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Use the AWS Management Console with ArcGIS Server

The Amazon Web Services (AWS) Management Console is a web application that you can use to administer the GIS servers and other resources that you have created on AWS. You should typically use ArcGIS Server Cloud Builder on Amazon Web Services to do basic things like create, stop, and start your site. However, you can use the AWS Management Console to accomplish advanced administrative tasks such as adjusting security group rules or attaching more storage to your site.

You can also build ArcGIS Server sites with the AWS Management Console, although it's easier to create a site with ArcGIS Server Cloud Builder on Amazon Web Services. Any site you create with the AWS Management Console consists of single-machine sites connected under an Amazon Elastic Load Balancer (ELB). These sites are stand alone; they don't work together as part of a single site and, therefore, are not suited for tasks such as asynchronous geoprocessing or distributed map caching jobs. To take advantage of the architecture in which the GIS servers communicate with each other, you must use Cloud Builder.

Tip:

When using the AWS Management Console with Internet Explorer, Amazon strongly recommends using at least Internet Explorer 9, as Internet Explorer 8 has a slower JavaScript engine that can result in timeouts.

Build ArcGIS Server site using AWS Management Console

Creating an ArcGIS server site using the AWS Management Console is a multistep process that requires some architectural planning and understanding of Amazon Web Services. One example of a basic workflow is listed below. The approach you take may vary based on your deployment needs.

  1. Prepare to deploy ArcGIS Server on Amazon Web Services.
    • Create an Amazon account and make sure it includes Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) access.
    • The first time you use a new AMI, accept AWS Marketplace terms.
    • Create the typical Amazon security groups for ArcGIS, configuring at least one security group that allows remote access.
    • Configure an Amazon Elastic IP address for the production AWS instance so it can be recovered or updated with minimal downtime.
  2. Launch an AWS instance running ArcGIS Server and connect to it.
  3. Set up a place to store your data.
  4. Move your data to AWS.
  5. Create GIS services and applications.
    • Use ArcGIS to create services for mapping, geocoding, editing, and other functionality.
    • Migrate your applications to the AWS instance and repoint them to the services now running on your AWS instance.
  6. Customize security on your AWS instance.
  7. Prepare your production environment.

This help system describes many of the above steps. Another helpful resource is the Amazon Web Services documentation, which explains how to use the AWS Management Console and how to program with Amazon Web Services.