The relationship between the master and user-schema geodatabases in Oracle

Geodatabases you create in the schema of a user other than the sde user in Oracle are not entirely self-contained; there is some functionality, such as the ArcSDE service or user-defined types, that are only in the master sde geodatabase. For that reason, you cannot treat geodatabases in users' schemas as their own entity, and the following rules apply:

• You cannot create a geodatabase in a user's schema that is a different release than the master sde geodatabase. For example, if your master geodatabase is 10.2, you cannot run the 10 setup and create a 10 geodatabase in a user's schema.
• You must upgrade the master sde geodatabase before you can upgrade a geodatabase in a user's schema.
• You can upgrade the master sde geodatabase without upgrading the geodatabases in other users' schemas, but you cannot upgrade a user's geodatabase without upgrading the master sde geodatabase.
• You cannot create a backup of only a user's schema and have a complete geodatabase; there are dependent objects, such as user-defined types, in the master sde geodatabase that must be part of the backup.
• If you use an ArcSDE service to connect, the ArcSDE service must be at the same release as the master sde geodatabase.
• You can use an ArcSDE service to connect to a user-schema geodatabase only if the user-schema geodatabase is the same release as the master sde geodatabase.

Based on these rules, the following release and connection scenarios are possible:

ArcGIS 9.3.x clients

When using a version 9.3.x client, connections for specific release geodatabases are as follows:

Master/user-schema geodatabase release	Direct connection or ArcSDE service	Direct connection only	No connection possible
9.3.x master sde geodatabase
9.3.x user-schema geodatabase in a 9.3.x master geodatabase
10.x master sde geodatabase
10.x user-schema geodatabase in a 10.x master geodatabase
9.3.x user-schema geodatabase in a 10.x master geodatabase		Possible from 9.3.1 SP1 or SP2 client

ArcGIS 10 clients

When using a version 10 client, connections for specific release geodatabases are as follows:

Master/User-schema geodatabase release	Direct connection or ArcSDE service	Direct connection only
9.3.x master sde geodatabase
9.3.x user-schema geodatabase in a 9.3.x master geodatabase
9.3.x user-schema geodatabase in a 10 master geodatabase
9.3.x user-schema geodatabase in a 10.1 master geodatabase
10.x master sde geodatabase
10.1 user-schema geodatabase in a 10.1 master geodatabase
10 user-schema geodatabase in a 10.1 master geodatabase
10 user-schema geodatabase in a 10 master geodatabase

ArcGIS 10.1 or 10.2 clients

When using a version 10.1 or 10.2 client, connections for specific release geodatabases are as follows:

Master/User-schema geodatabase release	Direct connection or ArcSDE service	Direct connection only
9.3.x master sde geodatabase
9.3.x user-schema geodatabase in a 9.3.x master geodatabase
9.3.x user-schema geodatabase in a 10.x master geodatabase
10.x master sde geodatabase
10 user-schema geodatabase in a 10 master geodatabase
10 user-schema geodatabase in a 10.1 or 10.2 master geodatabase
10.1 user-schema geodatabase in a 10.2 master geodatabase
10.2 user-schema geodatabase in a 10.2 master geodatabase