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Enhanced Performance with Blue Raster’s Cloud-Managed Services: Integrating Zabbix and ArcGIS Monitor for Proactive Management

Posted on by Chigo Ibeh

At Blue Raster, we understand that organizations rely on uninterrupted access to their geospatial data and services. With the rapid shift towards cloud-based infrastructure, it’s essential to have a solution that not only supports deployment and scalability but also proactively manages and monitors these environments. That’s where our cloud-managed services come in, offering an all-encompassing solution designed to ensure your ArcGIS Enterprise environment runs smoothly and efficiently.

 

 

Why Cloud-Managed Services Matter

 

The complexity of modern GIS environments means that organizations need to stay ahead of potential issues before they impact performance or cause downtime.

Managing an ArcGIS Enterprise environment involves more than just deploying servers—it requires constant oversight of infrastructure, software updates, system performance, and security compliance.

Blue Raster’s Cloud-Managed Services provides a comprehensive solution, taking the burden off your internal teams and ensuring your systems are optimized and up-to-date.

 

Zabbix and ArcGIS Monitor: A Perfect Partnership

One of the key features of our managed services is proactive monitoring. We leverage industry-leading tools such as Zabbix and ArcGIS Monitor to give clients visibility into system performance, helping to anticipate issues before they become problems.

  • Zabbix, a powerful and highly customizable monitoring tool, offers real-time monitoring of cloud infrastructure, allowing us to track server health, certificate expirations, license renewals, and more.
  • ArcGIS Monitor provides deep insights into the health and performance of your ArcGIS Enterprise deployment, tracking usage patterns, service response times, and system resources.

While both capable of working as standalone monitoring solutions, the ability of Zabbix and ArcGIS Monitor to work in tandem creates a dynamic duo, offering comprehensive monitoring across both your infrastructure and GIS-specific components. This ensures that our team can monitor everything from hardware utilization to application-level performance. By utilizing both tools, Blue Raster can help you maximize uptime, optimize resources, and ensure that your GIS operations are always running at peak efficiency.

Cloud-Managed Services Tailored to Your Needs

Our managed services aren’t just about keeping the lights on—they’re about future-proofing your investment in GIS technology. With our cloud management services, you can be rest assured that you’ll have a partner dedicated to not only monitoring your systems but also optimizing them for long-term success. Whether it’s managing updates to ArcGIS Enterprise, renewing licenses, or ensuring security patches are applied, Blue Raster has you covered.

Let Us Handle the Heavy Lifting

With over two decades of experience as an Esri Partner, Blue Raster’s team of DevOps engineers and GIS experts are equipped to handle the most complex cloud environments. We offer a tailored approach to meet your organization’s unique needs, ensuring that your GIS infrastructure stays secure, efficient, and scalable. Our services go beyond deployment to provide continuous monitoring, management, and optimization.

By incorporating tools like Zabbix and ArcGIS Monitor, we not only track the performance of your entire GIS ecosystem but also give you peace of mind knowing that potential issues are caught early. This allows your organization to focus on what matters—delivering value through GIS, without worrying about downtime or performance bottlenecks.

 

Contact us today and learn how we can help you maximize your system performance.

 

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Blue Raster Pioneering Imagery Management Technology and Delivery Workflows with ArcGIS

Posted on by Chigo Ibeh

Many organizations prioritize the accessibility of imagery and image-derived products for visualization and analysis among both internal and external users. As such, efficient  management and delivery workflows are crucial for these organizations to fully harness the power of spatial data and maximize their product impact. Use cases for aerial images and raster data include land cover classification, urban planning, natural resource management, emergency response and disaster management, precision agriculture and conservation, environmental monitoring and change detection/climate change analysis.

Blue Raster specializes in utilizing the robust capabilities of GIS and cloud services to facilitate the seamless assembly, analysis, management and dissemination of multiresolution imagery, and raster data from different sources and timeframes. Our expertise helps organizations enhance their spatial data management and analysis capabilities.

Employing ArcGIS for Imagery Hosting, Analysis & Management

Empowered by cutting-edge technology, Blue Raster excels in tapping into the full potential of ArcGIS for image hosting, analysis, and delivery workflows across ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Pro, and ArcGIS Online. With ArcGIS Image Server and ArcGIS Image for ArcGIS Online, we enable organizations to host and conduct dynamic imagery analysis on an unprecedented scale.

The scalability and performance of ArcGIS Image Server redefines the boundaries of what is achievable in geospatial analytics. Additionally, by integrating imagery into the ArcGIS Online platform, organizations can create compelling and informative maps that facilitate a deeper understanding of their spatial data.

Providing On-Demand Imagery Delivery Services

We specialize in providing swift, on-demand collection and smooth delivery of imagery through versatile means including API keys, custom widgets, online user interfaces, and application plugins. Our expertise ensures that you have the necessary tools and support to cater to diverse requirements and preferences.

Whether you need quick access to specific imagery, or a tailored solution embedded within your applications, Blue Raster stands ready to assist, offering a range of flexible and efficient options to meet your unique needs.

Furthermore, we recognize the importance of seamless delivery workflows in ensuring timely access to critical imagery resources. Our solutions are designed to optimize delivery pipelines, minimizing latency and maximizing efficiency. Whether it's delivering imagery to remote field teams or integrating seamlessly with existing systems, we prioritize speed, reliability, and scalability to meet the dynamic needs of our clients.

Our commitment to innovation extends beyond just technology; it's ingrained in our culture. We're constantly exploring new ways to push the boundaries of what's possible, whether it's through advancements in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, or data visualization. By staying at the forefront of technological innovation, we empower our clients to stay ahead of the curve and achieve their objectives with confidence. Our teams of professionals are here to assist you in developing and deploying your delivery workflows.

Pioneering Collaborative Cloud-Based Imagery Management

For over a decade, Blue Raster has been working with clients and partners to deliver large volumes of imagery to support various geospatial workflows. Our cloud specialty has opened new frontiers for collaborative  management. Maximizing the cloud's scalability, organizations can now store, share, and analyze vast amounts of data in real-time. This not only streamlines internal processes but also facilitates effortless collaboration with external stakeholders.

Across the globe, our clients and partners are employing our services to manage and deliver their imagery to support their projects and organizational goals. Here are some examples:

Learn more about our work here

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What Are the Discovery, Execution, and Maintenance Phases of ArcGIS Enterprise Cloud Migration?

Posted on by Eric Ashcroft

If you’re thinking about deploying ArcGIS Enterprise on cloud environments then it’s important to know what the discovery, execution, and maintenance phases of ArcGIS Enterprise cloud migration entail. At Blue Raster, we’re known for our extensive experience in deploying and managing cloud services and delivering top-notch ArcGIS Enterprise cloud migration support. In fact, our employees hold the following certifications to ensure the smoothest ArcGIS Enterprise cloud migration experience: 

  • Esri Enterprise System Design Professional 
  • Enterprise Geodata Management Professional  
  • Enterprise Administration Professional 
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network Select Consulting Partner 
  • AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner 
  • AWS Certified Security Specialty 
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect 
  • Microsoft Partner Network 

Our certified team will collaborate with you at every stage of your ArcGIS Enterprise cloud migration, so you’re always informed and onboard for every decision. We aim for every objective to meet your budget and schedule—no matter the cloud computing platform you choose to move forward with. 

Work With Our Certified Team

We’ve broken down the discovery, execution, and maintenance phases of an ArcGIS Enterprise cloud migration so you can have a better understanding of how hands-on our process is! 

The Discovery Phase of ArcGIS Enterprise Cloud Migration

Before any cloud migration action can take place, our experts will meet with you to dive into your current architecture, GIS assets, and workflows. The discovery phase of an ArcGIS Enterprise cloud migration allows us to understand how your organization is currently using GIS, as well as the ways you want to enhance its capabilities in the future. By determining what is currently working well for your organization and what is not, we’re able to: 

  1. Choose the right cloud computing platform and architecture  
  2. Define the type of scalability you need and pinpoint the solutions that will increase your performance levels 
  3. Control how you want your data to be accessed, used, and stored 

Most importantly, we will discuss together the fundamental ways that geospatial data and analysis support your operations. Once we feel like we have a good understanding of your organization and its needs, we will move on to the execution phase of the ArcGIS Enterprise cloud migration process. 

Unlock ArcGIS Enterprise Cloud Migration Support

The Execution Phase of ArcGIS Enterprise Cloud Migration

When we’ve covered the critical bases of your organization, our certified professionals will craft a cloud migration plan that helps you accomplish all of your goals. If there are tools or workflows that are not working well for your organization, we will exclude them from the execution of the migration process.  

We will work hand-in-hand with your IT team and other key stakeholders throughout the execution phase of the ArcGIS Enterprise cloud migration to ensure all of the cloud services integrate well with your existing systems and align with your overall technical roadmap. During the execution phase, we will focus on installing and deploying ArcGIS Enterprise and any other necessary or desired components that were decided upon during discovery. This will all be documented in your finalized architecture. Our team will also: 

  1. Assist with the configuration of user accounts and permissions 
  2. Implement a relational database management system as a datastore for GIS data 
  3. Set up a secure host for GIS administration 
  4. Ensure appropriate security measures and backups are in place 
Execute a Seamless Cloud Migration

The Maintenance Phase of ArcGIS Enterprise Cloud Migration

After completing the execution phase, our experts are readily available to support you with IT trainings, ongoing consultation services, proactive monitoring and health checks, and on-demand support services for any technical issues that may arise when administering and using ArcGIS Enterprise in the cloud. The maintenance phase of ArcGIS cloud migration may be the third step, but it’s not the end of our partnership. We’re here for you and your team whenever you need us! 

Get Ongoing ArcGIS Enterprise Help

Expert Guidance for Your ArcGIS Enterprise Cloud Migration

Learn more about our ArcGIS Enterprise cloud migration plans and get started with our team today! 

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Bringing Modern GIS Capabilities to Natural Lands

Posted on by Jameson Quisenberry

Since 1953, Natural Lands has dedicated time, energy, and funds to protecting open spaces and promoting biodiversity in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The nonprofit has worked tirelessly to preserve the two states' forests, wetlands, meadows, and farmlands so that future generations may appreciate and enjoy them for years to come. As a leading conservation organization that uses science-based approaches to protect some of the most valuable environmental areas, Natural Lands is no newcomer to using GIS to track acquired land, manage ecosystems, and engage communities in its conservation efforts.

Due to the ever-evolving capabilities of GIS, Natural Lands knew it would benefit from a partner who could help navigate and streamline its GIS operations and upgrade them to a more powerful GIS platform. Blue Raster was the perfect match.

Introducing ArcGIS Enterprise to Natural Lands

In order to enhance the nonprofit’s efforts, Blue Raster needed to first streamline its GIS operations. To do so, our team reviewed Natural Lands’ existing GIS architecture, datasets, and services, and proposed a migration strategy to ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9.1.

ArcGIS Enterprise was chosen for Natural Lands because of its:

  • Advanced spatial analysis tools
  • Streamlined data management capabilities
  • Ability to easily manage and analyze data related to land acquisition, ecological assessments, and restoration projects
  • Ability to communicate conservation work to the public, helping to raise awareness and build support for their efforts
ArcGIS Enterprise diagram

Kicking Off the Migration Process

Phase one of Natural Lands’ technology modernization began with our team establishing a Bastion host with ArcGIS Pro for Enterprise and Geodatabase Administration and proposing a strategy for backing up and exporting existing SQL Server databases and file geodatabases on the nonprofit’s existing server. This ensured a smooth and seamless migration experience, with minimal disruption to Natural Lands’ daily operations.

Once the migration was finished, our senior DevOps engineer, Scott Geistmann, installed, configured, and administered ArcGIS Enterprise Server Deployment 10.9.1, along with ArcGIS Portal, federated ArcGIS Server in a Hosting Role with ArcGIS Portal, and ArcGIS Data Store. Our team also set up Azure SQL Database Server and installed ArcGIS Pro, while advising on initial portal settings and configurations and proposing Azure Machine specifications. With these server improvements, Natural Lands was able to:

  • See an increase in performance for processors and storage capacity
  • Easily use the latest versions of ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Pro
  • Handle an increased workload and userbase
  • Access better support options—such as remote monitoring and management—with fewer maintenance requirements
Learn More About Our Cloud Solutions

Expert Guidance, Easy User Experience

Blue Raster’s professional support didn’t end with the successful migration to ArcGIS Enterprise. As a trusted GIS solutions provider, we delivered post-migration support and training to Natural Lands to guarantee everyone on the nonprofit’s team felt comfortable and informed when it came to the new enhancements. The training covered a range of topics, which included:

  • Managing the ArcGIS Enterprise Server
  • Overseeing Azure Cloud services and assets
  • Updating and publishing feature and image services
  • Administering ArcGIS Portal accounts—including user roles and permissions

With this new platform, Natural Lands can now access heightened GIS capabilities, making it easier for the nonprofit to manage their data and share it with the public efficiently and accurately. "We couldn't be more pleased with our ArcGIS Enterprise installation by Blue Raster. They guided us through the implementation process and provided top-notch support along the way,” shares Megan Boatright, GIS program director, Natural Lands.  “Blue Raster’s attention to detail and commitment to meeting our needs ensured a successful outcome—plus, the ability to access our geospatial data and tools from anywhere has been a game-changer."

Be On the Cutting Edge of GIS Capabilities

See how Blue Raster can help you surpass your competition with customized GIS solutions.

Contact Our Team to Learn More >

Esri ArcGIS Cloud Specialty: Elevating our clients’ GIS capabilities to the sky

Posted on by Jacob Radomsky

Blue Raster is thrilled to be a member of the Esri ArcGIS Cloud Services Specialty. This specialty designates Blue Raster as an expert in deploying and managing ArcGIS in cloud environments such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. The Cloud Specialty program is designed to help Esri connect customers with recognized Partners that can best provide ArcGIS cloud solutions. Partners that meet the criteria for this specialty must demonstrate a track record of delivering value to their customers in implementing, managing, and designing cloud infrastructure in the Esri ArcGIS environment.  

Esri Cloud Services Specialty

To attain this specialty, Esri assessed Blue Raster’s expertise in the following areas of ArcGIS Cloud services: cloud deployments, system architecture and design, migrations, and managed services. Our deployments of ArcGIS Enterprise in the cloud include routine monitoring and maintenance to allow us to fine tune the system as needed, ensuring reliability and performance. Our system architecture and design experience encompasses single machine and multi machine architectures in both AWS and Azure that are customized to our clients’ specifications. We support all types of migrations including on-premises to cloud provider migrations, ArcGIS Online to ArcGIS Enterprise, and integration with third party providers.

Our portfolio of managed services includes the utilization of a wealth of Esri products and tools in the ArcGIS family such as ArcGIS Enterprise, Data Store, GIS Server, GeoAnalytics Server, GeoEvent Server, Notebooks, Image Server, Pro, Monitor, and Enterprise Geodatabases. Implementing these tools empowers us to provide a number of managed cloud services to our clients including design consultation, server construction, Esri software installation, infrastructure troubleshooting, distributed systems configuration, geographic redundancy configuration, OS patching, Esri security patching, routine Esri patch deployment, DevOps services, and user training services, among others. Blue Raster is primed and ready to meet our clients’ needs in all areas of the Esri ArcGIS cloud.

ArcGIS Cloud Solutions by Blue Raster

With over 10 years of experience providing ArcGIS Cloud consulting services, Blue Raster is proud to be a trusted resource for a variety of cloud solutions, including: 

    • Cloud ArcGIS Enterprise implementation 
    • Data migration 
    • System architecture and design 
    • Enterprise migration 
    • Security 

We use our cloud expertise to assist a variety of clients with a range of projects. Our dedicated DevOps team supports our cloud projects from requirements gathering through completion. Keep checking our blog posts for our latest projects as we continually grow and evolve our cloud-based service offerings.  

Are you looking to expand your ArcGIS capabilities in the cloud?
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help!

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