Esri Developer Summit Announcements

Esri, a leading provider of geographic information system (GIS), mapping, and spatial analytics solutions, is currently hosting its annual developer summit in a virtual format.

Several significant announcements are being made during the event, encompassing a new design system, enhancements to JavaScript APIs, and support for deploying ArcGIS Enterprise within containers on Kubernetes.

Kubernetes Integration: A Major Undertaking

The implementation of the Kubernetes project represented a substantial effort for Esri, according to Product Managers Trevor Seaton and Philip Heede.

Historically, ArcGIS has been designed for installation on dedicated physical servers, virtual machines, or cloud-based VMs. While the underlying infrastructure is largely transparent to end-users, containerization offers businesses increased flexibility in scaling their systems to meet fluctuating demands.

Esri ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes deployment. Image Credits: Esri

“Many of our customers, particularly larger organizations, execute intricate queries,” Seaton explained. “Demand can be unpredictable, influenced by seasonal, business, or economic factors. They require not only real-time insights into global events but also the ability to efficiently serve a diverse user base accessing their ArcGIS-based systems.”

“This unpredictable demand is a primary advantage offered by Kubernetes.”

Deploying Esri ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes. Image Credits: Esri

The development team deliberately chose to re-architect its tools and decompose them into microservices, rather than simply wrapping existing tools for containerization.

“This process has been extensive, involving the breakdown of three or four core applications that constitute ArcGIS Enterprise into a significantly larger collection of microservices,” Seaton stated.

“This modularity enables us to containerize individual services, enhancing system availability and resilience without increasing administrative complexity. In fact, we are actively simplifying administration through this approach, all managed via a single deployment script.”

Flexibility and Continued Support

While Kubernetes streamlines management, many ArcGIS users are not yet proficient with the platform.

Esri is not mandating adoption; it will continue to support both Windows and Linux environments. Philip Heede emphasized that delivering a complex, integrated system like ArcGIS as microservices and multiple containers for customer-managed infrastructure is relatively uncommon within the industry.

Image Credits: Esri

Enhanced JavaScript APIs and a New Design System

Alongside the Kubernetes announcement, Esri unveiled updated JavaScript APIs designed to facilitate the creation of applications that integrate the company’s server-side technology with client-side scalability.

Previously, Esri supported technologies like Microsoft’s Silverlight and Adobe/Apache Flex for rich web application development. “Currently, our focus is on a unified web development technology and its associated toolset,” explained Esri product manager Julie Powell.

Later this month, Esri intends to launch a new design system aimed at accelerating and simplifying the development of clean, consistent user interfaces.

The design system will be available on April 22, with a preview offered today.

Powell highlighted the challenge of creating a design system that allows partners to incorporate their own branding and style while leveraging the maps and data from the ArcGIS ecosystem.