We are kinda stuck supporting it for now because that's what many offices that consume the product are using, but I believe it is important to support the OGC standards for best software interoperability. Not just this, but OGC compliance is specifically required by the Hydrovis solicitation document in the first place. So there's a contractual requirement for it.
More info
ArcGIS Server supports WMS (Web Map Service) and WFS (Web Feature Service) as defined by the OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) standards, and this functionality is distinct from MapServer REST services.
1. WMS and WFS Support in ArcGIS Server (OGC Standards)
WMS (Web Map Service): ArcGIS Server can publish maps as WMS services that follow OGC standards. A WMS provides rasterized maps, meaning it sends pre-rendered images of the map in response to requests from clients.
WFS (Web Feature Service): ArcGIS Server can also publish WFS services, which follow OGC specifications. WFS provides access to vector data, allowing clients to query and retrieve actual feature geometry and attributes from the server.
Both WMS and WFS services published by ArcGIS Server adhere to OGC standards, which means they can be consumed by any GIS client or application that supports these OGC standards, not just ESRI products. This makes it easier to integrate ArcGIS Server with non-ESRI GIS applications or tools.
2. MapServer in ArcGIS Server REST Services (ESRI Specific)
MapServer refers to a type of service endpoint in ArcGIS Server that is exposed through REST services. A MapServer service typically provides map images (like WMS), but it is specific to ArcGIS Server and is accessed through ArcGIS REST API, not via OGC protocols.
While MapServer REST services can offer similar functionality to WMS or WFS (e.g., querying features, retrieving images), they are proprietary to ESRI and are meant to be consumed primarily by ESRI products or systems that support the ArcGIS REST API.
Key Differences Between OGC (WMS/WFS) and MapServer REST Services:
OGC Standards WMS/WFS vs Esri MapServer
Our current offerings are provided as Esri MapServer and FeatureServer products which aren't strictly Open Geospatial Consortium standards like WMS/WFS(even though ArcGIS server supports these).
We are kinda stuck supporting it for now because that's what many offices that consume the product are using, but I believe it is important to support the OGC standards for best software interoperability. Not just this, but OGC compliance is specifically required by the Hydrovis solicitation document in the first place. So there's a contractual requirement for it.
More info
ArcGIS Server supports WMS (Web Map Service) and WFS (Web Feature Service) as defined by the OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) standards, and this functionality is distinct from MapServer REST services.
1. WMS and WFS Support in ArcGIS Server (OGC Standards)
Both WMS and WFS services published by ArcGIS Server adhere to OGC standards, which means they can be consumed by any GIS client or application that supports these OGC standards, not just ESRI products. This makes it easier to integrate ArcGIS Server with non-ESRI GIS applications or tools.
2. MapServer in ArcGIS Server REST Services (ESRI Specific)
MapServer refers to a type of service endpoint in ArcGIS Server that is exposed through REST services. A MapServer service typically provides map images (like WMS), but it is specific to ArcGIS Server and is accessed through ArcGIS REST API, not via OGC protocols.
While MapServer REST services can offer similar functionality to WMS or WFS (e.g., querying features, retrieving images), they are proprietary to ESRI and are meant to be consumed primarily by ESRI products or systems that support the ArcGIS REST API.
Key Differences Between OGC (WMS/WFS) and MapServer REST Services:
WFS: Vector data