Use raster analysis on Portal for ArcGIS

Raster analysis on portal

Portal for ArcGIS has been enhanced with the ability to perform distributed server-based processing on imagery and raster data. This technology allows you to boost the performance of raster processing by processing data in a distributed fashion, even at full resolution and full extent.

You can use the processing capabilities of ArcGIS Pro to define the processing to be applied to raster data and perform processing in a distributed fashion using the on-premises portal. The results of this processing can be accessed in the form of a web imagery layer that is hosted in the ArcGIS organization.

For more information about raster analysis on your portal, see Perform raster analysis.

Use your portal to perform raster analysis

To use your portal to perform your raster analysis, first you need to set up your portal. Then you can use your portal to use the processing power of your raster analysis tools.

Set up ArcGIS Pro to use raster analysis on the portal

To perform your distributed raster analysis tools, you need to set up your portal.

1. Set up the portal by following the instructions in Configure the portal to perform raster analysis.
2. In ArcGIS Pro, add your portal connection.
3. Set it as the active portal.
4. Sign in to Portal for ArcGIS with an account that has publishing privileges.

Use the raster functions with raster analysis on Portal for ArcGIS

Once your portal has been set up, you can use your raster analysis tools to use the distributed processing of your portal.

1. In the Raster Functions pane, open a raster function by clicking it.
2. Select the input you want to process, either from the layer drop-down list or using the Browse button. Make sure to select an input that the portal has access to. It is important to choose the correct layer to avoid accidentally engaging the portal for processes which may take hours to complete.
3. At the bottom of the Raster Functions pane is the Output Layer Type parameter. The options are Raster Layer or Web Image Layer. Select Web Image Layer to use your portal in the analysis.
4. Next, you need to create the metadata for the output. You need to name the output, give a description, and add tags. Under Sharing Options, set the users who will have permission to view the output.
5. Optionally, you can specify the raster analysis settings for each portal job on the Settings tab of the Output Generation page. These settings control various aspects of the job, such as defining the geographic processing extent, coordinate system for all outputs, or the cell size of output web image layers.
6. When you are finished, click Run. The Raster Analysis Jobs section appears in the Raster Functions pane, which gives you details and messages about the job you submitted. The Messages section displays messages about the job.
7. Once the processing is successfully completed, the output name changes to a link that will add the output to the map. The output will also appear as an item in the organizations you checked under Sharing Options.

Calculate slope on a DEM using raster analysis

To use the distributed raster analysis tools in ArcGIS Pro to calculate slope on a digital elevation model (DEM), complete the following steps. This workflow allows you to use raster functions to process data in a distributed fashion.

1. Start ArcGIS Pro and create a project
2. On the Insert tab, create a New Map.
3. Add the digital elevation model you want to analyze to the map. Make sure the portal you are going to use has access to the image.
4. On the Analysis tab, click Raster Analysis.
5. In the Raster Analysis Tools gallery, click Raster Functions. The Raster Functions pane appears.
6. In the Raster Functions pane, click the System tab and search for Slope.
7. Click the Slope function to open it.
8. For the DEM parameter, use the drop-down list to select the DEM layer you added to the map.
9. In the Output Layer Type drop-down list, select Web Image Layer.
10. Click Next to proceed to the Output Generation page.
11. On the Output Generation page, provide a name and location for your Output Raster. The default location is the root folder for your portal.
12. Enter a description and tags for the output web image layer item.
13. Under Sharing Options, choose who can view this item.
14. Click Run.
15. The Raster Analysis jobs section appears in the Raster Functions pane, providing details and messages about the job you submitted.
16. Once the job is successfully completed, the Output changes to a link. Click the link to add your output to the map.