Automating update of network dataset in ArcGIS Server

Question

I am trying to set up an automated process that does a nightly extract of the network dataset from SDE and publish to:

1. ArcGIS Server 10.3 as a network service
2. fGDB as network dataset

It seems you can't dissolve a network dataset in SDE so you have to move it to a fGDB. Ideally I would have liked to copy and paste from SDE directly into a fGDB but can't find a way to automate this. I have done the following as a work around:

1. Arcpy script that imports data to fGDB, updates FCID
2. Manually create new network dataset in fGDB
3. Arcpy script that updates alternate ID and dissolves network
4. Manually push network dataset to ArcGIS Server (will script this)

I would be interested to hear in other peoples experiences in

Answer 1

You can use the Copy GP tool for copying the entire feature dataset where the ND resides + it will copy all the related ND tables found in the geodatabase (outside of FD).

This will preserve the ND and you don't need to create one. You are correct that it is not allowed to run the Dissolve network on an ND stored within the SDE geodatabase, you do need to run this on a file gdb.