License Manager 10.6 on a Server Hosting ArcGIS Server 10.4.1

Question

My organization has a server that hosts ArcGIS Server and License Manager at both version 10.4.1.  Most of the client machines at our organization run Desktop at version 10.5 with no problem, even connecting with the 10.4.1 License Manager.  To throw a monkey-wrench in our current setup, we recently learned from one of our vendors that we need to have at least one Desktop machine running 10.6 for a specific set of tools to work with an enterprise system.

Would it be possible to upgrade the License Manager to version 10.6 on this box while keeping the ArcGIS Server version at 10.4.1.?

Some of you may ask: why not upgrade everything?  Ahh the problem lies with legacy systems; we eventually plan to upgrade the entire fleet, but limited funding, dealing with old systems, and being a relatively small operation prevent this from happening overnight.

se2539 · Answer

Thank you for the reply Andrew. I'll most likely log a support ticket, however, you response makes me feel a bit more comfortable with the upgrade.  We'll probably just upgrade to 10.6 for the moment and then per your advice, come up with and follow an update cycle on a regular basis.

AndrewWhitman1 · Answer

HI Scott,

First, I just want to say that I completely understand how confusing and muddy this is from a change management perspective. It is a lot to manage and it isn't always crystal clear when versions change and such. Hopefully I can clarify this and help you get what you need to be successful.

I checked and the latest is 2019.2 currently. You are correct that the authorizations numbers change after 10.5, but that will still be true whether you upgrade License Manager or not. What that means is that these new licenses need to be loaded into the ArcGIS License Manager in order to be made available to the clients you are authorizing. If you want, you can simply upgrade the License Manager to 10.6 and then wait for the next upgrade to make the leap to 2019.2.

You can update your License Manager at the same time you upgrade your ArcGIS Enterprise or ArcGIS Desktop software. Alternatively, you could update on a yearly basis. Its really up to you but ArcGIS License Manager should be the first in line to get updated.

The update may sound like an upheaval but unless you are changing the machine where it is installed, it should be relatively easy. If you chose to make the jump from 10.4.1 to 10.6, just load the installer, stop the licensing service, install 10.6 (it will detect and replace the 10.4.1 install), and then restart the license service and you are good to go. The same license you had before will be there but you will have the ability to add higher level licenses up to 10.6.

This documentation shows what that looks like. Even if you do not have live support at the time of the upgrade, I would still advocate for logging a support ticket if you need it. We want you to be successful and it always helps to have the resources available if needed.

se2539 · Answer

Hey Andrew,

Your response was helpful, but still a bit leery on some things.  I understand that running ArcGIS License Manager at a lower level than the Desktop installations could be problematic; I'm actually surprised our client machines at 10.5 run hitting the 10.4.1 License Manager.  Perhaps we found a glitch?

In any even, you are basically recommending that we upgrade to the latest version of ArcGIS License Manager, which at the moment is version 2019.1?  And then keeping up to date with the most current release?

One of the items that makes me a bit hesitant to jump on this upgrade is the authorization number differences for versions greater than 10.5 ... honestly, the process confuses me and I'm unclear on the workflow needed to upgrade.  As a result it makes me a bit hesitant to perform upgrades on the server side, especially since we have to perform these upgrades during the evening or on weekends when support is not directly available.

Note this link was another one I consulted, for those following this thread.