Compatibility when connecting directly from ArcGIS clients to geodatabases in SQL Server

Which ArcGIS client and enterprise geodatabase versions are compatible when connecting directly to the database depends on the releases being used. The following table summarizes which clients and geodatabases are interoperable when connecting directly to the database that contains the geodatabase:

	9.3.x geodatabase	10 geodatabase	10.1 geodatabase
9.3.x client
10 client	The underlying DBMS must be SQL Server 2005 or 2008.		The underlying DBMS must be SQL Server 2008 or 2008R2.
10.1 client	The underlying DBMS must be SQL Server 2008.	The underlying DBMS must be SQL Server 2008 or 2008R2.	The underlying DBMS must be SQL Server 2008 or later release.

Compatibility between client and geodatabase versions

Be aware that when you use clients that connect to an ArcGIS for Server service, such as ArcGIS for iOS or ArcPad, it is actually ArcGIS for Server that is the client to the geodatabase. For these cases, make sure your ArcGIS for Server and geodatabase versions are compatible.

Connecting from newer clients to older release geodatabases allows you to use the geodatabase without having to upgrade the geodatabase at the same time the clients are upgraded. It also allows you to have mixed-release client installations at your site. For example, if one department uses a custom application that has not been updated to work with 10.1, you can keep the geodatabase at the 9.3 release, keep this group of users on a 9.3 client release, and upgrade the clients for the rest of the agency. Be aware, though, that the 10.1 clients cannot use 10.1 functionality until the geodatabase has been upgraded to 10.1.

Rules for mixed-release connections

Keep the following in mind when deciding whether to use mixed-release connections:

• When you make a connection from a newer client to an older enterprise geodatabase, you only have access to functionality that is available for the release of your geodatabase. For example, you cannot connect from an ArcGIS 10 client to an ArcSDE 9.3 geodatabase and create a mosaic dataset because mosaic datasets were not implemented in 9.3 geodatabases. This also applies to C and Java API functionality; if the functionality does not exist in the version of the geodatabase to which you want to connect, you cannot use the newer C or Java API function.
• To connect from an ArcGIS client to a previous release enterprise geodatabase, the geodatabase has to be upgraded to the latest service pack or patch for its release. For example, if you want to connect from ArcGIS 10.1 for Desktop to a 9.3.1 enterprise geodatabase, you must apply the most recent 9.3.1 service pack or patch to the geodatabase.