Chapter 5:
Chapter five focuses on building and managing a private or hybrid Web GIS and explores how caching makes web maps run efficiently. While ArcGIS Online operates in the public cloud, organizations often need private for security, data sensitivity, or limited internet connectivity. ArcGIS Enterprise provides this capability, allowing organizations to host and manage their own GIS infrastructure. It consists of four key components, Portal for ArcGIS, ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Web Adapter, and ArcGIS Data Store which work together to store, publish, and share geographic content. Portal collaboration is a major feature, allowing multiple organizations or divisions to share curated maps, layers, and applications while maintaining independent systems. This collaboration is especially valuable for large organizations that need to coordinate content across internal and external Web GIS deployments. The chapter also explains deployment options for ArcGIS Enterprise, ranging from single-machine setups to multi-tiered and available systems. This gives users flexibility in balancing performance, maintenance, and scalability. Hybrid Web GIS uses both ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Online, combining the security of private hosting with the convenience and resources of Esri’s cloud. Caching is another key concept, improving performance by pre-storing map tiles so users can quickly load maps without redoing them each time. Raster tiles are static image-based maps that support detailed cartography but require more storage and processing time. Vector tiles, on the other hand, are lightweight, resolution-adaptive, and easily restyled, making them ideal for modern web apps. Map image layers and feature tiles provide additional flexibility depending on whether real-time data or large datasets are involved. Overall, the chapter highlights how caching, deployment design, and collaboration tools come together to create efficient, secure, and interconnected Web GIS systems for a wide range of organizational needs.
Chapter 6:
Chapter six explores spatiotemporal and real-time GIS, moving from static mapping to systems that display and analyze data changing. Real-time GIS handles data that moves, appears, or changes continuously, such as traffic, weather, or emergency events. These systems rely on streaming data from sensors and devices that are processed instantly on a server and visualized through web maps, dashboards, or apps. The chapter emphasizes how this technology supports real-world decision-making, improving situational awareness, emergency response, and operational management by providing instant information. Spatiotemporal data can be classified into four main categories, moving, discrete, stationary, and change. Each event can have either a single time stamp or a duration, depending on if it marks an instantaneous or ongoing event. Core concepts like time reference systems, temporal resolution, and time representation are introduced to explain how temporal accuracy affects GIS analysis. The rise of mobile technology and the Internet of Things has significantly increased the amount of volunteered geographic information and real-time sensor data. IoT applications range from consumer uses, such as smart homes and vehicles, to enterprise-scale systems like environmental monitoring and smart cities.To manage this data amount, Esri’s ArcGIS Velocity and ArcGIS GeoEvent Server are key tools that intake, process, and output real-time data. They perform constant analysis, filter data based on factors or conditions, and issue alerts or trigger actions in response to detected events. ArcGIS Velocity, a cloud-based SaaS platform, integrates seamlessly with ArcGIS Online, supporting real-time analytics, big data processing, and visualization. The chapter concludes with applications such as ArcGIS Dashboards and ArcGIS Mission, which visualize live updates and support real-time collaboration, communication, and analysis. All vital capabilities in today’s data-driven, connected world.