Replication and geodatabase releases

This topic applies to ArcGIS for Desktop Standard and ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced only.

Geodatabases built using previous versions of ArcGIS do not support some of the newer functions of ArcGIS. Consequently, if your organization has geodatabases at different releases, consider the following when creating replicas:

For all replication types, the child replica geodatabase must be the same geodatabase release as or a later release than the parent replica geodatabase. For example:

• You can create a replica using 9.2 geodatabases to host both the parent and child replicas.
• You can use a 9.3 geodatabase for the parent and a 10 geodatabase to host the child.
• You cannot use a 9.3 or 10 geodatabase to host the parent if a 9.2 geodatabase is used to host the child. This is because later versions support data types and functionality that earlier versions do not.

If your child replica is in a later release geodatabase (for instance, your child replica is in a 10 geodatabase, but your parent replica is in a 9.3 geodatabase), be sure you do not add data or make any edits that introduce functionality to the child replica that is not supported in the parent replica's geodatabase.

There is one exception to these rules. If the parent replica's data is stored in high precision in a 9.2 or greater geodatabase, you cannot create a checkout replica using a low-precision 9.2 or greater geodatabase for the child.

Caution:

If you upgrade the parent replica's geodatabase, you also must upgrade the child replica's geodatabase before synchronizing. For example, consider the case where you create a checkout replica using a 9.2 geodatabase to host both the parent and the child. If you then upgrade the parent's geodatabase to 9.3, you must upgrade the child's geodatabase before synchronizing. If synchronizing using a delta file, you must upgrade the child's geodatabase and re-export the delta file.

Additional requirements for two-way and one-way replicas

Two-way and one-way replicas were introduced with ArcGIS 9.2 and require a 9.2 or later release geodatabase for both the parent and child replicas.

If you have ArcGIS 9.3 or ArcGIS 9.2 SP5, you can create two-way and one-way replicas as long as the geodatabases are 9.2 or later.

One-way replication to file and personal geodatabases was introduced at ArcGIS 9.3. Therefore, the child must be hosted in a 9.3 or later release geodatabase. Parent geodatabases can be 9.2, 9.3, or 10.

If you have ArcGIS 9.2 SP4 or earlier, you can only create two-way and one-way replicas with 9.2 geodatabases.