The following sections describe the concepts of compatibility and interoperability as they pertain to MicroStrategy products:

• Important Interoperability Notes
• Important Compatibility Notes
  • Compatibility Scenarios
• Definition of Terms

For additional best practices on compatibility and interoperability, as it relates upgrading a MicroStrategy system, see the MicroStrategy Upgrade Guide.

Important interoperability notes

The following provides an overview of several important interoperability considerations:

• New clients with older Intelligence Servers: Connecting MicroStrategy products to an earlier version of MicroStrategy Intelligence Sever is not supported. For example, MicroStrategy does not recommend or guarantee support for connecting MicroStrategy Web 9.2.1 to pre-9.2.1 MicroStrategy Intelligence Server.
  
  The exception to this rule is MicroStrategy Mobile clients. For detailed information on MicroStrategy Mobile interoperability, see MicroStrategy Mobile Compatibility and Interoperability.
  
  
• New Intelligence Servers with older clients: Connecting earlier versions of MicroStrategy products to the most recent version of MicroStrategy Intelligence Server is supported in certain scenarios. Supported interoperability scenarios are described below. However, be aware that earlier versions of MicroStrategy products will not be able to take advantage of the new functionality offered by the most recent version of MicroStrategy Intelligence Server.

MicroStrategy Analytics Enterprise interoperability is described below:

• MicroStrategy Analytics Enterprise is interoperable with MicroStrategy 9.4, 9.3.1, 9.3.0, 9.2.1m, 9.2.1, 9.2.0, and 9.0.2 products. For example, MicroStrategy Web 9.0.2 can connect to MicroStrategy Intelligence Server Analytics Enterprise. Refer to the Readmes for each MicroStrategy product for any product-specific interoperability information.
• MicroStrategy Analytics Enterprise is not interoperable with pre-9.0.2 MicroStrategy products. This is due to the new features and major architectural extensions introduced in recent MicroStrategy versions. For example, MicroStrategy Web 9.0.0 should not be connected to MicroStrategy Intelligence Server 9.2.1m for production purposes, as this is not a supported configuration.
• MicroStrategy 9.0.x products can be upgraded directly to MicroStrategy Analytics Enterprise.
• All pre-9.0.0 MicroStrategy products must be uninstalled prior to upgrading to MicroStrategy Analytics Enterprise. After this is complete, you can install the Analytics Enterprise version of MicroStrategy products.

MicroStrategy Integrity Manager is a product that is meant to be run against current and earlier versions of MicroStrategy Intelligence Server for testing purposes. Therefore, the interoperability between Integrity Manager and Intelligence Server is different than for the rest of the MicroStrategy products. Integrity Manager interoperability with Intelligence Server is described in Integrity Manager Interoperability.

Important compatibility notes

The following provides an overview of several important compatibility considerations.

• Newer and older products on the same machine: Version products are not compatible on the same machine with earlier versions of MicroStrategy products. If you attempt to install a MicroStrategy product on a machine that currently has a pre- product installed, the MicroStrategy Installation Wizard prompts you to upgrade every MicroStrategy product on that machine to .
  
  
• Intelligence Server and metadata: MicroStrategy Intelligence Server and metadata versions should always match. That is, the metadata must be upgraded to to use MicroStrategy Intelligence Server . In direct connection deployments, client products (such as MicroStrategy Developer) should also be updated to the newer version of MicroStrategy Intelligence Server.

Compatibility scenarios

All MicroStrategy products are compatible with all other MicroStrategy products. While it is possible to install all MicroStrategy products on the same machine, MicroStrategy recommends installing products and groups of products on separate machines and dedicated server machines as determined by your production environment requirements. For more information on various production deployment scenarios, see the MicroStrategy Installation and Configuration Guide.

Definition of terms

• Compatibility: Products that are compatible can function on the same machine without software conflicts. Installing compatible products on the same machine results in no loss of functionality for these products.
  
  You cannot have a combination of and pre- MicroStrategy products installed on the same machine. For example, MicroStrategy Web 8.1.x cannot reside on the same machine as MicroStrategy Command Manager . Refer to the Important Compatibility notes section below for more information.

• Interoperability: Products that are interoperable can function on different machines without software conflicts.
  
  Different versions of MicroStrategy products are, in several configurations, interoperable when installed on different machines. However, older versions of MicroStrategy products cannot benefit from features and enhancements. For example, you have Intelligence Server 8.0.x installed on one machine and MicroStrategy Web 8.0.x installed on another. You upgrade the 8.0.x Intelligence Server to 8.1 but leave the 8.0.x version of MicroStrategy Web. Although Web can function (is interoperable) with the upgraded Intelligence Server, Web cannot benefit from the new features and enhancements of Intelligence Server 8.1. Refer to the Important Interoperability notes section below for more information.
  
  
• Certified: The third-party component has been actively tested with the current release. All tests were passed with no significant issues that would prevent the use of any applicable MicroStrategy features. MicroStrategy expects any certified third-party component to be used successfully with any and all applicable MicroStrategy functionality.
  
  
• Supported: A third-party component that has been listed as supported is expected to be used successfully with any and all applicable MicroStrategy functionality. A third-party component that is supported rather than certified means that its testing meets one or more of any of the following conditions:
  • Testing of a given version of the third-party component has been lowered in priority to focus testing efforts on newer versions of the third-party component. Proper functionality is implied through the comprehensive testing executed during a relevant previous release of MicroStrategy, along with some basic coverage using the current release. This transition period provides a migration path to the newer versions of the component.
  • The third-party component was put through full certification testing, but an issue was found, which caused a significant loss of functionality or degradation in performance, for at least one applicable MicroStrategy feature or functionality set.