Product Compatibility Matrix for Clients and Servers of ArcSDE technology in ArcGIS Server

ESRI products work with each other, but in order to ensure compatibility the correct versions of products need to be installed. The matrix below shows the versions of ArcSDE technology in ArcGIS Server that work with various ESRI products that are client applications to ArcSDE geodatabases.

Some products listed may no longer be officially supported by ESRI. You can check the product support status on the Product Life Cycles page. Several retired versions have been removed from this matrix. You can view the Archived Compatibility Matrix for older versions of ArcSDE technology.

ArcSDE Client/Server Compatibility

The general compatibility rules for ArcSDE geodatabases and client applications are as follows in the matrix below. There are exceptions to these rules so be sure to look at the matrix and notes below it.

Newer client applications can make application server connections to and use older versions of ArcSDE geodatabases as long as the new client does not try to use new functionality the older geodatabase would not understand. For example, ArcGIS 9.3 can connect to and use ArcSDE 9.1 geodatabases.
Older client applications are not supported with newer versions of ArcSDE geodatabases (see exception for ArcGIS 9.2 below). For example, ArcGIS 9.1 cannot connect to and use ArcSDE 9.3 geodatabases.
For ArcGIS 9.1, direct connect configurations are limited to the same release client application and ArcSDE geodatabase. For example, ArcGIS 9.1 can only make direct connects to ArcSDE 9.1 geodatabases.
ArcGIS 9.2 with Service Pack 5 (or higher) can make direct connects to ArcSDE 9.3 and 9.3.1 geodatabases. Additional direct connect driver installations are required for ArcSDE 9.3 and 9.3.1.
ArcGIS 9.3 and 9.3.1 can make direct connects to ArcSDE 9.2 and 9.1 geodatabases.

ArcSDE Client/Server Product Matrix
Find your product/s version/s along the left hand side of the table and then cross to your right to reach the appropriate ArcSDE technology version. For more information on supported databases or platforms for any of these products, visit their pages (linked from their name). You can view the matrix for older versions of ArcSDE technology.

ArcSDE client applications	Version	ArcSDE 9.1	ArcSDE 9.2	ArcSDE 9.3	ArcSDE 9.3.1
ArcExplorer - Java Edition	9.1
	9.2
	9.3
	9.3.1
ArcGIS Desktop	9.1
	9.2	¹		²	²
	9.3	^{1, 3}	³
	9.3.1	^{1, 3}	³
ArcGIS Engine Runtime	9.1
	9.2	¹		²	²
	9.3	^{1, 3}	³
	9.3.1	^{1, 3}	³
ArcGIS Explorer	350 to 450	⁴	⁴
	480, 500	⁵	⁵	⁵	⁵
	900	⁵	⁵	^{5, 6}	^{5, 6}
ArcGIS Image Server	9.2
	9.3
	9.3.1
ArcGIS Mobile	9.2
	9.3	⁷	7
	9.3.1	7	7
ArcGIS Server	9.1
	9.2	⁸		²	²
	9.3	⁸
	9.3.1	⁸
ArcIMS	9.1	⁹
	9.2	⁹	⁹	^{2, 9}	^{2, 9}
	9.3	⁹	⁹	¹⁰	¹⁰
	9.3.1	⁹	⁹	¹⁰	¹⁰
ArcPad	7, 7.0.1	¹¹	¹¹	¹¹	¹¹
	7.1, 7.1.1	¹¹	¹¹	¹¹	¹¹
	8.0	¹¹	¹²	¹²	¹²
ArcView GIS	3.3	¹³
MapObjects - Java	2.3
MapObjects - Windows	2.4		¹⁴
		ArcSDE 9.1	ArcSDE 9.2	ArcSDE 9.3	ArcSDE 9.3.1

Key: - Fully supported
- Fully supported with services
- Not Supported

Matrix Notes

Pre-9.2 geodatabases do not support the new functions of ArcSDE 9.2 geodatabases such as: non-versioned editing, geodatabase replication, and historical archiving. Users with pre-9.2 geodatabases must upgrade their geodatabases and datasets to high precision spatial references to be able to fully use the functionality found in ArcGIS 9.2.
Direct connections from ArcGIS 9.2 with Service Pack 5 (or higher) clients to the following ArcSDE geodatabases are not supported:
- ArcSDE 9.3 and 9.3.1 for Oracle® 11g
- ArcSDE 9.3 and 9.3.1 for Informix®
- ArcSDE 9.3 and 9.3.1 for PostgreSQL
- ArcSDE 9.3 and 9.3.1 for IBM® DB2® z/OS
Pre-9.3 geodatabases do not support the new and improved functions of ArcGIS 9.3 geodatabases such as: terrains with the window size pyramid option and network datasets with 2 new evaluators. Users with pre-9.3 geodatabases must upgrade their geodatabases to be able to fully use the functionality found in ArcGIS 9.3.
ArcGIS Explorer does not directly connect to an ArcSDE geodatabase. It can use ArcGIS Server services that are based on ArcSDE geodatabase data.
ArcGIS Explorer 480 and later releases support application server connections to enterprise ArcSDE geodatabases.
ArcGIS Explorer 900 supports direct connections to ArcSDE geodatabases.
For ArcGIS Mobile compatibility, the mobile service and the mobile client must be the same release version.
ArcGIS Server geodata services are not available with pre-9.2 ArcSDE geodatabases.
The ArcIMS Metadata Service is only supported for enterprise ArcSDE geodatabases for DB2, Oracle, and SQL Server. Metadata Server requires that both ArcIMS and the ArcSDE geodatabase be at the same version (for example, ArcIMS 9.2 with ArcSDE 9.2).
The ArcIMS Metadata Service is supported for enterprise ArcSDE geodatabases on DB2, Informix, Oracle, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. Metadata Server requires that both ArcIMS and the ArcSDE geodatabase be at the same version (for example, ArcIMS 9.3 with ArcSDE 9.3).
ArcPad does not directly connect to an ArcSDE geodatabase. It can use ArcIMS services that are based on ArcSDE geodatabase data or data extracted using the ArcPad Data Manager extension.
ArcPad 8.0 field edits can be synchronized directly with ArcGIS Server. ArcGIS Server Advanced Enterprise (all editions) is required for ArcPad 8.0 to directly connect to an ArcSDE geodatabase.
DBAccess v2.1g extension required. Available on the ArcSDE SDK CD. Please note that Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP are the only client platforms supported.
MapObjects - Windows 2.4 Service Pack required.

ArcGIS Server Compatibility

For ArcGIS Server .NET:

Web applications built at version 9.2 will not automatically work in 9.3/9.3.1 because of underlying software enhancements incorporated into ArcGIS Server 9.3/9.3.1. You will need to migrate your 9.2 Web applications to 9.3/9.3.1, including those applications created with ArcGIS Server Manager. After installing 9.3/9.3.1, when you navigate to the Web Applications page in ArcGIS Server Manager you will be prompted to migrate all of your Web applications. This migration step is required for the Web applications to run at 9.3/9.3.1. Simply click OK to migrate your Web applications.

Although your migrated applications now run in 9.3/9.3.1, ArcGIS Server Manager will not be able to edit them in their current form. The Web Mapping Application itself has undergone changes at 9.3/9.3.1 - all of the same pieces are there, but they have been rearranged to improve the user experience. To enable ArcGIS Server Manager to edit a migrated Web application, you need to upgrade the Web application to adopt the 9.3/9.3.1 look and feel. This is done by simply editing the Web application in ArcGIS Server Manager (by clicking the Edit button).

All capabilities that were available at 9.2 are available at 9.3/9.3.1. However, when you publish a map service at 9.3/9.3.1, the Keyhole Markup Language (KML) capability will be enabled by default in addition to the mapping capability. At 9.3/9.3.1, you have new options for retrieving and generating KML from your services.

Map and globe caches that you created for your services at 9.2 will continue to work in 9.3/9.3.1. Workflows for creating and updating caches have changed at 9.3/9.3.1, especially for map caches.

More detailed information for migrating from 9.2 to 9.3.
More detailed information for migrating from 9.2 to 9.3.1.

For ArcGIS Server Java:

An existing 9.2 Java application will continue to work at 9.3/9.3.1. Applications that were generated in ArcGIS Server Manager at 9.2 and are still visible in 9.3/9.3.1 can be "migrated" to 9.3/9.3.1 by clicking on the Web application to edit it, saving it, then re-deploying it.

Compatibility matrix for older versions

For compability of older versions of ArcSDE technology, please refer to the Archived Compatibility Matrix.