Using the tool 'Export Map Server Cache' crashes ArcGIS Desktop if the cache was created with a previous version of ArcGIS Server

Description

In some cases, using the 'Export Map Cache' tool results in ArcGIS Desktop crashing with no error message.

Cause

This can happen when the cache schema file (conf.xml) was created using a version of ArcGIS Server older than ArcGIS 10.

In these cases, some XML tags that exist in the newer versions of the conf.xml cache schema file do not exist in previous versions.

Workaround

1. Take a screen capture of the original cached map service properties using ArcGIS Desktop. These parameters are used later when generating a new cache schema file.
   
   If there is only one GIS Server, then it is best to change the map service's properties to use a different cache folder so that the existing cache tiles are not overwritten. Instructions for adding a new cache directory may be found here.
   
   

   Note:
   Note that a new virtual directory does not need to be created for this exercise.

   
   • Instructions for changing the service to use the new cache directory may be found here.
2. Once the new cache directory has been created and the service has been set to use it, open ArcGIS Desktop and run the Create Map Server Cache tool. Do not create the actual cache using the 'Manage Map Server Cache Tiles' tool. Use the parameters gathered from the screenshot taken in Step 1 above to populate the tool. Be sure that the number and levels of scales match properly, and set the storage type to be 'Exploded' (prior to ArcGIS 10, the only cache format was exploded). Also, uncheck the 'use local cache directory' option.
3. The Create Map Server Cache tool creates a file called 'conf.xml' under a folder with the same name as the map service under the directory created in Step 1 above. Browse to that directory, copy conf.xml, and replace the original conf.xml file that exists in the original cache directory.
4. Set the map service back to using the previous cache directory. If desired, delete the temporary cache directory using ArcCatalog or ArcGIS Server Manager.
   
   Restart the ArcGIS Server Object Manager service.
   
   Once these steps are completed, ArcGIS Server uses the new conf.xml file created for ArcGIS 10, and the Export Map Server Cache should work as expected.