What version of SDE, and what is SDESVR_REL_LOW?

[Arne_Gelfert]

What's the quickest way to determine what version of ArcSDE is installed and running? I've found a few suggestions for how to get this info but some additional clarification would be helpful.

Method 1

Check the version sde_table (not to be confused with sde_versions table) using your RDBMS client of choice (SQL Server/SSMS for me)...(Way to find version of SDE )

SELECT *
FROM [MyDB].[dbo].[SDE_version]

MAJOR    MINOR     BUGFIX       DESCRIPTION  RELEASE       SDESVR_REL_LOW
10       5         1            10.5.1       Geodatabase   105010 93001

Okay, I was expecting to get a version somewhere near or around 10.5. So that seems to make sense. But what's with the SDESVR_REL_LOW?

Apparently, the 93001 is "the lowest release number of server allowed to run on this instance". Is this a reference to ArcGIS Server? (System tables of a geodatabase in SQL Server—Help | ArcGIS Desktop )

Method 2

When I try to get information using arcpy, I get the below output - no mention of 10.5.1 but 3.0.0 instead? I understand the 'Current Release' to indicate that I'm not current since I'm not on 10.6.

import arcpy
connfile = r'<path_to_connectionfile>'

print("Release: ", arcpy.Describe(connfile).release)
print("Current Release: ", arcpy.Describe(connfile).currentRelease)

>>>Release: 3,0,0
>>>Current Release: False

Finally when I try to get information inside ArcCatalog (Right-click the database connection in the Catalog tree and click Properties > General Tab...) (FAQ: How do you determine the version of an enterprise (ArcSDE) geodatabase in Catalog? | Esri Austr... )

I also get 10.5.1.

So long story short, can someone explain to me the significance of 93001 (9.3.0.0.1?) or 3.0.0?

[George_Thompson]

I do not think that field in the table is important outside of an ArcGIS client. In all my time as an Enterprise Geodata analyst do not think that we worried about that field. It may be a legacy field from the "old" days.

[JoshuaBixby]

Have you read Example: Finding the geodatabase release using SQL—Help | ArcGIS Desktop ?  At least one of your questions is answered directly:

Release numbers are stored as major, minor, and bug fix versions. The major version corresponds to the major release of the geodatabase. ArcGIS 8 was the first release to include ArcGIS geodatabase functionality; therefore, ArcGIS 8 corresponds to major version 1. ArcGIS 9 corresponds to major version 2, and ArcGIS 10 corresponds to major version 3.

[Arne_Gelfert]

Thanks, Joshua, foe being a better sleuth than myself. That explains it.

[ThomasKonzel]

These answers left me with more questions. 

I would like to know what the purpose for having the SDESVR_REL_LOW entry in the GDB version table.  I would assume it does what its name implies - the current GDB structure is compatible with versions down to 9.3.  My questions are,

• Does this SDESVR_REL_LOW value change when we upgrade our GDB from 10.5.1 to 10.8.1 or with the inclusion or with ArcGIS Pro? 
• Is there a difference between Create Enterprise Geodatabase when using Desktop or Pro Catalog?...are the GDB's created by either still compatible with the other?

[George_Thompson]

The SDESVR_REL_LOW will not update, but the RELEASE field will. See this example where I created the EGDB at 10.6.1 and is now at 10.8.1.

There is no difference (as far as I know) between Pro and Catalog at this point with that tool. As you can see in the above screenshot, that the Geodatabase is at Pro 2.6 / ArcMap 10.8.1. If you use that tool it will make the Enterprise Geodatabase compatible for both desktop clients.

Hope that provides some clarity.