{"id":989862,"date":"2021-06-23T08:25:25","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T15:25:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=989862"},"modified":"2021-06-23T08:24:14","modified_gmt":"2021-06-23T15:24:14","slug":"esri-compatibility-testing-to-reduce-it-risks","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis\/administration\/esri-compatibility-testing-to-reduce-it-risks","title":{"rendered":"Esri compatibility testing to reduce IT risks"},"author":5511,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[37501],"tags":[25891,756482,755812,39321,756492],"industry":[],"product":[421922],"class_list":["post-989862","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-administration","tag-arcgis","tag-compatibility","tag-esri-maintenance","tag-risk","tag-testing","product-arcgis"],"acf":{"short_description":"Learn how your IT organization can reduce risk to your mission through compatibility testing; a benefit of the Esri Maintenance Program.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Most of our users are aware that software testing occurs throughout Esri\u2019s development and release processes. One level of this testing that\u2019s especially important to GIS administrators and IT professionals is compatibility testing, which evaluates your software\u2019s compatibility with different environments. Esri performs forward and backward compatibility tests on operating systems, databases, browsers, and other system software (e.g. graphic drivers, web servers, mobile devices, etc).\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Esri’s compatibility testing reduces risk and saves time as you deploy Esri software. It is also a key benefit of the Esri Maintenance Program, which guarantees ArcGIS software compatibility by providing software updates that keep organizations current on leading-edge, tested ArcGIS technology. This blog post explains what compatibility testing is, how Esri approaches it, and how you can take advantage of it as an active user in the Esri Maintenance Program.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overview<\/h2>\n

For each new release of ArcGIS <\/span>software, web apps, APIs, and developer SDKs<\/span>,<\/span> there<\/span>\u2019s <\/span>a large amount of behind<\/span>–<\/span>the<\/span>–<\/span>scenes work that happens to make<\/span> sure<\/span> new versions <\/span>perform<\/span> well on a wide variety of <\/span>hardware, <\/span>operating systems, browsers, <\/span>databases, <\/span>and <\/span>more.<\/span> Accounting for <\/span>t<\/span>hese <\/span>variables <\/span>helps us continue to <\/span>provide <\/span>a great software experience for you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s more<\/span>, this <\/span>is not<\/span> just an <\/span>initiative <\/span>that <\/span>happens during new software development. There are ongoing efforts to ensure that the software <\/span>we have already <\/span>released<\/span>\u2014<\/span>the software you\u2019re using today<\/span>\u2014<\/span>continues working well in <\/span>our <\/span>fast-paced <\/span>tech <\/span>environments years after <\/span>it <\/span>was first created. When a new update comes out for an operating system<\/span> or database<\/span>, a new browser version is released, <\/span>or <\/span>new graphics drivers are made available, we want to make sure <\/span>th<\/span>at<\/span> ArcGIS Pro continues working, that ArcGIS Enterprise continues to connect to your database, that <\/span>your <\/span>new browser renders your complex 3D scene correctly, and that your new ruggedized Linux laptop runs that custom-build ArcGIS Runtime application just as well as previous<\/span>–<\/span>generation devices.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s IT environments change much more rapidly than those 10 years ago. <\/span>Like<\/span> clockwork,<\/span> Windows 11 and<\/span> Windows Server 2022 are top of mind. Likewise, patches for Windows 10 and previous versions of Windows Server are typically expected on every second Tuesday of each month. <\/span>Each<\/span> day can bring with it patches for your Linux servers. Even browsers update on a regular <\/span>four-to-eight<\/span>-week cycle with a myriad of continuous changes to the APIs that web apps rely on for advanced features.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Esri\u2019s commitment to you in this regard is codified in<\/span> the<\/span> Product Lifecycle Policy<\/span><\/a> and<\/span> is a big part of the value of <\/span>being <\/span>a<\/span> member <\/span>of the ArcGIS <\/span>user <\/span>community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Compatibility <\/span>testing <\/span>evaluates Esri\u2019s software compatibility within different environments<\/span> including<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n