Configure Token Fallback Behavior

Overview:

Essentials supports token-secured ArcGIS map services within a Site.

Essentials will get a token for those services when the site is initialized, which are also used by the viewer to display your maps.  The token will be requested using a secured (HTTPS) URL; if that doesn't work, we will stop trying that URL and fall back to a HTTP version.  So, if your service URL is:

http://maps.myorg.com/arcgis/rest/services/MyFolder/MyMap/MapServer

We will first attempt to get a token using:

https://maps.myorg.com/arcgis/tokens/getToken

…and if that fails, we'll block access to the token URL for an hour and then try again using:

http://maps.myorg.com/arcgis/tokens/getToken

Solution:

This fallback happens so that we will use a secured connection when possible, but still be able to get a token otherwise.  However, it also means that if we lose the ability to generate a token over the 'correct' URL we may be stuck trying to use an incorrect URL!

Recycling the app pool or restarting IIS will immediately expire the blocked URL, so some users have observed that their maps are offline until the service is restarted.  They may be encountering this behavior.

To avoid this situation, you can configure a per-connection setting to explicitly set the token URL, or you can set a global app setting to disable the fallback behavior completely.  For simplicity, we recommend the global app setting.

The app setting is: ArcGisRestTokenService.UseHttpFallback, and it can be set in the REST or RestManager application.  We recommend setting it for both, for consistency.

To apply the setting:

1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
2. Expand the Default Web Site and the Essentials REST application.
   • If you've chosen a different web site or path for the application, use that instead.
3. Select Application Settings under the ASP.NET header.  This is where you will add a new setting.
4. On the right, under Actions, select "Add".  In the text box next to Name, paste ArcGisRestTokenService.UseHttpFallback, and in the text box next to value, type or paste false.

If you prefer to edit the web.config file rather than use IIS Manager, you can add the following app setting to the <configuration> section of the web.config file:

<add key="ArcGisRestTokenService.UseHttpFallback" value="false" />