You can access geodatabases using various ArcGIS client software. These include the following:
- ArcGIS Pro (supports connecting to file and enterprise geodatabases)
- ArcMap (including ArcCatalog, ArcGlobe, and ArcScene)
- ArcGIS Server services (support connecting to file, workgroup, and enterprise geodatabases)
Compatible releases
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.
The following table indicates which versions of ArcGIS client applications can connect to which versions of the geodatabase. It does not indicate what functionality is available.
| Client release | File geodatabase release | Workgroup or enterprise* geodatabase using DBMS client to connect | Enterprise geodatabase using an ArcSDE service connection |
|---|---|---|---|
10.3.x | 9.3.x, 10.x | 10, 10.1, 10.2.x, 10.3.x, 10.4.x You can connect to 9.3 and 9.3.1 geodatabases to upgrade them. | 10, 10.1, 10.2.x |
10.4.x | 10.x | 10.1, 10.2.x, 10.3.x, 10.4.x, 10.5.x | 10.1, 10.2.x |
10.5.x | 10.x | 10.1, 10.2.x, 10.3.x, 10.4.x, 10.5.x, 10.6.x | 10.1, 10.2.x |
10.6 | 10.x | 10.2.x, 10.3.x, 10.4.x, 10.5.x, 10.6.x, 10.7.x | 10.2.x |
10.6.1 | 10.x | 10.2.x, 10.3.x, 10.4.x, 10.5.x, 10.6.x, 10.7.x | None |
10.7.x | 10.x | 10.3.x, 10.4.x, 10.5.x, 10.6.x, 10.7.x, 10.8.x | None |
ArcGIS Pro 2.2 to 2.5 | 10.x | 10.3.x, 10.4.x, 10.5.x, 10.6.x, 10.7.x, 10.8.x (enterprise geodatabase only) | None |
*Specific versions supported for enterprise geodatabases may vary depending on the database you use to store the geodatabase. The database version must be supported for both the client and geodatabase version. For more information on supported database versions and client connections made to enterprise geodatabases, see the topics appropriate to your database management system:
- IBM Db2 database requirements for ArcGIS
- Compatibility between clients and geodatabases in Db2
- IBM Informix database requirements for ArcGIS
- Compatibility between clients and geodatabases in Informix
- Microsoft SQL Server database requirements for ArcGIS
- Compatibility between clients and geodatabases in SQL Server
- Oracle database requirements for ArcGIS
- Compatibility between clients and geodatabases in Oracle
- PostgreSQL database requirements for ArcGIS
- Compatibility between clients and geodatabases in PostgreSQL
- SAP HANA database requirements for ArcGIS
- Compatibility between clients and geodatabases in SAP HANA
Functionality available when using mixed client and geodatabase releases
You do not need to upgrade the geodatabase to the current release to take advantage of the following functionality:
- Python scripting with annotation and dimension feature classes
- Editor tracking on tables and feature classes
- Network datasets that include functionality for live traffic data, soft restrictions, preferred truck routes, and Python script evaluators
- Mosaic datasets that include improved generation of seamlines and footprints, support for more raster types, additional properties, and tools to analyze the mosaic dataset for known errors or limitations
While older ArcGIS clients can open, query, edit, and save data in newer release geodatabases, 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.
For information on using mixed releases with replication, see Replication and geodatabase releases.
When do you need to upgrade a geodatabase?
You should upgrade if either of the following is true:
- The client release you are using cannot connect to the geodatabase release you want to use. For enterprise geodatabases, the client release you're using may not be able to connect to the database management system version you're using, and you need to upgrade both the database and the geodatabase to connect from a newer client.
- You want to take advantage of functionality available in a newer release of the geodatabase.
For more information on geodatabase upgrades, see the upgrade topics appropriate to the type of geodatabase you are using:
File geodatabases | Upgrade a file or personal geodatabase |
Geodatabases in Db2 on Linux or Microsoft Windows | Upgrade a geodatabase in Db2 |
Geodatabases in Db2 on the z operating system | Upgrade a geodatabase in Db2 on z/OS |
Geodatabases in Informix | Upgrade a geodatabase in Informix |
Geodatabases in Oracle | Upgrade a geodatabase in Oracle |
Geodatabases in PostgreSQL | Upgrade a geodatabase in PostgreSQL |
Geodatabases in SAP HANA | Upgrade a geodatabase in SAP HANA |
Geodatabases in SQL Server | Upgrade a geodatabase in SQL Server |