Summary
This session, led by Mike Miller from Esri's Solutions team, provided a comprehensive overview of additional tools available for the ArcGIS Utility Network, focusing on asset package tools, attribute rules, reporting utilities, and data migration aids. The presentation covered both foundational utilities and advanced tips, including migration helpers, configuration management, and custom attribution automation, addressing common implementation and operational challenges. Attendees included both in-person and digital audiences from the utility and GIS sectors. No significant open questions remained at the end, and resources were referenced for further follow-up.
Action Items
- None documented. (No explicit action items or owners were recorded in the session.)
Overview of Asset Package and Utility Network Tools
- The asset package is a file geodatabase representing all properties, configurations, and attribute rules of the utility network, enabling data staging, validation, and migration without activating core network rules.
- Utility Network package tools are provided separately (not with ArcGIS Pro); they are available via the Python package manager and require a cloned environment for installation.
- These tools allow users to import/export asset packages, perform schema modifications, and leverage backdoor Python settings for advanced customization and troubleshooting.
- Configuration and rename tables enable flexible deployment and localization by allowing users to subset or rename components during the application of asset packages.
- Asset package validation occurs before network creation, reducing errors and easing the transition from model to production.
Attribute Rules and Automation
- Esri provides a robust repository of Arcade expression examples for attribute rules, supporting efficient data management and migration from older tools (e.g., Attribute Assistant).
- A specific attribute rule demo showed automation of terminal assignments (from/to values) to reduce manual editing effort and errors, particularly in assigning device-side connections within utility features.
- Attribute rules can be deployed via a downloadable Python toolbox, which customizes logic based on the user's utility network schema.
Utility Network Data Management Support Tools
- A suite of utility network management tools is maintained on GitHub, providing latest updates outside official releases.
- Tools include configuration reporting (previewing the impact of config/rename tables), data migration aids, and advanced schema management utilities.
- These tools allow users to generate Excel reports of configuration effects (e.g., removed or renamed items) and assist with contingent value management for complex attribute dependencies.
Reporting and Analysis Tools
- The "Extract Reporting Data" tool exports utility network asset information into a reporting database, creating user-friendly spatial and tabular views and translating domain codes to descriptions for easier querying and reporting.
- "Trace Files to Geodatabase" converts JSON trace/export subnetwork results into geodatabase features, enabling comparison of network states across time for change detection, analysis, and integration with other systems.
- Both tools support geometry-enabled views for publishing feature services and streamline reporting workloads without burdening production databases.
Additional Helper Tools and Tips
- Tools are available for batch tracing, automated rule matrix import/export, and contingent value management (including Excel workbook helpers to manage valid attribute combinations).
- Batch trace tools enable bulk trace operations for network analysis, supporting downstream/upstream accumulations and automated attribute calculations.
- Tools also exist for updating data sources, working with rule matrices, and managing terminal assignments.
- All source code and documentation are open and accessible for advanced customization.
Decisions
- N/A — No formal business or technical decisions requiring consensus were documented during the session.
Open Questions / Follow-Ups
- None outstanding. One user question regarding whether reporting views are spatial (they are, if geometry is included) was addressed live.
- Attendees were encouraged to contact Mike Miller directly for further tool-related assistance or to request follow-up materials or links.