how does arcgis server manage tile caches with an unlimited scale choice?

Question

I am familiar with tile caching with geowebcache, but not with ArcGIS server. I imagine the basic concept is the same. First determine how many scales with be cached, set the image quality and format, and off you go. I would then usually design my own web client and set the scale choice to those set in the tile cache.

Now I am using ArcGIS server and do not have the ability to set the client scales. So the client users can will basically hardly ever use the caches set to 1:1000, 1:2500, 1:5000, 1:10000,1:2500 etc...they will always be somewhere in between these set scales.

Is this how it will work, or am I missing an important ESRI concept?

Answer 1

The general workflow is like this:

1. Design your Map in ArcMap with all the layers that you need. Set the symbology according to your needs.
2. Publish the Map as a MapService on ArcGIS Server.
3. Cache the Service if required.

If a service is cached, then while defining the cache, the administrator selects the scales at which the service will be cached and tiles will be generated only for those scales and zoom levels.

From your client you can only request tiles at these scales, and in the predefined projection. (In some cases you might also be able treat the service as if it were not cached, but that does not work with all Tiled Map services).

If the service is not cached, it is dynamic by default. The service will prepare an image for any arbitrary extent, scale and projection that is requested. This is usually not stored or cached anywhere.