ESRI Services on the Defra Data Services Platform (DSP)

Created: 27 June 2023 Updated: 23 May 2024

Date of Announcement: 31 October 2023

Functionality Affected:  ESRI Services on the Data Services Platform (DSP)

Date of Change:  Summer/Autumn 2023

The Data Services Platform (DSP) is the authoritative source for externally published Defra data. The future focus for the DSP will be to concentrate on the provision of data in Open Standards. For spatial data services this will be based on Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Standards, including new OGC API-Features and Web Coverage Services (WCS). These will be additions to the current OGC Web Mapping (WMS) and Web Feature (WFS) Services. As a result, existing links to Esri REST and Image services will be gradually decommissioned.

Esri users

Esri users may need to adapt to use OpenSource APIs, especially those who use the current services (web or desktop) in custom applications. Web Map Service (WMS) layers provide a static image for a specific layer for a given extent and spatial reference. Web Feature Service (WFS) layers provide feature level access to a layer’s data. They are the OGC equivalent of Esri feature services and provide a textual based response to queries given an extent, spatial reference and optional attribute filter. Support for both WMS and WFS layers is mature and well defined for Esri products.

OGC API Features are now also available on the DSP and are supported by Esri applications and software. Please see Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Standards and Map Smarter (and Faster) with the OS NGD API - Resource Centre | Esri UK for more information on how to use in Esri products.

Using OGC Web Feature Services in ArcGIS

ArcGIS Desktop users need to install the Data Interoperability extension and add an Interoperability Connection to the WFS service, with guidance available:

Adding a WFS service to ArcMap—ArcMap | Documentation (arcgis.com)

Availability of Esri services

Esri Image Services from the DSP will be replaced by OGC Services by the end of November 2023. During 2024 other Esri REST API services will be gradually decommissioned. Users of these services are encouraged to carry out early testing and transition to the DSP OGC service offerings before this time.

Some Defra data is still directly published to ArcGIS Online and the Living Atlas but not through the DSP. An example of this are data within the Natural England’s Geoportal.