An overview of automation in ArcGIS Image Server

Image Service Editor and Image Server Manager are graphical user interfaces that enable you to create, compile, and publish image services. The different clients provide you with user interface to view and extract imagery from the image services.

In some installations, partially- or fully-automated workflows are required, such that when new imagery is acquired a new image service can be created or an existing image service can be updated without the use of any graphical user interface. ArcGIS Image Server provides three methods to automate such workflows.

ISCommand is a command line program that can be used to call the tasks performed by the Image Service Editor, Image Server Manager,  and clients. These tasks include adding rasters, building, compiling, log extraction, file comparison, get image, generating overviews, etc.
Auto-synchronization enables image services to be published automatically by adding them to the service provider Extensible Markup Language (XML) configuration file and enables image services to auto-synchronize when a compiled service definition is updated.
Console client provides a command line interface to extract imagery from ArcGIS Image Server and output standard image formats. For more information about the Console Client, see Working with the Console Client in the ArcGIS Image Server Manager Help.