As of FME 2024.0, support for Esri ArcGIS Online (AGOL), ArcGIS Enterprise Portal, and ArcGIS Server Feature Service formats has transitioned to a unified approach using the new Esri ArcGIS Feature Service (Format). This format replaces the legacy reader/writer formats for each of the three services.
Starting in FME 2026.1, the legacy formats will be hidden in the Quick Add menu. Instead, equivalent functionality is now provided by the downloadable Esri ArcGIS Connector package, available on FME Hub. The package also includes new web services and key transformers such as the ArcGISOnlineConnector, ArcGISAttachmentConnector, and ArcGISBranchVersionManager. The package can be installed directly through the Quick Add menu in FME Workbench. Once installed, the new Esri Feature Service format will appear in the Gallery as a unified method for interacting with all three types of Esri ArcGIS Feature Services.
For details on this transition, including guidance on updating existing workspaces, please refer to the article: Working with Esri ArcGIS Feature Services in FME.
Considerations
When opening a workspace created in FME 2021.x or earlier in FME 2022.0 or newer, some parameters in the ArcGIS Online FeatureWriter may appear to be reset to default values. This behavior is limited to the FeatureWriter and does not affect the ArcGIS Online writer or FeatureReader.
The workspace will still run using the originally saved parameter values. However, if you open the FeatureWriter parameters and click OK, the displayed (reset) values will be saved and used in future runs.
Why This Happens
This behavior is caused by a change in the underlying ArcGIS Online format metafile. The parameter arcgisonline_mode was renamed to fme_feature_operation.
Because of this rename, older parameter values are not automatically mapped to the new parameter name. When the workspace is opened in a newer version, FeatureWriter automatically upgrades. During this upgrade, parameters that no longer match the metafile are reset to default values in the UI
For example, a workspace created in FME 2021.x may store the following parameters:
- arcgisonline_mode = UPDATE
After opening in FME 2022.0 or newer, this parameter no longer exists, so the visible parameter resets, even though the original value is still used until the dialog is confirmed.
How to Resolve It
To ensure the correct parameters are preserved moving forward, open the workspace in a newer version of FME Workbench. Open the FeatureWriter parameters and configure the fme_feature_operationsetting as needed. Click OK to save the updated parameters
After saving, the parameters will align with the updated format and will be preserved in future workspace runs.
Additional Notes
- Avoid clicking OK on the FeatureWriter parameters before verifying settings, as this will overwrite legacy values
- This behavior only occurs once during the upgrade process
- Reviewing parameters immediately after upgrading helps prevent unintended changes