Frequently asked questions

Listed below are questions or issues you may encounter when working with ArcGIS Data Appliance 2025 content, as well as recommended solutions.

How does ArcGIS Data Appliance work?

ArcGIS Data Appliance contains maps that you can publish on ArcGIS Server. The maps have been cached at a set of fixed scale levels for optimum performance. Once you publish these maps to your GIS server, you can use them in any ArcGIS Server client application, such as ArcMap, or web and mobile mapping apps. See Use services for more information.

How do I set up ArcGIS Data Appliance?

You set up ArcGIS Data Appliance by connecting the appliance to your GIS server and publishing the ArcGIS Data Appliance maps through ArcGIS Server. The service definitions you'll need to publish, as well as their associated map caches, are included with each ArcGIS Data Appliance data collection.

If you've published an ArcGIS Server service previously, you may find this process familiar. If you're new to publishing services or working with ArcGIS Server, you'll find instructions in Set up ArcGIS Data Appliance (new user).

What services are available?

For a complete list of available services, see the Directory of maps and data.

Are there any use restrictions when using services?

The data is provided by multiple third-party data vendors under license to Esri for inclusion in ArcGIS Data Appliance for use with Esri software. Redistribution rights are granted by Esri and the data vendor for hard-copy renditions or static, electronic map images that are plotted, printed, or publicly displayed with proper metadata and source or copyright attribution to the respective data vendor or vendors. For copyright and attribution information, see the service description for a specific map service in the Directory of maps and data.

Can I view the metadata for a service?

Yes. For information about viewing metadata, see one of the following metadata topics:

Why are my map services missing some tiles at specific levels of detail?

In some cases, when you upgrade ArcGIS Data Appliance from one version to the next, the new service or services may not recognize all of the new content available on the new version of ArcGIS Data Appliance. You can resolve this by rebooting the machine where ArcGIS Server is installed after you Delete ArcGIS services from the previous ArcGIS Data Appliance version.

How do I configure my server to display a Map Data Not Available tile?

There is nothing you need to do. ArcGIS Data Appliance is preconfigured so the ArcGIS Server tile handler automatically returns a blank or Map Data Not Available tile for empty map areas.

With the announcement that some raster basemaps entered Mature Support in 2021, how does this impact ArcGIS Data Appliance?

As of 2021, as announced in the Lifecycle for Esri's hosted raster basemap services blog post, the majority of the raster basemaps on ArcGIS Data Appliance are in Mature Support. This means there will be no additional updates for those basemaps. This is why ArcGIS Data Appliance: Esri Vector Basemaps are delivered to every ArcGIS Data Appliance Standard and Advanced customer. Esri Vector Basemaps have full equivalents to the raster basemaps, as well as numerous offerings that do not exist in raster format. ArcGIS Data Appliance 2022 was the last release to include updates for those raster basemaps. There are several raster basemaps for imagery and elevation that will continue to receive updates because there are no vector basemap equivalents.

Which Esri Vector Basemaps are available to replace raster basemaps?

Raster basemap in Mature SupportRecommended Esri Vector Basemap equivalent

World Dark Gray Canvas Base and Reference

Dark Gray Canvas

World Light Gray Canvas Base and Reference

Light Gray Canvas

World Boundaries and Places

Hybrid Reference

World Transportation

Hybrid Reference

National Geographic World Map

National Geographic Style

World Street Map

World Street Map

World Topographic Map

World Topographic Map