Opinions, comments and any experiences appreciated!
Problem: Non-spatial REST api (developed and managed with MULESOFT) contains operational data and a reference attribute to tie it to our ArcGIS Server map services. So far, we've not had a way to represent this in any of our map products.
(note: the non-spatial REST api is not a simple db query and is generated with a wide array of sources, not just RDMBS)
Solution: I developed a .py script to kludge these two services together and publish it out as a GP service. The output is a simple JSON string with the original operational data and spatial (x/y centroid coordinates). From that GP service, we pretty much just use the ESRI JavaScript api to represent it on a map product (using an ESRI javascript template app).
Of course, I'd prefer to eliminate the GP service - kludge and have the output as an actual map service as that could be consumed and used far more easily by a wider array of map products.
- Anyone doing this type of thing (merging REST services at the service level rather than at the db)?
- Performance concerns at some point?
- Alternative output types for the GP service that would make sense or allow easier consumption?