Getting Started: Build a Geodatabase

At the AZGS, the first step in the creation of an ESRI Map Service is to select and export the data we wish to provide from the repository, or wherever it is currently housed. Fortunately, for our most popular map-publication series (Digital Geologic Maps, Digital Information Series and Digital Map Series), this export will have already been done for the purposes of the publication. We export and distribute our geographic datasets in NCGMP09 format, which provides us with a standard schema and starting point. Here are a list of points to consider when building your backend dataset: