When you install a new release of ArcGIS Desktop, you may want to upgrade your existing geodatabases.

Always make a backup copy of your geodatabase before you upgrade it.

Note: You must be a Server administrator or geodatabase administrator to upgrade.

To upgrade an older geodatabase, right-click on the geodatabase and click Properties. On the General tab, click Upgrade Geodatabase. Click OK to close the Database Properties dialog box.

After the geodatabase is upgraded to match the ArcGIS Desktop release, the Upgrade Geodatabase button will become inactive.

Note: You do not have to upgrade the geodatabase. However, if you do not, you will not be able to utilize new functionality introduced at the current release of ArcGIS.