippet":"","spotlight_name":"DIVE IN:\u00a0","section_title":"UpdateType","position":"Center","spotlight_image":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

UpdateType is<\/span> a coded value domain that is used internally to track the operation that created the dirty area.<\/span><\/span> Let\u2019s take a look at t<\/span><\/span>he<\/span> Electric_42_Updatetype domain and how it is assigned.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":681892,"id":681892,"title":"domains","filename":"domains.jpg","filesize":31623,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/domains.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/utility-network\/data-management\/dirty-area-management-with-the-utility-network\/domains","alt":"UpdateType coded value domain","author":"7501","description":"","caption":"UpdateType is a system-provided coded value domain with codes and descriptions that represent the type of operation that created the dirty area.","name":"domains","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":663552,"date":"2019-12-16 14:52:49","modified":"2019-12-16 14:58:38","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":1038,"height":166,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/domains-213x166.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":166,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/domains.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":74,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/domains.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":123,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/domains.jpg","large-width":1038,"large-height":166,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/domains.jpg","1536x1536-width":1038,"1536x1536-height":166,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/domains.jpg","2048x2048-width":1038,"2048x2048-height":166,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/domains-826x132.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":132,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/domains.jpg","wide_image-width":1038,"wide_image-height":166}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":681882,"id":681882,"title":"fields_updatetypedomain","filename":"fields_updatetypedomain.jpg","filesize":70428,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/fields_updatetypedomain.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/utility-network\/data-management\/dirty-area-management-with-the-utility-network\/fields_updatetypedomain","alt":"UpdateType domain assignment","author":"7501","description":"","caption":"The Electric_42_UpdateType domain is assigned to the Update type field for dirty areas.","name":"fields_updatetypedomain","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":663552,"date":"2019-12-16 14:51:04","modified":"2019-12-16 14:52:23","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":956,"height":425,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/fields_updatetypedomain-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/fields_updatetypedomain.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":206,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/fields_updatetypedomain.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":341,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/fields_updatetypedomain.jpg","large-width":956,"large-height":425,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/fields_updatetypedomain.jpg","1536x1536-width":956,"1536x1536-height":425,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/fields_updatetypedomain.jpg","2048x2048-width":956,"2048x2048-height":425,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/fields_updatetypedomain-826x367.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":367,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/fields_updatetypedomain.jpg","wide_image-width":956,"wide_image-height":425}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Don’t trust it if it’s dirty<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since network diagrams and tracing (analytics) rely on the network topology, unexpected results may be returned if dirty areas exist. If a dirty area exists, that means the current representation of the feature is not reflected in the network topology.<\/p>\n

ArcGIS Pro has mechanisms in place to help ensure that your results can be trusted when using analytics:<\/p>\n