Edit and validate subnetworks

You are a GIS analyst who has just implemented a utility network at a water distribution company. After initially setting up the subnetworks, you must make changes to the network to reconfigure some of the subnetworks.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to properly edit, validate, and update a subnetwork. You'll also assess and resolve two subnetwork errors. You'll learn how ArcGIS Utility Network tracks edits so you can identify which subnetworks are affected. You'll also learn how to identify and resolve some of the most common subnetwork errors.

This tutorial is the second in a series about subnetworks:

• Create and manage subnetworks
• Edit and validate subnetworks
• Perform quality assurance on subnetworks

It is recommended, but not required, that you complete the tutorial Create and manage subnetworks before this one. In that tutorial, you learned how subnetworks provide analytical capabilities. In this tutorial, you'll learn that subnetworks also provide a framework for validating their contents.

This tutorial was last tested on December 19, 2024, using ArcGIS Pro 3.3. If you're using a different version of ArcGIS Pro, you may encounter different functionality and results.

Requirements

• ArcGIS Pro Standard or Advanced (see options for software access)
• User, Publisher, or Administrator role in an ArcGIS organization: ArcGIS Online (see options for software access) or ArcGIS Enterprise (learn more)

Edit subnetwork boundaries

You received a request from the engineering department to move a neighborhood from one pressure zone to its adjacent pressure zone. To accomplish this task, you'll close one valve so the neighborhood is cut off from its current water pressure subnetwork and open two other valves so it becomes part of another water pressure subnetwork. Along the way, you'll see how your edits are represented as dirty area features as well as how they affect the status of the subnetwork.

Review existing pressure zones

You'll start by reviewing the subnetwork that the neighborhood currently belongs to and the one you'll move it to. You'll trace each subnetwork to see its extent.

1. Download the Edit and validate subnetworks project package.

   A file named Edit and validate subnetworks.ppkx is downloaded to your computer.

   Note:

   A .ppkx file is an ArcGIS Pro project package and may contain maps, data, and other files that you can open in ArcGIS Pro. Learn more about managing .ppkx files in this guide.

2. Locate the downloaded file on your computer. Double-click Edit and validate subnetworks.ppkx to open it in ArcGIS Pro.
3. If prompted, sign in with your ArcGIS account.

   Note:

   If you don't have access to ArcGIS Pro or an ArcGIS organizational account, see options for software access.

   A map appears, showing a water distribution utility network in Naperville, Illinois, USA.

   

   Note:

   The dataset used in this tutorial is from the Water Distribution Utility Network Foundation.

4. On the ribbon, click the Map tab. In the Navigate group, click Bookmarks.
5. In the bookmark gallery, click Pressure system boundary.

   

   The map zooms to the Route 34 highway, which represents a boundary between two water pressure subnetworks (also called pressure zones), one highlighted in orange and the other in yellow.

   

   Tip:

   If you find the highlight colors difficult to see, in the Contents pane, turn off the Water Line layer temporarily.

   To help with water pressure issues reported by customers in this area, you'll transfer part of this area from the yellow pressure zone to the orange one.

6. In the Contents pane, click the arrow next to the Water Network subtype group layer to expand it. Also expand the Water Pressure subtype layer.

   

   Yellow represents water pressure subnetwork 5400. Orange represents subnetwork 6500. Next, you'll trace these subnetworks to view their extents.

7. On the ribbon, click the Utility Network tab. In the Subnetwork group, click Find.

   

   The Find Subnetworks pane appears. The list at the top of the pane shows that there are three water pressure subnetworks in this area: 5300, 5400, and 6500.

8. Right-click 5400 and choose Trace Subnetwork.

   

9. Below the map, click the Zoom to selected features button.

   

   The map zooms to show the entire 5400 (yellow) water pressure subnetwork.

   

10. In the Find Subnetworks pane, right-click 6500 and choose Trace Subnetwork.
11. Below the map, click the Zoom to selected features button to see the extent of the orange pressure zone.

    

Remove an area from a pressure zone

The plan you received from engineering asks you to close system valve 447 on North Columbia Street. Doing so will remove the neighborhood from water pressure subnetwork 5400.

1. On the ribbon, click the Map tab. In the Navigate group, click Bookmarks and choose System valve 447.

   The map zooms to the location of the valve you need to close.

2. On the ribbon, in the Selection group, click Select and click Attributes.

   

   The Attributes pane appears.

3. On the map, click the system valve (yellow feature) closest to N Columbia St to select it.

   

   The feature appears in the Attributes pane.

4. In the Attributes pane, scroll halfway down the list of attributes. Change both the Normal Status and Valve Status values to Closed.

   

5. Click Apply or ensure that Auto Apply is checked.

   System valve 447 is now closed.

6. On the ribbon, in the Selection group, click Clear.

   

   The feature's symbol is now red instead of yellow to indicate it is closed.

   

7. On the map, zoom in on the edited feature.

   A purple box with a hatch pattern surrounds the feature.

   

   This feature is a dirty area feature. It indicates that a change to the network has taken place that is not yet reflected in the network topology. If you try to trace the 5400 subnetwork, it will fail because of this dirty area.

8. Reopen the Find Subnetworks pane and click the Refresh button.

   

   Tip:

   The Find Subnetworks pane may be available as a tab at the bottom of the Attributes pane. If you can't find it, on the ribbon, on the Utility Network tab, in the Subnetwork group, click Find.

   The list of subnetworks updates to show the only one in view on the map: 5400. You know that this subnetwork contains a dirty area, but the Status column does not show any warning that it is dirty.

   

   Dirty areas and dirty subnetworks are not the same thing. A dirty area indicates that a change to the network has taken place that is not yet validated. A dirty subnetwork status indicates that a change to the subnetwork has taken place that has been validated but has not yet been processed by the update subnetwork operation.

9. Right click 5400 and choose Trace Subnetwork.

   An error appears with the message One or more dirty areas were discovered.

   

   The global ID listed in the error window matches the global ID of the feature you edited.

10. Close the Trace Subnetwork error window.

    You'll validate your edits to clean the dirty area.

11. On the ribbon, click the Utility Network tab. In the Network Topology group, click the upper half of the Validate button.

    

    The dirty area disappears from the map. Now you can assess the status of the subnetwork and update it.

12. In the Find Subnetworks pane, click the Refresh button.

    A warning icon appears in the Status column for subnetwork 5400, indicating that it is dirty.

    

    You validated your edit, so it is now reflected in the network topology. However, the edit is not yet reflected in the subnetwork, so the subnetwork's status is dirty. You'll save the edit and update the subnetwork to resolve this issue.

13. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. In the Manage Edits group, click Save.

    

14. In the Save Edits window, click Yes.
15. In the Find Subnetworks pane, right-click 5400 and choose Update Subnetwork.

    The warning icon disappears from the Status column. The subnetwork is no longer considered dirty.

16. Return to the Pressure system boundary bookmark.

    The east side of the highway is now depressurized and doesn't belong to any subnetwork, as indicated by the features not being highlighted in any color.

    

17. On the map, click one of the line features that has no pressure zone highlight color.

    In the pop-up, the Pressure Subnetwork Name value is Unknown, confirming that this feature doesn't belong to a water pressure subnetwork.

    

18. Close the pop-up.

    You have successfully closed system valve 447, removing the neighborhood from pressure subnetwork 5400.

Add an area to a pressure zone

The plan you received from engineering next asks you to open system valves 1382 and 1384 on Wisconsin Avenue. Doing so will allow water to flow into the neighborhood from pressure subnetwork 6500, adding it to this subnetwork.

1. Navigate to the Valves 1382 and 1384 bookmark.

   The map zooms to the location of system valves 1382 and 1384. Both of these valves are closed, creating a boundary for pressure zone 6500.

2. Right-click anywhere on the map and choose Select Features.

   

3. Press and hold the Shift key, then click both of the closed valves (red features) to select them.

   

4. Reopen the Attributes pane.

   Tip:

   If you can't find the Attributes pane, on the ribbon, click the Map tab. In the Selection group, click Attributes.

5. In the upper part of the Attributes pane, click Water Device : System Valve (2) to edit the attributes of both features at once.

   

6. In the lower part of the pane, change the Normal Status and Valve Status values to Open.
7. Click Apply or ensure that Auto Apply is checked.

   Dirty areas appear for each feature on the map.

   

   Next, you'll validate the topology for this area and save your edits. Doing so will ensure that you can update the subnetwork.

8. Ensure that both dirty areas are within view on the map.

   By default, the Validate command only validates dirty areas within the current map extent.

9. On the ribbon, click the Utility Network tab. In the Network Topology group, click Validate.

   The dirty areas disappear from the map.

10. On the ribbon, on the Edit tab, in the Manage Edits group, click Save. In the Save Edits window, click Yes.
11. On the ribbon, in the Selection group, click Clear.

    The valve symbols are now yellow to indicate that they are open.

    

12. Reopen the Find Subnetworks pane and click the Refresh button.

    Subnetwork 6500 is dirty because you made edits to the system valves and validated those edits. You'll update the subnetwork to include these edits.

13. Right-click 6500 and choose Update Subnetwork.

    

14. Return to the Pressure system boundary bookmark.

    The neighborhood is now highlighted in orange, indicating that it is part of water pressure subnetwork 6500.

    

15. In the Find Subnetworks pane, click the Refresh button. Drag the side of the pane until you can see the Last Update column.

    The 5400 and 6500 subnetworks both list the current date in the Last Update column.

    

16. Right-click 6500 and choose Pop-up.

    A pop-up appears, listing the attributes for this subnetwork. The summary fields (for example, Service Connection Count and Subnetwork Length) have been updated to reflect the changes you made to the subnetwork.

    

    Note:

    To calculate additional values for your subnetworks, you can use the Set Subnetwork Definition tool.

17. Close the pop-up.

The features on the east side of the highway were originally part of subnetwork 5400 and highlighted in yellow. Now they belong to subnetwork 6500 and are highlighted in orange. To make this change happen, you closed system valve 447 and opened system valves 1382 and 1384. You validated and saved your edits and updated both subnetworks. Now the features on both sides of the highway belong to the same subnetwork, which should help to prevent the issues that customers from that neighborhood were experiencing.

Fix interconnected subnetworks

Previously, you opened and closed valves to move a neighborhood from one subnetwork to another. If you accidentally left a valve open that should have been closed, you would have created an error because two subnetworks with different names would have become interconnected. Next, you'll review and correct one of these errors elsewhere in the utility network.

Separate subnetworks becoming interconnected is a common challenge when customers migrate their data into a utility network from a system that didn't have a formal definition for elements like pressure zones and cathodic protection systems.

Identify a subnetwork error

Next, you'll review an error on a subnetwork controller. When you try to trace the subnetwork, multiple subnetwork controllers are found with different subnetwork names, indicating that two subnetworks have become interconnected.

1. Navigate to the Pressure reducing station bookmark.

   

   Pressure reducing stations always contain a subnetwork controller that regulates the pressure between a high pressure and low pressure zone. In this case, the two zones are water pressure subnetworks 5000 (highlighted in blue) and 5300 (highlighted in pink). You'll use the Modify Subnetwork Controller pane to determine which subnetwork the subnetwork controller belongs to.

2. On the ribbon, click the Utility Network tab. In the Subnetwork group, click Modify Controller.

   

3. On the map, click the pressure reducing valve (the green feature surrounded by the red box).

   

   The feature appears in the Modify Subnetwork Controller pane. The Subnetwork Name is listed as 5300, meaning that this feature is a subnetwork controller for subnetwork 5300, the pink pressure zone.

   

4. Close the Modify Subnetwork Controller pane.

   The red box around the pressure reducing valve is a dirty area. In the Contents pane, under Water Utility Network and Dirty Areas, a legend lists the types of dirty areas.

   

   The red box surrounding the pressure reducing valve is a subnetwork error.

5. Reopen the Find Subnetworks pane and click the Refresh button.

   The Status column shows that both subnetworks in the area are invalid, confirming the subnetwork error that is visible on the map.

   

6. On the map, click the subnetwork error feature. In the pop-up, find the Error(s) field.

   

   The following error is reported: 29: Inconsistent subnetwork name on multiple subnetwork controllers in the same subnetwork discovered during update subnetwork. This error occurred the last time an update was attempted on the subnetwork, because multiple subnetwork controllers were found to be traversable to one another, but they did not have the same subnetwork name.

7. Close the pop-up.
8. In the Find Subnetworks pane, right-click 5300 and choose Trace Subnetwork.

   The following error message appears: Invalid subnetwork connectivity, multiple subnetwork controllers with different subnetwork names found. This message is similar to the error that you saw in the pop-up, but it also includes the subnetwork names that have caused the error: 5000 and 5300.

   

   This error is probably caused by the two subnetworks being improperly connected to one another. To correct it, you'll find the place where they are connected and separate them. You'll find this location using a shortest path trace.

9. Close the Trace Subnetwork error window.

Perform a shortest path trace

A shortest path trace finds the shortest path between two points, so to begin, you need to place two starting locations: one in each subnetwork. You'll place the starting locations on either side of the pressure reducing valve that has the subnetwork error. You'll run the trace to find the location where the two pressure subnetworks are improperly connected.

1. On the ribbon, click the Utility Network tab. In the Tools group, click the lower half of the Trace Locations button and choose Starting Points.

   

2. On the map, click to add two starting points, one on either side of the pressure reducing valve, between it and the two system valves.

   

3. Close the Trace Locations pane.
4. On the ribbon, in the Tools group, click Connected.

   

   The Geoprocessing pane appears, open to the Trace tool, configured for a connected trace. It doesn't matter which trace type you chose from the Tools gallery, because you'll use a custom trace configuration instead.

5. Check Use Trace Configuration.

   

   The pane updates to show fewer parameters.

   Named trace configurations are custom traces that have been pre-configured by your GIS administrator to solve particular problems, such as an isolation trace to identify customers affected by maintenance. In this case, there is only one trace configuration available, which will trace the pressure system to find the shortest path between two points.

6. For Trace Configuration Name, choose Shortest Path (Pressure Zone).

   

7. Click Run.
8. Click the Zoom to selected features button.

   The selected features represent the shortest path between the two starting points.

   

   The pink and blue pressure zones should not be connected, but the results of the trace show that they are.

9. On the map, zoom to the location where the two pressure zones meet, just north of the railway line visible on the basemap.

   

10. Right-click anywhere on the map and choose Clear.

    Tip:

    If no context menu appears when you right-click the map, close the Trace Locations pane.

11. In the Contents pane, uncheck the box next to Water Line to turn off the layer.

    The meeting point between the two pressure zones is now easier to see.

    

    It seems likely that system valve 1032—the feature connecting the pink and the blue lines—is closed in the field, preventing water from flowing between the two pressure zones. If so, it should also be closed in the model.

Separate connected subnetworks

You contacted one of the engineers and they were able to confirm that system valve 1032 is closed in the field. You'll edit the feature to mark it as closed in the model and update the two subnetworks that are affected by this change.

1. Right-click anywhere on the map and choose Select Features. On the map, click system valve 1032 to select it.

   

2. Reopen the Attributes pane. Change the Valve Status value to Closed and apply the changes.

   The Normal Status value is already set to Closed.

   

3. Close the Attributes pane.
4. On the map, zoom to the selected feature to ensure a dirty area has appeared.

   

5. Turn the Water Line layer back on.

   You need to validate the topology to clean this dirty area, but also resolve the subnetwork error on the pressure reducing valve. You'll validate the entire extent of the map at once.

6. On the ribbon, on the Utility Network tab, in the Network Topology group, click the lower half of the Validate button and choose Entire extent.

   

7. Save your edits and clear the selection.
8. Reopen the Find Subnetworks pane and click the Refresh button.

   Subnetworks 5000 and 5300 are now both shown as dirty instead of invalid.

   

9. Right-click each subnetwork and choose Update subnetwork.

   The icons disappear from the Status column.

   

   The two subnetworks are now clean and separated from one another.

Two water pressure subnetworks were interconnected, causing a subnetwork error. You resolved the error by performing a shortest path trace between points on either side of the error and locating the connection point. You closed the valve that was allowing the two subnetworks to connect. Now that you've corrected the issue, both subnetworks can be used for tracing and analysis.

Update a subnetwork definition

Earlier in this tutorial, you used the utility network to track changes in your data and respond to them. Next, you'll respond to changes in your data model. A new type of equipment has been added to your data model. It triggers a subnetwork error because it hasn't yet been configured to participate in any subnetworks. You'll use your administrative privileges to resolve the error.

Identify a subnetwork error

A supply interconnect is a type of water device that was recently added to your model to represent locations where the water supply in your system is connected with another water system managed by an external agency. You'll investigate the location of one of these new features to see if it is behaving as expected.

1. Navigate to the Supply interconnect bookmark.

   The map zooms to the southeast corner of the network. The supply interconnect device is the green point feature on top of a green polygon.

2. Click the supply interconnect feature.

   

   Scroll to the bottom of the pop-up. Under Rules, expand the Container and Junction Edge sections.

   

   The pop-up shows that an administrator has already added three rules for the new device type. These rules allow supply interconnect features to connect to water main lines (such as the blue line visible on the map) and be contained within water supply boundaries (such as the green polygon).

   If these rules weren't present, topology errors—visible as hatched purple dirty area features—would be caused when the supply interconnect was created.

3. Close the pop-up.
4. In the Find Subnetworks pane, click the Refresh button.

   The list filters to only one subnetwork: 5200. Its status is dirty.

   

5. Right-click 5200 and choose Update Subnetwork.

   The update fails. An error window appears with the message Invalid device feature discovered.

   

   In the Find Subnetworks pane, the Status column shows that the subnetwork is invalid.

6. Close the Update Subnetwork error window.

   A red subnetwork error feature surrounds the supply interconnect feature.

7. Click the red subnetwork error feature to view its pop-up.

   In the pop-up, the Error(s) field contains a message similar to the one you read earlier: Invalid device feature was discovered during updating subnetwork.

   

   The error tells you that this device type isn't allowed to exist in this subnetwork type. An administrator assigned new rules for the new device type, preventing topology errors, but it seems that they haven't yet configured it to be a valid device in water pressure subnetworks.

Modify a subnetwork definition

Next, you'll configure water pressure subnetworks to allow supply interconnect devices.

1. Close the pop-up.

   To make changes to a subnetwork definition, you first must disable the topology.

   Note:

   To learn which tasks require the topology to be disabled, and other restrictions for making changes to a utility network, see Utility network management tasks.

2. Reopen the Geoprocessing pane and click the Back button until the search bar appears.

   Tip:

   If you can't find the Geoprocessing pane, on the ribbon, click the Analysis tab. In the Geoprocessing group, click Tools.

3. Search for and open the Disable Network Topology (Utility Network Tools) tool.

   

4. For Input Utility Network, choose Water Utility Network.

   

5. Click Run.

   The entire extent of the utility network is covered in a solid purple dirty area feature, which indicates that the topology is disabled.

   

   Now that the topology is disabled, you can modify the subnetwork definition.

6. In the Geoprocessing pane, click the Back button. Search for and open the Set Subnetwork Definition tool.
7. For Input Utility Network, choose Water Utility Network. For Domain Network, choose Water.

   You received the error on a water pressure subnetwork, so you'll choose the water pressure tier.

8. For Tier Name, choose Water Pressure.

   

9. Expand the Valid Features and Objects section. Scroll to the bottom of the Valid Devices list.
10. At the end of the list, click the empty menu item and choose Supply/Interconnect to add it to the list.

    

11. Click Run.

    Because water is a hierarchical network you also need to consider if this device should be considered valid in other tiers as well. However, for the purposes of this tutorial, supply interconnect has already been added as a valid device for the water system, water isolation, and water cathodic protection tiers.

12. In the Geoprocessing pane, click the Back button. Search for and open the Enable Network Topology (Utility Network Tools) tool.
13. For Input Utility Network, choose Water Utility Network.

    

14. Click Run.

    The purple dirty area disappears from the map. The utility network is once again in a usable state where you can trace and manage subnetworks.

15. Close the Geoprocessing pane.
16. In the Find Subnetworks pane, right-click 5200 and choose Update Subnetwork.

    This time, the update process completes successfully. The red subnetwork error feature disappears from the map. You'll verify the update by looking at the feature's pop-up.

17. On the map, click the supply interconnect feature.

    The Pressure Subnetwork Name value is 5200.

    

Supply interconnect devices are new to your data model. One of these devices triggered a subnetwork error because it was not a valid device type in water pressure subnetworks. You resolved the error by disabling the topology, modifying the subnetwork definition, enabling the topology, and updating the subnetwork.

In this tutorial, you saw how subnetworks become dirty when they are edited and validated. You encountered and resolved three subnetwork issues: you moved a neighborhood from one subnetwork to another, you separated two improperly connected subnetworks, and you modified a subnetwork definition to allow for a new valid device type.

Now that you're more familiar with editing and validating subnetworks, continue your learning journey with the next tutorial in this series: Perform quality assurance on subnetworks. To learn about subnetworks in other industries, such as electric or gas, you can find more resources in the Managing Subnetworks with ArcGIS Utility Network tutorial series.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.

Acknowledgements

• Map data used with permission from the City of Naperville.
• Light Gray Canvas map sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community