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Standard and GeoAnalytics Tools feature analysis comparison

ArcGIS Enterprise offers multiple ways to perform analysis. The tools you use to perform analysis will depend on the size of your data, the type of data, and the analysis you want to complete. For example, imagine you want to calculate drive-time areas for emergency shelter locations in a county, or you want to look at changes over time in millions of records of 911 calls. Both of these scenarios can be analyzed using ArcGIS Enterprise, but the type of analysis you want to perform will determine what feature analysis toolset you use.

Feature analysis options

There are several criteria that can determine which feature analysis toolset to use. The standard analysis tools became available at ArcGIS 10.4, and GeoAnalytics Tools became available at ArcGIS 10.5 with ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server. Standard analysis tools run on a single machine and are optimal for standard-sized data. These tools can answer a wide range of questions.

GeoAnalytics Tools are optimized for large datasets and run analysis across multiple machines. GeoAnalytics Tools are focused on summarizing and analyzing large datasets in both time and space.

The first criterion in deciding which tools to use is the size of your data. In addition, there are differences between the number of tools available and the capabilities of each tool for standard or big data analysis. The following is a summary of the differences:

  • GeoAnalytics Tools take advantage of the capability of multiple machines to complete larger analysis.
  • Standard analysis has more tools available.
  • GeoAnalytics Tools have a larger focus on time in addition to space.
  • Tools that are similar between standard and GeoAnalytics Tools may have different tool parameters. Those tool-level differences are discussed in Feature analysis tool differences.

Standard and GeoAnalytics Tools differences

Standard analysis and GeoAnalytics Tools have many similar tools. The following tables outline the tools available in standard and GeoAnalytics Tools by categories. To set up these tools, see Configure the portal to perform analysis for standard analysis tools and Set up ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server for GeoAnalytics Tools.

Summarize data

ToolStandard analysisGeoAnalytics Tools

Aggregate Points

YesYes

Build Multi-Variable Grid

Yes

Describe Dataset

Yes

Join Features

YesYes

Reconstruct Tracks

Yes

Summarize Attributes

Yes

Summarize Nearby

Yes

Summarize Within

YesYes

Summarize Center and Dispersion

YesYes
Note:

Summarize Center and Dispersion cannot be run through Map Viewer Classic. To use Summarize Center and Dispersion, run the tool through ArcGIS REST API or ArcGIS Pro.

Tools available in the standard analysis toolset and GeoAnalytics Tools.

Find locations

ToolStandard analysisGeoAnalytics Tools

Choose Best Facilities

Yes

Create Viewshed

Yes

Create Watersheds

Yes

Derive New Locations

Yes

Detect Incidents

Yes

Find Centroids

Yes

Find Dwell Locations

Yes

Find Existing Locations

Yes

Find Similar Locations

YesYes

Geocode Location from Table

YesYes

Trace Downstream

Yes
Tools available in the standard analysis toolset and GeoAnalytics Tools.

Data enrichment

ToolStandard analysisGeoAnalytics Tools

Calculate Motion Statistics

Yes

Enrich from Multi-Variable Grid

Yes

Enrich Layer

Yes
Tools available in the standard analysis toolset and GeoAnalytics Tools.

Analyze patterns

ToolStandard analysisGeoAnalytics Tools

Calculate Density

YesYes

Find Hot Spots

YesYes

Find Outliers

Yes

Find Point Clusters

YesYes

Forest-based Classification and Regression

Yes

Generalized Linear Regression

Yes

Geographically Weighted Regression

Yes

Interpolate Points

Yes

Create Space Time Cube

Yes
Note:

Create Space Time Cube cannot be run through Map Viewer Classic. To use Create Space Time Cube, run the tool through ArcGIS REST API or ArcGIS Pro.

Tools available in the standard analysis toolset and GeoAnalytics Tools.

Use proximity

ToolStandard analysisGeoAnalytics Tools

Create Buffers

YesYes

Create Drive-Time Areas

Yes

Find Nearest

Yes

Plan Routes

Yes

Connect Origins to Destination

Yes

Group By Proximity

Yes
Note:

Group by Proximity cannot be run through Map Viewer Classic. To use Group by Proximity, run the tool through ArcGIS REST API or ArcGIS Pro.

Snap Tracks

Yes
Note:

Snap Tracks cannot be run through Map Viewer Classic. To use Snap Tracks, run the tool through ArcGIS REST API or ArcGIS Pro.

Trace Proximity Events

Yes
Tools available in the standard analysis toolset and GeoAnalytics Tools.

Manage data

ToolStandard analysisGeoAnalytics Tools

Append Data

Yes

Calculate Field

Yes

Clip Layer

Yes

Copy to Data Store

Yes

Dissolve Boundaries

YesYes

Extract Data

Yes

Generate Tessellations

Yes

Merge Layers

YesYes

Overlay Layers

YesYes
Tools available in the standard analysis toolset and GeoAnalytics Tools.