This topic addresses common questions about the behavior of ArcGIS Server 10.9.1 when used with ArcGIS software components from earlier release versions.
ArcGIS Server 10.9.1 can be directly upgraded from versions 10.4 and later without being uninstalled. However, ArcGIS Server does offer some compatibility with previous versions of ArcGIS software components.
The last release version of ArcGIS Desktop (which includes ArcMap) is 10.8.1. Accordingly, there is no release of ArcGIS Desktop that matches the version of ArcGIS Server 10.9.1. It's recommended you use ArcGIS Pro with ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9 and later. However, some functionality is still supported between ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9 and earlier versions of ArcGIS Desktop, which is explained by this topic.
Learn more about migrating services from ArcGIS Desktop to ArcGIS Pro
The answers in this topic apply to ArcGIS software components at versions 10.4 and later. ArcGIS Pro uses a different version schedule than ArcGIS Enterprise; it's recommended that you keep ArcGIS Pro at its newest version.
Can I federate an ArcGIS Server site with a portal of a different version?
The elements of your ArcGIS Enterprise base deployment, including the hosting server, must all be at the same version as your portal. All ArcGIS GeoEvent Server sites, GeoAnalytics Server sites, and ArcGIS Image Server raster analytics sites must also match the portal's version.
However, you can federate some ArcGIS Server sites at version 10.5 or later with a portal of a more recent version. This applies to additional ArcGIS GIS Server sites beyond the hosting server and to any ArcGIS Image Server not designated for raster analytics.
An ArcGIS Server site cannot be federated with a portal from an earlier version than its own.
Can I connect to ArcGIS Server from ArcGIS Pro?
Yes, you can add a user connection from any version of ArcGIS Pro, to any currently supported version of ArcGIS Server.
Can I connect to ArcGIS Server 10.9.1 from ArcMap?
Yes, you can add a user connection or publisher connection from any currently supported version of ArcMap to any currently supported version of ArcGIS Server.
However, with the deprecation of publishing services from ArcGIS Desktop to ArcGIS Server 10.9.1, it's recommended that you do not publish new services from ArcGIS Desktop and that you begin migrating existing services to the ArcGIS Pro service runtime.
After the 10.9.x release cycle, adding publisher connections from ArcMap will not be supported.
Can I administer ArcGIS Server 10.9.1 using a ArcMap?
No, ArcGIS Server 10.9.1 cannot be administered using ArcMap. This is because the ability to administer ArcGIS Server from ArcMap required the two components be at the same release version. Consider using the ArcGIS Server Manager web app to administer your server site.
Can I publish a service to ArcGIS Server 10.9.1 from ArcGIS Desktop?
Generally, yes.
If you're publishing a geoprocessing service, the ArcGIS Desktop version must match ArcGIS Server.
Learn more about geoprocessing service compatibility
However, publishing GIS services from ArcGIS Desktop to ArcGIS Server 10.9.x is deprecated. After the 10.9.x release cycle, publishing services from ArcGIS Desktop won't be supported. It's recommended that you do not publish new services from ArcGIS Desktop and that you begin migrating existing services to the ArcGIS Pro service runtime.
Editing data store properties during publishing is considered an administrative process, which has compatibility limitations.
Can I configure a different version of ArcGIS Web Adaptor with ArcGIS Server?
No. To configure ArcGIS Web Adaptor with ArcGIS Server, both software components must be of the same version.
To upgrade ArcGIS Web Adaptor, you must uninstall the instance at the previous version, and install an instance at the new version. By specifying the same name as your previous Web Adaptor, you can guarantee your Web Adaptor URLs will remain identical after upgrading.
Can I reuse a cached map I created in an earlier version of ArcGIS Server?
Yes. Map caches from previous versions are immediately available after you upgrade.
Ensure your caches are using the compact cache storage format, which provides optimal performance when consuming cached map and image services. For details, see Compact caches.
Can I connect to geodatabases of an earlier version from ArcGIS Server?
Yes. See Client and geodatabase compatibility for a list of compatible versions.
Can I publish services to ArcGIS Server that contain data from geodatabases of an earlier version?
In most cases, the geodatabase version does not have to match the version of ArcGIS Server. For specific information on which geodatabase versions are supported with ArcGIS Server 10.9.1, see Client and geodatabase compatibility.
Do I need to upgrade my geodatabase to use it as the ArcGIS Server managed database?
Earlier geodatabase versions can be used as the managed database for an ArcGIS Server site. For specific information on which geodatabase versions are supported with ArcGIS Server 10.9.1, see Client and geodatabase compatibility.
Managed databases are enterprise geodatabases registered with ArcGIS Server sites to facilitate feature access in scenarios when you need data to be stored in a different location than the source location. To learn more, see Copy data when publishing to ArcGIS Server.
Note:
Feature services and WFS services published from ArcGIS Pro to a stand-alone server must reference data in an enterprise geodatabase, and cannot use a managed database.