Geocortex Essentials 4.4. Product Guide

Transcription

1 Geocortex Essentials 4.4 Product Guide 1

2 2015 Latitude Geographics Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Geocortex and Latitude Geographics are registered trademarks of Latitude Geographics Group Ltd. in the United States and Canada, and are trademarks in other jurisdictions around the world. Esri and ArcGIS trademarks are provided under license from Esri Inc. Other companies and products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. (4.4) November 10,

3 Table of Contents Accomplish Even More with Esri s ArcGIS Platform 4 About Latitude Geographics 5 Why Use Geocortex Essentials? 6 Off-the-Shelf, Framework-Based Design 7 Core Components 8 Viewers Provide an Outstanding User Experience 11 Streamline Processes with Workflow 14 Design Multiple Sites and Applications Easily with Manager 15 Powerful APIs and Open Architecture 16 Software Designed for the ArcGIS Platform 18 Spatial Application Infrastructure (SAI) 19 Supported Technical Environment 24 Cityworks Extension for Geocortex Essentials 27 Product Features Summary 28 Feature Matrix 29 3

4 Accomplish Even More with Esri s ArcGIS Platform You already know that ArcGIS is a powerful foundation for web-based mapping and a great way to visualize, understand, question and interpret data. This Product Guide provides a brief overview of Geocortex Essentials: a packaged, off-the-shelf software application that accelerates real-world success with ArcGIS mapping technology. Geocortex Essentials transforms the process of designing, building and maintaining web-based mapping applications. It offers a proven approach that is far superior to custom development in helping attain your GIS objectives. Whether you re delivering simple or highly complex mapping applications, by leveraging our featurerich, entirely customizable and fully supported off-the-shelf software product, you can: Deliver effective applications and systems more quickly to end-users Reduce uncertainty and improve ROI by effectively cost-sharing required R&D with many other organizations Significantly reduce the time, money and complexity required to create high-impact, customized mapping and GIS applications Eliminate ongoing challenges associated with creating, maintaining and supporting custom code on a variety of platform types (mobile apps, websites, desktops) Receive new and updated capabilities as Geocortex technology grows and evolves over time Feel like the future of technology is working for you and not against you Latitude Geographics has invested tens of thousands of hours developing web-based mapping capabilities so that you don t have to reinvent the wheel. Quite simply: Why incur the time, expense and risk to develop what you can license from us and for a fraction of the cost? You can create feature-rich and productive web-based mapping experiences for end-users with minimal to no coding effort, all the while maximizing your existing investment in the ArcGIS platform. Please review this Product Guide; when you re ready to ask questions, perhaps request an in-depth product demonstration and have a conversation with us about how Geocortex Essentials might be of benefit to your organization. Please contact us at: Web: Phone (Worldwide): Toll Free (North America): (250) info@latitudegeo.com 4

5 About Latitude Geographics Since Latitude Geographics first introduced Geocortex in 2000, well over a thousand organizations around the world have taken advantage of our off-the-shelf approach to deploying web-based GIS applications. Today, with Geocortex Essentials, we offer an unrivalled product that is the #1 solution of its kind in the marketplace. Our critical mass of Geocortex licensees continuously allows us to build new capabilities on an ongoing and sustainable basis. We have vision and a clear product roadmap; our 140,000+ hours of R&D activities are among the most ambitious in the business. We also provide ancillary offerings (e.g. support, training, user conferences and regional user groups) that round out our product model. We believe that being one of Esri s Platinum Business Partners (representing the top 1% of partners worldwide) speaks volumes; our work is good for our customers and Esri. We re devoted to adding new, compelling sources of value to the ArcGIS platform equation over time as core Esri technology evolves. Esri steadily develops new capabilities and offerings that enhance the ArcGIS platform, and our technology is highly complementary to what Esri creates. We also sometimes introduce things that aren t on Esri s roadmap at a given point in time, but at all times we re engaged in finding ways for customers to do even more with Esri s technology. Simply put, our focus is on ensuring maximum customer alignment with core Esri technology and approaches. We believe we have navigated this path very effectively and sustainably over the years, and we think our 97% maintenance renewal rate speaks to this. Indeed, our guiding star has always been to keep our customers as closely aligned as possible with the core Esri platform to protect and enhance their ongoing investment in Esri technology. Our experience is that this approach pays considerable long-term dividends: upgrades are easier, you re better positioned to capitalize on new Esri capabilities in more meaningful ways, and there are considerable cost savings and efficiencies to be gained. There are a number of ways to go about deploying the ArcGIS platform, and not all are created equal. Our focus is on eliminating relatively short-term development inefficiencies and gaps, while engineering for the long term according to our proven Spatial Application Infrastructure (SAI) principles to avoid complications down the road. Geocortex helps organizations get things done today in the real world, while ensuring you remain ideally positioned to leverage what the future holds. 5

6 Why Use Geocortex Essentials? Esri s ArcGIS platform provides all you need for many types of deployments. However, organizations sometimes fi nd themselves contemplating custom development to meet precise requirements for certain types of applications. A confi gurable off-the-shelf (COTS) product like Geocortex Essentials enables you to reach your mapping and GIS objectives faster and with signifi cantly less cost and risk than custom development. Geocortex provides value in a variety of ways: End-users benefi t from an effective, intuitive web-mapping experience while taking advantage of innovative features that allow them to get work done effi ciently. GIS professionals can create powerful, productive end-user experiences through straightforward, well-documented confi guration instead of engaging in custom software development. Developers can leverage the Geocortex Essentials platform, core elements and developer tools to effi ciently create sophisticated, customized applications in less time. Managers can deliver quantifi able success with their mapping programs and provide a compelling return-on-investment, with a substantially reduced risk profi le. Consulting firms can jumpstart their customer projects using the world s premier mapping development foundation for the ArcGIS platform. By refocusing efforts, superior results can be delivered faster, with less risk, and with better returns. 6

7 Off-the-Shelf, Framework-Based Design Geocortex Essentials is unique because it bridges the gap between pure out-of-the-box software and custom application development. Rather than a one-size-fits-all solution, Geocortex Essentials provides packaged development tools, key software components and universally-required features that organizations need when implementing web-based mapping applications. Also, Geocortex Essentials allows applications to be easily configured through visual administration tools, which significantly reduces the need to resort to programming. Figure 1: Geocortex SAI framework components Geocortex Essentials components are provided through an integrated Spatial Application Infrastructure (SAI). The SAI framework features a variety of integrated pre-built components, an underlying data model, and infrastructure and development tools. There are many advantages to adopting a framework-based software design, such as increased productivity, a more reliable application and a shorter cycle time to implementation. 7

8 Core Components Geocortex Essentials offers the core components you need to jumpstart any ArcGIS platform implementation. Production quality reports, non-spatial data, enhanced security and search features can be easily incorporated into your applications. With Geocortex Essentials, you can print large-format, high-resolution maps with data and mark-up using print templates that you can easily author. Tailor custom reports to meet the evolving needs of your stakeholders by using the report designer and search data from third-party systems not traditionally accessible to spatial applications, enabling you to do more with your ArcGIS software. Data Linking With Geocortex Essentials you can link to external non-spatial databases, files or web services and embed this data in reports, searches and forms. Data Linking also provides the ability to retrieve data from external data sources and link it to attributes of spatial data, extending the reach and capability of your applications. Charting When we visualize attribute information on a map we gain a new understanding of our data. Charts also help us discover patterns and learn about the nature of the data. Administrators can configure data to display in bar charts, pie charts or via a variety of line charts. When summary charts are displayed in a Geocortex viewer alongside associated map features, applications can deliver insight like never before. Charts are highly configurable and customizable: you can summarize and display data in one or more charts that dynamically update as selections and results change. Figure 2: Powerful charting capabilities Security Geocortex Essentials includes advanced security features that provide you with the ability to grant or deny access to specific components. Configurable authentication providers give access to users and roles stored in your Active Directory, LDAP, ArcGIS Online, Google, or other stores you can take advantage of the security that s already used by your organization. 8

9 Anonymous access enables users without logins to gain limited access to applications (if you choose). For example, anonymous/guest users might have access to base layers and simple read-only workflows without signing in, whereas authenticated users may access protected layers and external databases, as well as edit workflows. Reporting and Printing Manage normal or large format, highresolution printing requests with Geocortex Essentials. Template-based printing allows you to create printable maps with customized and out-of-the box layouts. Template-based reporting enables you to easily generate commonly used reports that have been pre-configured by an administrator. Each template defines a standard layout for reporting a layer s features, attributes, linked and computed data. Save your organization valuable employee time, budget, and resources. Figure 3: Generate production quality reports Instant Search Geocortex Essentials includes a highly-scalable, extremely fast, indexed search engine. Define and index attributes from multiple map services and feature services to provide an intuitive search capability across millions of map features. End-users will see search suggestions as they type, and results will be plotted on the map instantly. When listed, search results are sorted by relevance the most relevant results are displayed on the top to help users find what they re looking for. Figure 4: Indexed search engine 9

10 You can also use Geocortex Essentials to customize advanced searches by creating your own search forms and query tasks. Instant Search is an integral part of Geocortex Essentials for finding, displaying, and reporting data collected through ArcGIS for Server, ArcGIS Online or external data sources. Greater search capabilities mean better results when you need them. Forms Forms are a simple way to create interactive dialogs that prompt end-users for input through web or mobile applications. A form designer allows you to add input items such as text boxes, auto-complete entries, date pickers and drop-downs, then associate validation rules and control the forms layouts. Workflow Activity Library The Activity Library consists of over 170 pre-built functions that help you avoid having to write thousands of lines of code to do common tasks. For example, there are activities that perform buffering, geocoding, querying, geoprocessing, routing, ing and other activities that prompt the user for form inputs or to draw geometries on the map. Using pre-made activities helps decrease the time it takes to get workflows implemented for your organization; you can also create custom activities and extend workflows to execute whatever business functions you like. 10

11 Viewers Provide an Outstanding User Experience Geocortex Viewer for provides simple, targeted mapping applications served on desktop browsers, tablets and a broad array of handheld devices. For mobile users working in rural areas, Geocortex Viewer for can work offl ine and still allow data edits, which can be synchronized with the back offi ce when the device returns online. Access to base maps while working offl ine is also possible by using Geocortex Mobile Application Framework (available on ios, Android and Windows) to run a Geocortex Viewer for application. Figure 4: Map viewers across devices Geocortex Viewer for delivers advanced mapping capabilities for organizations seeking to deploy feature-rich, user-centric web applications. Our viewers are fully integrated with other Geocortex Essentials components, are highly confi gurable and use visual administration tools to make development, customization and upgrades easier. Our viewers offer the underlying platform capabilities of Geocortex Essentials, while allowing the integration of custom/third-party widgets. In the Office or in the Field, Online and Offline Geocortex Viewer for allows you to take data with you into the fi eld in areas without network coverage. While working with map data offl ine, you can perform geometry edits, collect inspection data and attach photos. When you return online, the data edits can be synchronized with the geodatabase, so the updates are immediately available to your colleagues using Geocortex viewers on desktop workstations. 11

12 Mobile Application Framework Are you deploying mobile map applications? We provide a framework so that you can create your own mobile, offline apps using Geocortex. The framework supports ios, Android, Windows 7 and Windows 8 platforms. Easily Configurable No programming knowledge required. Using simple, web-based management tools, you can configure a variety of elements within the viewer, including: map services, security, searches, non-spatial data sources, reporting, printing, layer lists, workflows, tools, the look and feel of the application, and more. Fully Customizable Programmers can go beyond the configuration and get under the hood to provide custom viewer modifications. Enhance the viewers by adding your own tools to the toolbar, create new widgets, or add third-party widgets. Leveraging the developer SDKs of each viewer enables you to extend or extensively change the out-of-the-box viewers, or integrate with third-party systems. Built-in Tools Geocortex Essentials provides dozens of must-have features, including various measurement tools, dynamic map tips, feature clustering, heat mapping, feature hyperlinks and more. Editing Built-in features enable end-users to create new features, edit the geometry of existing features, modify attribute data and much more. The editing tools are intuitive and include highly dynamic snapping capabilities. Users can edit data belonging to versioned geodatabase layers exposed in the application. Edit Geometry Edit Attributes Align To Edge Add Vertices at Intersections Select Clear Deselect Selection Select Features Delete Cut Reshape Union Edit Features Selected Feature Actions Figure 5: Editing features Reporting and Printing Template-based printing allows you to run high-resolution, large-format (plotter size) print jobs. Custom templates created using a WYSIWYG report designer can include a main map, legend, overview map, north arrow, corporate logos or images, titles, copyright messages, mark-up and graphics, scale and projection information. You can run reports for single or multiple features and export the results to.pdf or.csv files. 12

13 Accessibility Support (WCAG 2.0 AA Compliant) Geocortex Viewer for provides out-of-the-box accessibility support for end-users with disabilities. It complies with the industry standard guidelines put forth by W3C, and perhaps more importantly it provides users of all abilities with the best possible user experience. Innovative, unprecedented development and focus group testing have contributed to making Geocortex an industry leader in accessibility within web mapping applications. Integration Bi-directional integration allows you to launch from other applications or have other applications launch a viewer. The URL Integration feature supports a variety of options, such as zoom to a specific extent, or zoom to and highlight a particular feature. Common types of integrated applications include document management, permitting, assessment and other non-spatial business applications. 13

14 Streamline Processes with Workflow Many business processes involving GIS operations can be modeled, streamlined and automated via workflows. Using Geocortex Essentials Workflow technology, administrators can model and automate everyday GIS-related business processes that end-users can follow through guided, step-by-step interactions with an application. Workflow allows you to extract greater value from your geospatial data and make it truly work for you. It offers: Better business process control through standardizing working methods and the availability of audit trails. Improved efficiency by automating processes and eliminating manual steps. Greater flexibility and ease of redesign that s aligned with changing business needs. Ease of use by guiding users through a step-by-step wizard process for accomplishing common tasks instead of searching through a variety of unrelated tools, commands and procedure manuals. Figure 6: Sample workflow Organizations are using Workflow to build simple, targeted, purposeful applications that focus on specific user needs, and replacing traditional, all-inclusive viewer applications that overwhelm users with tools and features. Geocortex Workflow Designer is a desktop developer application that you can use to create a visual representation of your workflow. Using drag and drop, you can sequence a series of activities that represent a business process. Workflow Engine manages the client-server and human interactions in Workflow. It is exposed to external systems through the REST API as part of the SAI framework-based design. Administrators can create workflows using Workflow Designer, and test the workflows either during the design process or upon completion using the built-in Workflow Simulator. The Simulator provides a debugging interface where administrators can supply values to forms, perform user interactions and step through the workflow one activity at a time while inspecting inputs and outputs. Create custom activities and extend pre-built workflows for most common tasks by taking advantage of the Workflow Activity Library, which contains interactive map functions as well as processes for common activities like ing, printing, buffering and geocoding. 14

15 Design Multiple Sites and Applications Easily with Manager Geocortex Essentials Manager provides you with tools to create and manage multiple sites. Everything that can be configured in Geocortex Essentials (notwithstanding custom developer extensions) can be done through the web-based Manager interface. More specifically, Manager allows you to create, edit and delete sites, consolidating control in one easily accessible location. Rather than start from scratch, Manager makes it much easier to create and manage custom websites. XML-based Configuration allows you to define application settings outside of the source code. You won t have to recompile your application every time there is a change to your data or tools. Configuration is stored in XML files, which can be shared between installations and easily migrated between development, test and production environments. The XML configuration is technology agnostic and exposed through REST-based web services to serve both web-based and mobile clients. Viewer Template Engine (VTE) introduces a way of managing viewers and acts as a technology-neutral platform on which to create them. You can build viewers as reusable templates that plug into VTE, giving you the flexibility to create viewers in whatever technology you want. Workflow Designer allows you to use Geocortex Essentials to design and deliver reusable, cross-system workflows that combine spatial and non-spatial processing within mobile or web-based clients. Report Designer allows you to customize your reports by creating and printing Report Templates. Creating templates of commonly run reports will help your organization save a significant amount of time. Web Manager collects all of the management aspects of creating applications in one central location. Use it to create websites that are based on an XML configuration model and leverage the Viewer Template Engine from an easy-to-use, wizard-style application. Compared to starting from scratch, Web Manager makes it easier to create custom websites. Manager also centralizes the capability to create, edit, and delete multiple sites. Figure 7: Site Manager overview 15

16 Powerful APIs and Open Architecture GIS- and web-based mapping applications are rarely self-contained and must communicate with other software components within and outside your organization. Geocortex contains resources, operations and server-side components that are intended to be customized by developers and are flexible enough to meet a variety of needs. The SAI-driven framework in Geocortex Essentials enables you to integrate applications seamlessly and efficiently. CLIENT Geocortex Viewer for Framework API ArcGIS API for JavaScript TypeScript API http http http http http REST API Portal REST API http Geocortex.NET Essentials API http http Portal REST API ArcGIS Online http Geocortex Essentials file I/O Portal for ArcGIS http REST API ONLINE.NET API Geocortex Core XML Config ArcGIS for Server SERVER Figure 8: API interactions overview All of the features that are delivered with Geocortex Essentials are supported by a rich set of documented application programming interfaces (APIs) that developers use to build specific applications. The APIs provide developers with bundles of prewritten code, saving development time and leveraging the framework architecture to provide access to core components. 16

17 For example, you can use the JavaScript API to consume application configuration and access large-format printing, or you can use the API to connect to non-spatial databases with the Data Linking feature. APIs can be used as standalone components to bring into custom applications you are building, or you can leverage APIs within out-of-the-box viewer applications. When developing on top of Geocortex Viewer for, for example, you can access the Geocortex Essentials API, the REST API and the.net API to extend any part of the platform to accommodate your business needs. Geocortex Essentials architecture also includes an optional Services Enhancement Proxy to handle communication with ArcGIS for Server, providing support for coded value domains in your applications and standardized presentation of date and time data. With the help of our resellers, we sell to organizations worldwide. We understand that every environment has its own way of conducting business, which is why internationalization is featured in all of our products. Geocortex Essentials is designed to be localized, which means that resellers can adapt the software to the currency, language or date format of their choice. Any site that you create with Geocortex Essentials will be a technology-neutral configuration of your GIS application. Geocortex Essentials supports ArcGIS for Server (cached services, imagery services, feature services and dynamic services), ArcGIS Online, OGC WMS, WFS, WMTS, Open Street Map, Bing Maps and other map services. A single map can combine map services from all supported services. Are you currently using ArcGIS for Server and/or ArcGIS Online REST APIs to serve up your GIS capabilities? Why not use Geocortex REST APIs to help serve up your application capabilities? GIS Capabilities Application Capabilities ArcGIS Online ArcGIS for Server Geocortex Essentials Hosted Services Map Server Security Integration Hosted Data Feature Server Database Connections Reports Web Maps Geocode Server Charting Search Configuration Workflows Figure 9: Geocortex serves application features 17

18 Software Designed for the ArcGIS Platform Geocortex Essentials has been engineered exclusively to complement Esri s ArcGIS platform. It fits alongside your ArcGIS for Server and Portal for ArcGIS deployments, and it shares information seamlessly with your ArcGIS Online organization subscription. CLIENT http http http http Geocortex Viewer for http ArcGIS Online http Geocortex Essentials http Portal for ArcGIS http http ArcGIS for Server Geocortex Core r ead r ead r ead ONLINE Site Config Viewer Config RPX XAML LPK File GDB Arc SDE SERVER edit edit edit edit edit Geocortex Essentials Manager Geocortex Report Designer Geocortex Workflow Designer Geocortex Language Tool ADMINISTRATION Figure 12: Geocortex Essentials system architecture Geocortex Essentials consists of a suite of components that can run on web servers, application servers, desktop workstations and within web browsers on desktops, tablets and handheld devices. The System Architecture diagram above illustrates the interactions among Geocortex Essentials components, between Geocortex Essentials and components of the ArcGIS platform, and between Geocortex Essentials and third-party products. All primary communication happens over HTTP. This is especially important when describing communication between Geocortex Essentials and the ArcGIS platform; by interfacing with ArcGIS only via the REST specification, Geocortex Essentials ensures maximum compatibility across various versions of ArcGIS software. New versions of ArcGIS are readily and easily supported, ensuring that your Geocortex Essentials implementation is compatible with the latest releases of Esri s software. 18

19 Spatial Application Infrastructure (SAI) Geocortex Essentials is architected to offer organizations maximum flexibility with its Spatial Application Infrastructure (SAI). SAI provides organizations with the ability to speed up development and reduce costs while increasing GIS/IT efficacy. It also provides a solid foundation for deploying purposeful mapping applications. Evolution of Web-Based Mapping/GIS Applications Following the 2005 emergence of simple, smooth consumer web maps integrated with search (for driving directions and other relatively lightweight purposes) that swiftly captured public mindshare, the bar for web-based GIS and mapping applications has risen dramatically. End-users recognized the power of simple applications to help them get things done, in contrast to complex traditional GIS applications. To date, the vast majority of web applications are still custom-built or based on templates that output a specific application. The process of building a single application using a given technology at a given point in time is relatively straightforward and has not changed much from the time maps moved to the Internet. This approach, however, is not necessarily efficient or effective with regards to the way end-users expect to interact with mapping applications today. Expectations of GIS Consumers The popularity of consumer mapping platforms illustrates how desirable it is for end-users to have simple, successful mapping experiences. This requires effective design tailored to the needs of the end-user, with careful thought put into: Efficient workflows; Pleasing aesthetics; Best practices in design conventions; Consistency in the user experience across related applications; Minimal barriers to access; and Maximum performance. While simplicity should be emphasized to increase the likelihood of end-user success, limiting requirements to the most basic users cannot be the sole goal: the needs of more advanced users should also be met. More sophisticated activities and analyses offer deeper insights and understanding, which often inform decisions that have a powerful positive impact on the world around us. Spatial representations of geographic information are clearly growing in importance, and GIS consumers are more varied than ever before. This is why a one-size-fits-all approach for creating applications no longer works. Based on the premise that the majority of end-users are more likely to be successful with a simple application, more and more organizations are attempting to build targeted, purpose-specific applications that accomplish specific objectives using a simple, uncluttered interface. 19

20 Figure 13: A purpose-driven approach to mapping The Challenge of GIS Producers While the concept of purpose-specific applications is compelling, creating a GIS environment that can effectively support such applications is very difficult. The way that web-gis applications have traditionally been developed is not as efficient or effective in supporting this new paradigm. As illustrated below, deploying a mapping application using traditional methods creates a lot of custom code. Whether this code is developed in-house, by a third-party, or comes by way of a purchased off-the-shelf viewer, there is a significant layer of custom code. Creating multiple, purpose-specific applications exacerbates the problem. These one-off applications: Become difficult to manage and change; Result in poor re-use and redundancy; Are costly to maintain (extend and enhance) over time; Lack standardization; and Impose risks (due to staff turnover and usually a lack of documentation). For very practical reasons, implementing purpose-specific applications has been very difficult. The technology platform or infrastructure in most organizations is not well suited to implementing this approach, and user productivity suffers as a result. While the needs of consumers of geographic information have evolved to expect intuitive, simple, purpose-specific applications, the platform for delivering these types of applications has not stayed in step. 20

21 Custom Code Map Services Database Connections Template or Custom Viewer Application Charting Custom Tools Hosted Services Map Server Integration Hosted Data Feature Server Reports Web Maps Geocode Server Search ArcGIS Online ArcGIS for Server Workflows Figure 14: Custom code associated with traditional development Geocortex and SAI Implementing a Spatial Application Infrastructure addresses many of these problems for organizations. SAI reduces the tension between delivering the kind of applications GIS consumers require and the resources required to deliver those capabilities. Geocortex supports an SAI approach by enabling organizations to build standardized applications through a common platform. This platform adheres to the following principles: Is technology agnostic/neutral; Offers centralized application management; Minimizes custom code. Instead of putting business logic into each individual application, it allows for the centralization of business logic so it can be shared and reused by many applications, including future applications; Accommodates the evolution of applications over time; Is extensible; Emphasizes workflow or task-driven applications over features, functions, and tools; and Provides application documentation. 21

22 The SAI approach is superior to the traditional, custom way of designing, building and implementing mapping applications. Applications with significant custom code tied to specific viewer technologies and exist independently of other applications in the system require direct developer intervention to update, modify and test over time. Geocortex Essentials allows organizations to easily and quickly adopt and deploy purpose-specific applications. Custom code is minimized or entirely eliminated. Because Geocortex follows a path of least divergence from the ArcGIS platform, organizations can be assured that, over time, applications they have implemented will not only remain very relevant and useful to a wide user base, but will evolve in parallel with Esri technology changes. The other, key aspect of Geocortex and SAI that enables purposeful applications is the power of workflow technology. Spatial Application Infrastructure ArcGIS Online ArcGIS for Server Geocortex Essentials Hosted Services Map Server Security Integration Hosted Data Feature Server Database Connections Reports Web Maps Geocode Server Charting Search Configuration Workflows Figure 15: The Geocortex SAI approach reduces the need for custom code Traditional all-in-one applications are overly complex because they attempt to expose even the most casual user to all functionality (whether needed or not). These applications are generally overly complex, with a myriad of widgets, toolbars and navigation tools, and result in a steep learning curve. The workflow-centric design of Geocortex Essentials allows administrators to model and automate everyday GISrelated business processes that end-users can follow by doing simple, step-by-step interactions. 22

23 Workflow provides an approach to model business processes to improve efficiency and increase ease of use. You can standardize and easily redesign steps in GIS-related processes to your specific needs by designing and delivering reusable, cross-system workflows that combine spatial and non-spatial processing. Users can interact with a simple, clean I want to interface, which can lead them through various interactions in order to complete a task. Rather than a cluttered screen with complex tools that a user must first memorize and learn how to use, they are instead guided through the process, step-by-step. Geocortex Workflow Designer allows for a visual representation of workflows, showing the sequence of a series of activities in a business process. A powerful Visual Simulator allows you to simulate your workflow as you re designing it, providing inputs and inspecting outputs. An Activity Library creates custom activities as well as extending interactive map functions and pre-built workflows for common tasks and processes, such as ing, printing, buffering and geocoding. Keep Up with the Pace of Technology Change A Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) includes metadata, a schema, standards and a framework. SAI can be viewed as a subset of SDI, with additional thinking around addressing the inevitability of technological change over time and potential complications that stem from providing improved, more targeted application options to end-users. No matter how well applications are designed, costs and risk will often increase if they are not engineered as part of a cohesive, structured approach to connecting stakeholders with geographic information and the ability to work with that information. Geocortex Essentials offers not only a beautiful, modern user experience, but it also addresses how these applications are designed, built and maintained through the support of an SAI approach. Over the short and long term, SAI enables organizations to better maximize the value of their overall technology investment. 23

24 Supported Technical Environment Hardware Requirements It is safe to say that if you have successfully installed one of the ArcGIS-supported operating systems on your server, the hardware will be compatible with Geocortex software. That being said, it is important to recognize the minimum hardware requirements as well as preferred hardware specifications. Hardware Component Minimum Preferred Random Access Memory (RAM) 4 GB 8 GB or higher Storage Drive (HDD, SSD) 1 GB 5 GB or higher CPU 2 GHz, x64 2 GHz or higher, x64 Table 1: Minimum hardware requirements for a Geocortex Essentials server Hardware Requirements for Instant Search Instant Search can be optionally used with Geocortex Essentials installations; it s recommended that Instant Search components are installed on a separate standalone server. Instant Search is not CPU bound improving the server s CPU does not significantly improve the performance of Instant Search; however, you can improve the performance by increasing RAM and upgrading the storage drive (for example, from HDD to SSD). Hardware Component Minimum Preferred Notes Random Access Memory (RAM) 6 GB 8 GB or higher Storage Drive (HDD, SSD) 40 GB HDD 100+ GB SSD As a guideline, the Instant Search index requires about 2 GB of disk space per 1 million features. This ratio varies with feature size. Table 2: Minimum hardware requirements for a Geocortex Essentials server running Instant Search Software Requirements Geocortex Essentials relies on third-party software. There are multiple components necessary in order to install and run Geocortex Essentials. Windows Operating System Geocortex Essentials is a 64-bit application built using Microsoft.NET technologies. As such, it may only be deployed on Microsoft Windows 64-bit operating systems. The following Windows operating systems are supported: 24

25 Windows Server 2012 R2* Windows Server 2012 Windows Server 2008 R2 (Standard / Enterprise) Windows Server 2008 (Standard / Enterprise) Windows 8.1 Windows 8 Windows 7 * Geocortex Essentials has been officially Gold Certified by Microsoft for the Windows Server 2012 R2 environment. Geocortex Essentials requires Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 or newer..net Framework Requirements Geocortex Essentials is built on Microsoft s.net Framework and requires.net Framework 4.5 or newer. ArcGIS for Server Geocortex Essentials can work exclusively with ArcGIS Online or with Portal for ArcGIS. When using Geocortex Essentials with ArcGIS for Server, the following versions are currently supported (including service packs and revisions): ArcGIS for Server ArcGIS for Server 10.3 ArcGIS for Server ArcGIS for Server ArcGIS for Server 10.2 ArcGIS for Server 10.1 ArcGIS for Server 10.0 ArcGIS for Server ArcGIS for Server 9.3 Portal for ArcGIS Geocortex Essentials can use public and private content in ArcGIS Online and Portal for ArcGIS. Current versions of ArcGIS Online are supported. When using Portal for ArcGIS, the following versions are supported (including service packs and revisions): Portal for ArcGIS and 10.3: Required for secured content and sign-in to Manager using Portal for ArcGIS accounts. Portal for ArcGIS 10.2.x: Supports unsecured content only. Does not support signing into Manager using Portal for ArcGIS accounts or securing sites using Portal for ArcGIS. 25

26 Desktop Browser Support Geocortex viewers are tested and can be used on: Internet Explorer 8.0+ (11.0 is recommended) Mozilla Firefox (current version recommended) Google Chrome (current version recommended) Mobile Browser Support Geocortex Viewer for is tested and recommended for use on: Safari on ios 7 Chrome on Android Online Help & Tutorials Online help and tutorials for Geocortex Essentials developers, administrators and users are provided through the Geocortex Support Center, which includes a discussion forum for you to post questions and suggestions. 26

27 Cityworks Extension for Geocortex Essentials Cityworks customers expressed a need for lightweight, targeted applications that allow key tasks to be performed quickly and easily, even with little or no knowledge of Cityworks software. The Cityworks Extension for Geocortex Essentials satisfi es this need with workfl ow-based applications that unify Geocortex, Esri and Cityworks functionality in a clear, guided interaction. The workfl ow-centric approach allows Cityworks Extension for Geocortex Essentials to operate with both Geocortex Viewer for and Geocortex Viewer for. The Cityworks Extension for Geocortex Essentials enables customers to create and manage Cityworks-integrated targeted applications for citizens, fi eld crews and offi ce operations. Figure 16: Cityworks Extension for Geocortex Essentials 27

28 Product Features Summary The following provides a high-level summary of the product features of Geocortex Essentials, including Geocortex Viewer for, Geocortex Viewer for and Geocortex Workflow technology. In the interests of space, many features have not been listed or described in this Product Guide. Please have a conversation with your Account Manager to discuss your requirements and whether they d be met through current offerings, features on our development road map, contracted core product development, workflow configuration or custom professional services. Deploy Fast, Lightweight and Powerful Web and Mobile Viewers with Geocortex Viewer for is versatile and extremely powerful. Applications can target desktop, tablet and smartphone devices concurrently. When coupled with Geocortex Mobile Application Framework, Geocortex technology supports disconnected use for offline editing scenarios. While many capabilities are highly configurable, custom development is easily achieved using a TypeScript-based API with extensible and JavaScript frameworks. Build Rich Intranet or Internet Web-GIS Viewers with Geocortex Viewer for is established, feature-rich and extremely configurable. Customization is achieved through the Microsoft API, ArcGIS API for and Geocortex Viewer for SDK. Plan for the Future Both viewer options provide a deep array of features and capabilities: Geocortex Viewer for boasts a plethora of features and a highly sophisticated toolset, and Geocortex Viewer for is the focus of all new feature development. TODAY FUTURE GVS GVH GVS GVH Geocortex Viewer for (GVS) features Geocortex Viewer for (GVH) features Figure 17: Relative comparison of out-of-the-box tools & features 28

29 Feature Matrix The matrix on the following pages can help you further evaluate Geocortex and technologies. Many organizations choose to deploy both and to solve a variety of business needs. Geocortex enables sharing components between these technologies to eliminate overhead and redundancy. Before you dive in. When contemplating the matrix, please consider the following: This is simply a comparison of viewer features; it doesn t consider architecture or deployment, and it doesn t take into account the depth (richness, usability, configurability, etc.) to which a given feature has been implemented. Also, it s not exhaustive there are features not listed, and there are certainly capabilities and benefits of the broader Geocortex Essentials product that aren t addressed at all. In other words, we re exclusively focusing on the viewer aspect of Geocortex Essentials here, and there are many other aspects to consider before choosing an implementation technology and approach. With that said, have a look and please get in touch at any time if you have questions. Environment & Architecture Framework Architecture XML-based and XML-configurable Configuration inheritance to eliminate duplicated settings across applications GUI Application Builder Manage multiple applications from single installation Remote configuration and deployment Technology-agnostic configuration model Services oriented architecture (REST web services) Support for mobile (smartphone & tablet-based) workflows Exclusive to this viewer 29

30 Management Tools Separate administrative web application Easy to use, web-based configuration pages Manage map resources / map services Manage layer settings Manage application settings (attributes / fields, layer reports, database connections, etc.) Manage feature layer symbology Manage multiple technologies / viewers at once Device Support Support for desktop browsers on Windows and Mac OS X Use the same application on a variety of popular devices Support for iphones and ipads Support for Android smartphones and tablets Integrate handheld device capabilities (such as cameras) Browser Support Internet Explorer 8-11 on Windows Microsoft Edge on Windows Firefox on Windows Chrome on Windows Safari on Mac OS Safari on ios 7, 8 & 9 Chrome on Android 4+ Exclusive to this viewer 30

31 Online & Offline View data in connected and disconnected environments Store cached base maps and feature layers on handheld devices Edit features offline, and synchronize with back-office when online Search and query for features stored offline Create offline profiles for easy provisioning of data onto the device Dynamically generate cached basemaps for offline use Support for offline/disconnected apps on ios 7, 8 and 9 devices Support for offline/disconnected apps on Windows 7, 8 and 10 devices Support for offline/disconnected apps on Android 4+ devices Security Secure applications based on users and roles Fine-grained user-level authorization on map services, feature services, layers, layer themes, reports, charts, data links, feature hyperlinks, workflows, and print templates Active Directory / LDAP / SQL Server integration or simple XML-based authentication Support for Active Directory Federation Services Single Sign-On using Windows Authentication Enable anonymous / guest access Sign-in and sign-out links Support for ArcGIS for Server secured map services Support for ArcGIS Online secured content Support for Portal for ArcGIS secured content Exclusive to this viewer 31

32 Application Integration Launch from selected features to external applications Embed map in third-party applications, highlight features from external systems Invoke viewer commands from third-party applications Listen to viewer events from third-party applications Support for launching external maps (Google StreetView, Bing Maps, etc.) Support for bi-directional navigation with viewer and Bing or Google StreetView Support for bi-directional navigation with viewer and Pictometry Links to share URL and state with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+ Link to share URL and state via URL Parameters Pass parameters / instructions to the viewer on startup Zoom to extent / identify / query / search Developer APIs Documented, backward-compatible APIs Microsoft.NET Server-side API Extensible REST API Extensibility framework JavaScript Integration API (enable bi-directional communication between the viewer and third-party applications) Clean separation of business logic and UI MVVM (Model View ViewModel) design Source code available for UI components (pages, CSS, images, etc.) SDK documentation and samples TypeScript-based Essentials API Extensible and JavaScript framework ArcGIS API for JavaScript Microsoft API ArcGIS API for Microsoft viewer SDK based on Microsoft PRISM architecture Exclusive to this viewer 32

33 Logging System event and application usage logging Performance monitoring and system statistics Internationalization Viewer and management UIs internationalized for foreign language support Toolkit / documentation resources for translators Esri & Mapping Map Service / Layer Types Support ArcGIS for Server dynamic, tiled, feature, raster and image services Bing Maps layers OGC WMS layers (visualization) OGC WMS layers (identify support) OGC WFS layers (find, identify and query support - not visualization) OGC WMTS layers Graphics and feature layers Image and raster layer identify support GeoRSS layers (including point-, line- and polygon-based layers) OpenStreetMap layers General web tile layer Custom layer types Graceful handling of intermittently available services KML layers ArcGIS for Server time-aware layers Manage a catalog of dynamic layers (with ArcGIS for Server 10.1+) Exclusive to this viewer 33

34 ArcGIS Online & Portal for ArcGIS Support Search for Web Maps and services hosted on ArcGIS Online Search for Web Maps and services hosted on Portal for ArcGIS Reference ArcGIS Online Web Maps within applications Reference Portal for ArcGIS Web Maps within applications Override ArcGIS Online Web Map settings to enhance capabilities Access to secured ArcGIS Online and Portal content using OAuth2 Sign-in using ArcGIS Online or Portal identity Export map as web map and store in ArcGIS Online or Portal Map Service Functionality View multiple, concurrent services (mash-ups) Render client-side graphics Control map service and layer visibility and transparency Control scale dependency of basemaps Toggle map contents in bulk by switching between layer themes Dynamically switch basemaps Group multiple services together into a single basemap Support for feature clustering Support for feature heat maps Apply field-based weighting to heatmaps Support legends for heatmaps and clusters Specify time extent on time-aware layers with time sliders Dynamically symbolize layers based on attributes with class breaks and unique value renderers Dynamically modify layer labels - choose fields, fonts and styling Automatically update layers on configured intervals Exclusive to this viewer 34

35 Tools & Features Map Control Tile-based maps Zoom animations Continuous panning World wrap-around support (continuous panning around dateline) Keyboard navigation Configurable on-map display of copyright information and attribution Right-click context menu Navigation Full & initial extent commands Zoom to layer extent Scale slider / zoom level Zoom and pan tools Previous / next extent buttons Bookmarks / jump to extent Save bookmarks on the end-user workstation Save bookmarks on the server Mouse wheel zoom / double-click zoom Keyboard arrows for panning Automatically pan when tools are used close to the edge of the map Interactive overview map Zoom and pan with hand gestures Zoom to current user location using GPS, WiFi or IP Follow current user location using GPS, WiFi or IP Track current user location using GPS, WiFi or IP Scale input box Exclusive to this viewer 35