Preserve hosted feature layer attachments

[maranlk]

When using Data Pipelines to migrate data from one hosted feature layer schema to another hosted feature layer schema, there needs to be a way to maintain attachments (much like in the Append geoprocessing tool in ArcPro). 

Our team collects biological and cultural data for the government, and these data must ultimately live in a hosted feature layer that meets the spatial data standards of this government entity. Because of the somewhat complex schema nature of this schema, configuring Field Maps Smart Forms or Survey123 Forms to feed directly into this schema is unrealistic. Additionally, the schema is difficult for non-GIS/data-users to navigate or understand and most of the biologists/archeologists that are QCing the data have no little to no GIS experience. 

Our workflow to overcome this challenge is to have simple hosted feature layers where our field forms are sending data to. Our biologists/archeologists review the data for accuracy in these simple schemas, then the GIS specialists migrate those data to the standardized schemas where they will live indefinitely and be accessible to our governmental partners in a Hub environment. 

We love the idea of using Data Pipelines, and have created a tool to make this migration possible, but we lose the attachments when the tool is executed. We won't be able to incorporate Data Pipelines officially until we are able to preserve attachments. 

[MaxPayson]

Hi @maranlk , thank you for the idea, and for all the context!

Do you have additional ideas or requirements for managing attachments from within Data Pipelines, and the experience for this? For example, in previews, would you expect to be able to view the attachments, or would it be sufficient to have an indication that there are attachments? Any feedback here is greatly appreciated!

[maranlk]

Hello, @MaxPayson! Thanks for your question. 

For our purposes, we don't need to view the attachments themselves, we just need some type of feedback, in previews and/or in run details, that the attachments are being preserved.

Thank you!

[ShanaCrosson2]

I came looking for the answer to a similar issue. Here's my use case: I work at a university, and work with several courses that use four or five Survey 123 surveys per semester. I reuse these Surveys, and produce maps from them for each semester. I was trying to write a data pipeline to simplify the production of the maps. The Surveys have at least one image. 

When I wrote the data pipeline, the attachment field wasn't present. Is there a way that I'm missing to have the field with the attachment come through? If not, could that ever happen?  

I could write a Notebook to change the attachment field from Survey 123 to a link, possibly, but if it would work with the pipelines, that would be so much easier!

[MaxPayson]

Hi @maranlk & @ShanaCrosson2 , we're starting to investigate this feature. Would you be willing to meet and share more about your use cases? If so, please email me and we can schedule a time, mpayson@esri.com, thank you!