Once you've decided to use routing services, you need to decide whether to use the ArcGIS Online routing services or to publish your own routing services with ArcGIS Enterprise.
The biggest factor in the decision is whether you have access to streets data for your area of interest. If you have good data of the street centerlines, you can use it to create a network dataset and publish routing services. If you do not have good street centerline data and cannot get access to any, the ArcGIS Online routing services may be a better choice.
You can create a network dataset from basic street centerlines. However, the more detailed the data, the better the network dataset and the more accurate the routing. When deciding whether to publish your own routing services or to use those from ArcGIS Online, you should consider whether you have streets data and what quality that data is.
ArcGIS StreetMap Premium is a detailed dataset with global coverage. For many regions of the world, it has detailed streets down to the local level. Many regions also have historical traffic data. It also comes preconfigured with travel modes, costs, and restrictions. ArcGIS StreetMap Premium datasets include a network dataset that can be used to publish routing services to ArcGIS Enterprise. If you do not have access to your own streets data or are not satisfied with the quality of your data, you may want to consider purchasing ArcGIS StreetMap Premium.
Learn more about ArcGIS StreetMap Premium
Learn more about ArcGIS Online data coverage
Requirements for ArcGIS Enterprise routing services
Publishing your own routing services using ArcGIS Enterprise has a few requirements in addition to the data. You will need an ArcGIS Server site with the ArcGIS Network Analyst extension enabled. Federating your ArcGIS Server to an enterprise portal can help manage and consume the routing services, but it is not necessary for publishing them. However, for best integration across the ArcGIS platform, you should consider federating your ArcGIS Server that hosts your routing services with an enterprise portal.
Learn more about an ArcGIS Server site
If you are using ArcGIS StreetMap Premium as the streets data, you will also need a license to use ArcGIS StreetMap Premium data on ArcGIS Server.
Benefits of ArcGIS Enterprise routing services
Using your own routing services can have many benefits, such as the following:
- Services can be stored behind your company's firewalls.
- Services can be maintained and updated on your schedule, when you need them.
- Services are built with your data to suit your needs.
- Services have no limits regarding the size of the analysis that can be performed. Routing services in ArcGIS Online have limits on the problem size.
- You do not need ArcGIS Online credits when using your own routing services. For large volumes of solves, they may be the most cost-effective option.
Requirements for using ArcGIS Online routing services
To access routing services from ArcGIS Online, you need an ArcGIS Online organizational account, a named user that has been granted the network analysis privilege, and service credits. Note that you do not need to have an ArcGIS Network Analyst extension license for ArcGIS Pro.
Benefits of ArcGIS Online routing services
Using your own routing services can have many benefits, such as the following:
- Readily available for use across the platform.
- Services and street data maintained and updated regularly by Esri.
- Detailed global data, including historical, live, and predictive traffic (coverage and availability of data vary by region).
- Credits are consumed only on a per solve basis, so you do not need to pay for software you don't use.