ArcGIS Server, not able to "input layers" for cache, or preview map in ArcCatalog

In trying to make an ArcGIS server (9.3) caching service I was initially not seeing any option for the required "input layers" parameter in the cache manager (through service properties).

Afterwards I noticed that I was unable to preview the map service in ArcCatalog (though coordinates were visible at the bottom of that frame).

This issue was probably fixed by changing properties to include all arcgis server related accounts (used "everyone", just to make sure it was a permissions issue) as having read permissions for the individual shapefiles participating in the mxd I was trying to publish.

It may have also been fixed by not initially specifying a cache directory when creating the service through ArcCatalog, but probably not.

Arcmap geocoding error

Was getting the following error when trying to geocode, though I suspect it might come up whenever a feature class cannot be created which would have an invalid data table (dbf) associated with it:

Create Feature Class

There was an error trying to process this table.

Operation failed

Solution: Remove any unnecessary fields from the table

Workflow: Access to Arcmap and Back

1. export as .xls (with no formatting option)
   
2. open w/ excel 2003 or earlier. press ctrl + A twice, do column autofit
   
3. convert all double number fields to number w/ adequate number of sig digits (6 is good for decimal degrees)
4. export as dbf
5. import dbf to arcmap
6. when creating shp via geoprocessing/etc name 6 chars/less and no special chars
7. close arcmap
8. import into access