ArcGIS client and enterprise geodatabase compatibility depends on the ArcGIS and database releases used. When your ArcGIS client and geodatabase versions do not match, your database release must be supported for both the ArcGIS and geodatabase versions. See the Microsoft SQL Server database requirements for the ArcGIS client version you want to use. Also ensure that the database client you install on the ArcGIS client machine is supported for your chosen ArcGIS and SQL Server versions.
You do not have to keep your geodatabase and ArcGIS clients at the same release, but it is recommended that you do so. Geodatabases and client software are designed to work together, and if you let one get too many releases away from the other, you risk encountering problems or unexpected behavior.
This is especially true when you use a mix of client versions at your site. A newer client can create newer dataset types in the geodatabase that older clients cannot access. For enterprise geodatabases, waiting too long between geodatabase upgrades may mean you have to upgrade the underlying database more than once before you can upgrade the geodatabase.
The geodatabase version for an enterprise geodatabase is stored in a system table. It indicates what client version you used to create or upgrade the geodatabase. For example, if you create an enterprise geodatabase from ArcMap 10.6.1, the geodatabase version is 10.6.1. If you subsequently upgrade the same geodatabase using ArcGIS Pro 2.6, the geodatabase version is 10.8.1.2.6. Be aware that this geodatabase version is primarily used by Esri Support to troubleshoot issues; it does not entirely reflect the functionality available to you, as a lot of geodatabase functionality is implemented in the clients that access the geodatabase and not in the geodatabase itself.
Rules for mixed-release connections
The following rules apply for compatibility:
- Use supported versions of ArcGIS for your clients and geodatabase.
- You must store your enterprise geodatabase in a SQL Server release that is supported for both the geodatabase and ArcGIS release you use. The database client you install on the ArcGIS client machine must also be supported for your ArcGIS release. See ArcGIS requirements for Microsoft SQL Server for more information on supported database and database client releases. Use the Other versions drop-down list to see information for older software releases and other operating systems.
- ArcGIS clients also include the API for that client. Therefore, the same mixed release rules apply when accessing the geodatabase using API.
- When you use clients that connect to an ArcGIS Server service, such as ArcGIS Collector or ArcGIS Survey123, ArcGIS Server is actually the client to the geodatabase. For these cases, make sure your ArcGIS Server and geodatabase versions are compatible.
- If your organization uses a mix of ArcGIS 10.5 and older ArcGIS clients with a 10.5 or newer release geodatabase, the older clients will not be able to open datasets created with ArcGIS 10.5 or newer clients. If you need to keep the older ArcGIS clients, be sure all new datasets are created or loaded using the older ArcGIS client.
- To connect from a newer ArcGIS client to an older release enterprise geodatabase, apply the latest patch to the geodatabase for its release if one exists.
- Older ArcGIS clients can open, query, edit, and save data in
newer release geodatabases, but they cannot open datasets that participate in newer functionality. You will encounter the following error messages when
you try to access a newer type of dataset from an older ArcGIS client:
The version of the Geodatabase client is incompatible with the dataset and cannot open it.
Failed to add data, unsupported data type.
- If you use geodatabase replication, the child replica geodatabase must be the same geodatabase release as or a later release than the parent replica geodatabase. See Replication and geodatabase releases for more information.
- You cannot use ArcMap to access datasets that participate in functionality that is specific to ArcGIS Pro. For example, you cannot access branch-versioned datasets, utility networks, or datasets with attribute rules from ArcMap.
- If you upgrade your geodatabase and use the Upgrade Dataset geoprocessing tool to upgrade specific datasets, you may not be able to open the dataset from ArcMap.