Is it definitively impossible to achieve Proxy Printing in Web App Builder (WAB) 1.3, when connected to ArcGIS Server 10.2.2, specifically for secured imagery layers? This question arises from attempts to embed credentials and bypass user login prompts when printing maps containing secured aerial imagery.
The process began with creating a custom print service, meticulously configured with embedded credentials. This service was set to synchronous execution, aligning with recommendations for web applications. However, upon integrating this custom print service into a WAB 1.3 application, and directing it to secured imagery services, the application persistently requests user credentials. This behavior is unacceptable for the intended client workflow.
A proxy service was also established for the secured aerial imagery, successfully enabling its display within the Basemaps widget of the WAB application. Despite this, the printing functionality continued to prompt for logins, ultimately resulting in timeouts. Testing revealed that embedding a token directly within the print service URL circumvented the login prompt for non-secured vector layers present in the LayerList. These layers, hosted on a separate, unsecured server, printed without issue.
The core challenge lies with the secured imagery layer, hosted on a different server. Initially, the imagery service was secured within ArcGIS Server, but this configuration led to credential requests, suggesting the proxy was ineffective in the printing context. Subsequently, the security was temporarily disabled for the print GP service itself, to test if security settings were the direct cause. This alteration resulted in a different failure mode: the WAB application now reports a “Timeout Exceeded” error without any login prompt, and no entries appear in the ArcGIS Server logs for the print service. The print service resides on the same server as the service used in the map.
Network traffic analysis and browser console logs reveal only an ‘undefined’ error, offering minimal insight into the root cause. While token embedding in the URL allowed printing of unsecured vector layers, it did not extend to the secured imagery activated from the Basemaps widget.
Given these troubleshooting steps, is upgrading to ArcGIS Server 10.3 or later the definitive solution to enable proxy printing for secured imagery in WAB 1.3? Or are there alternative proxy configurations or workarounds that could resolve this persistent credential challenge within the constraints of these older software versions?
