Client and geodatabase compatibility
The geodatabases described in Types of geodatabases can be accessed by various Esri client software. These include the following:
- ArcGIS for Desktop
- ArcGIS Engine applications
- ArcGIS Runtime applications
- ArcGIS for Server applications and services
All these clients can use any type of geodatabase as source data.
Compatible releases
When new functionality is added to the geodatabase at a specific ArcGIS release, the geodatabase must be upgraded to take advantage of it. Upgrading the geodatabase may mean that older releases of the client application will not be able to connect to it. The following rules are used to govern how connections between different versions of ArcGIS clients and geodatabases operate:
- Current releases of ArcGIS clients can connect to and use previous releases of the geodatabase. For example, an ArcGIS 10.1 client can connect to and use a version 9.3 geodatabase.
However, you should be aware that functionality specific to the current release is not available when connecting to a previous release of the geodatabase. For example, if you connect from an ArcGIS 10.1 client to an ArcGIS 9.3 geodatabase, you only have access to functionality available at ArcGIS 9.3.
- ArcGIS 10 can open and edit a 10.1 geodatabase. Be aware, though, that the ArcGIS 10 client will not have access to 10.1 functionality and will not be able to edit data, such as network datasets or mosaic datasets, that are using 10.1 functionality.
- Your ArcGIS 10 clients should be patched to at least service pack 2 if you will be connecting to a 10.1 geodatabase.
The following table indicates which version of the client applications listed at the beginning of this topic can be used with which versions of the geodatabase:
|
Client release |
Personal geodatabase release |
File geodatabase release |
ArcSDE geodatabase using a direct connection |
ArcSDE geodatabase using an ArcSDE service connection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
9.2 |
9, 9.1, 9.2 |
9.2 |
9.2 |
9, 9.1, 9.2 |
|
9.2 SP5 or SP6 |
9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 |
9.2, 9.3 |
9.2 (if client has ArcGIS 9.3.1 or GDB Direct Connect for 9.2 Clients* installed, can connect to 9.3.x) |
9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 |
|
9.3 |
9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 |
9.2, 9.3 |
9.3 (if client has pre-9.3 geodatabase direct-connect files** installed, can connect to 9, 9.1, and 9.2) |
9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 |
|
10 |
9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 10, 10.1 |
9.2, 9.3, 10, 10.1 |
9.2, 9.3, 10, 10.1 |
9.2, 9.3, 10, 10.1 |
10.1 | 9.2, 9.3, 10, 10.1 | 9.2, 9.3, 10, 10.1 | 9.3, 10, 10.1 | 9.3, 10, 10.1 |
*ArcGIS 9.3.1 GDB Direct Connect for 9.2 Clients drivers are an optional separate installation that can be downloaded from the ArcGIS Resource Center.
**Pre-9.3 direct connect drivers are an optional separate installation available on the client installation media.
When you make a connection between releases—for example, if you connect from ArcGIS for Desktop 10.1 to an ArcSDE 9.3 geodatabase—the functionality available to you is limited by the lowest release number. In this example, you would not have access to functionality available in 10.1 since the geodatabase is still at the 9.3 release. Similarly, though ArcGIS 10 clients can open, query, edit, and save data in 10.1 geodatabases, they cannot open datasets with 10.1 functionality. For example, you cannot access file geodatabases that were compressed using ArcGIS 10.1, the editor tracking fields in 10.1 feature classes will not be populated when connecting or editing from 10 clients, and you cannot use 10.1 network dataset or mosaic dataset functionality.
For more information on client connections made to enterprise geodatabases, see the topic appropriate to your DBMS:
When do you need to upgrade a geodatabase?
In many cases, upgrading the geodatabase is optional. You would want to upgrade, though, if either of the following is true:
- The client release you are using cannot connect to the geodatabase release you want to use.
- You want to take advantage of functionality available in a newer release of the geodatabase.
To learn how to upgrade a file or personal geodatabase, see Upgrading file and personal geodatabases.
To learn how to upgrade an ArcSDE geodatabase in SQL Server Express, see Upgrading geodatabases on database servers.
For information on upgrading enterprise geodatabases, see the topic appropriate for your DBMS:
Why wouldn't you upgrade a geodatabase?
There may be situations in which you are unable to upgrade your geodatabase. If your organization has clients who must remain at previous releases of ArcGIS, you will have to wait until the clients can be upgraded to a compatible release before you upgrade the geodatabase.
For example, before upgrading your geodatabase to 10.1, be sure that all clients are updated to at least ArcGIS 10 so they can connect to the geodatabase. If all clients cannot be upgraded, you need to decide whether it is the appropriate time to upgrade your geodatabase.