Map Services and Layers

To create the map for a site, you add map services, feature services, image services, and other types of service to the site. Collectively, the services that you can add to a map are called map services. (In the ArcGIS platform, they are called layers.)

The services that you add must be one of the supported types of map service. The service must also be web-based, on a network that Essentials has access to. You can add services from your corporate network, from the Internet, or from other networks that your organization has access to. You can add services from Portal for ArcGIS and ArcGIS Online. You can combine different types of service in a single site, and you can combine dynamic and tiled map services. You can also add ArcGIS web maps to a site's map.

Most Essentials sites have multiple services in the map, but this is not a requirement—a site's map can have a single service, or no services. Essentials does not place a limit on the number of services that a site can have.

The spatial reference of each service that you add to the map must be compatible with the spatial reference of the map.

Supported Types of Map Service

Essentials supports the following types of map service:

ArcGIS Server map services, including tiled and dynamic services, dynamic layers-enabled services, and raster layers.
ArcGIS Server feature layers, including time-aware feature layers and stream layers. For an overview of feature layers, see ArcGIS Server Feature Layers.
ArcGIS Server image services. For an overview, see ArcGIS Server Image Services.
ArcGIS Server vector tile layers. For an overview, see ArcGIS Vector Tile Layers.
OGC WMS services, optionally with WFS. For an overview, see OGC Map Services (WMS, WMTS, and WFS).
OGC WMTS services, without WFS. For an overview, see OGC Map Services (WMS, WMTS, and WFS).
OGC WFS services, optionally with WMS. For an overview, see OGC Map Services (WMS, WMTS, and WFS).
Bing Maps layers
Web tiled layers, such as Open Street Maps and MapQuest. For an overview, see Web Tiled Layers.
KML layers. For an overview, see KML Layers.
GeoRSS layers, including Simple and GML. For an overview, see GeoRSS Layers.

Main Steps to Configure a Map Service

The following procedure applies to all the supported types of map service.

If the service is secured, you must add a service connection before you can add the service to the map. Adding service connections also allows you to search and browse for services to add to the map.
Add the service.
Configure the service and its layers.
If you have secured the site using Essentials Security, configure permissions for the service.

Access Secured Map Services

To use secured services in the map, you must configure the service's connection information in Essentials. The connection information includes authentication settings that Essentials uses to access the service.

The way that you configure a service's connection information depends on whether the service has been added to the map yet:

New Service: Before you add a secured service to a map, add a service connection and configure the connection information in the service connection.
Existing Service: If a previously unsecured service becomes secured after it has been added to the map, edit the service's connection settings.

Portal for ArcGIS

You can add services and web maps that are hosted in Portal for ArcGIS to Essentials sites. Essentials supports:

Public Portal for ArcGIS Content: Web maps and services that are hosted in your Portal for ArcGIS portal and are shared with Everyone (public).
Private Portal for ArcGIS Content: Web maps and services that are hosted in your Portal for ArcGIS portal and are not shared with Everyone (public).

See Set Up Access to Private Portal for ArcGIS Content.

Set Up Access to Private Portal for ArcGIS Content

When you create content in Portal for ArcGIS, by default only you can access it. If you share your content with Everyone (public), then any person or application, including Essentials, can access it. No special setup is needed for Essentials to access public content.

If your content is not shared with Everyone (public), then it is considered to be private. For example, content that is shared with your organization or with one or more groups is considered to be private.

In order to add private Portal for ArcGIS content to an Essentials site, you must register Essentials with Portal for ArcGIS.

To register Essentials with Portal for ArcGIS, you configure the Portal for ArcGIS method of signing in to Essentials in the Post Installer. The Portal for ArcGIS sign-in method enables you to:

Use your private Portal for ArcGIS content, in your Essentials sites.
Secure your Essentials sites using Portal for ArcGIS to authenticate end users.
Sign in to Essentials using one of the following types of account:
- Administrative accounts for your Portal for ArcGIS organization.
- The account that you use to set up access to Portal for ArcGIS in the Post Installer.
You can change the Portal for ArcGIS account types that are allowed to sign in to Essentials. For instructions, see Account Types that can Sign in to Manager.

For information on configuring the sign-in method, see Choose a Method to Sign In to Manager.

ArcGIS Online

You can add services and web maps that are hosted in ArcGIS Online to Essentials sites. Essentials supports:

Public ArcGIS Online Content: Public web maps, map services, and feature layers that are available at ArcGIS Online (www.arcgis.com).
Private ArcGIS Online Content: Private web maps, map services, and feature layers that are hosted by ArcGIS Online.

See Set Up Access to Private Portal for ArcGIS Content.

Essentials supports the ArcGIS Online World Geocoding Service and other ArcGIS geocoding services. For information on adding an ArcGIS geocoding service to your site, see ArcGIS Geocoding Services.

Set Up Access to Private ArcGIS Online Content

When you create content in ArcGIS Online, by default only you can access it. If you share your content with Everyone (public), then any person or application, including Essentials, can access it. No special setup is needed for Essentials to access public content.

In order to add private ArcGIS Online content to an Essentials site, you must register Essentials with ArcGIS Online.

To register Essentials with ArcGIS Online, you configure the ArcGIS Online method of signing in to Essentials in the Post Installer. The ArcGIS Online sign-in method enables you to:

Use your private ArcGIS Online content, such as web maps and services, in your Essentials sites.
Secure your Essentials sites using ArcGIS Online to authenticate end users.
Sign in to Essentials using one of the following types of account:
- Administrative accounts for your ArcGIS Online organization.
- The account that you use to set up access to ArcGIS Online in the Post Installer.
You can change the ArcGIS Online account types that are allowed to sign in to Essentials. For instructions, see Account Types that can Sign in to Manager.

For information on configuring the sign-in method, see Choose a Method to Sign In to Manager.