InfoWorks WS Pro versioning and database compatibility

When managing InfoWorks WS Pro, it is important to understand version numbering, especially if data is shared internally or externally.

Version Numbers:

Each release has a product version number denoting the major version year {2024}, followed by the minor version, and, in some cases, a final patch number.

The two-digit number is displayed on the windows icons.

The three-digit number is displayed on download and installation information.

There is a separate build number.

The first number is the major version, the next number is the minor version, and the last is a patch number.

This version number is available in the About dialog box.

Because they are managed separately, the WS Pro Workgroup and Workgroup Data Server components may have separate build numbers for the same release version.

Multi-Version Utility:

Different major versions of WS Pro can be installed side-by-side on the same computer—for example, WS Pro 2023 and WS Pro 2024—allowing users to work on existing projects with an older version.

Critical to ensure correct version of WS Pro is used, as it controls who can access data, functionality available to user, and replicability of results.

From version 2023, WS Pro databases have been made backwards compatible, so a WS Pro version newer than database can be used.

This means a 2023.0 version database can be created with WS Pro 2024.0:

• Allows user to be in latest version
• Data can still be shared with other parties using version 2023.0 or newer
• Note that while connected to older version database, new functionality is not available

Not possible to connect WS Pro to a database newer than current version of WS Pro.

Version Simulation:

When using current version and database, WS Pro uses latest version of simulation engine.

When using older database version, WS Pro uses current Agent to replicate previous Agent.

Bug fixes are included in newer Agent, so differences may exist.

To ensure consistency between simulation results, users should rerun simulations in the same version, or check after upgrading.

Cloud capabilities, including databases and simulations, are only available from version 2024 onwards.

Managing Distributed Simulations:

When managing distributed simulation environments, remote agent and client version must match exactly.

Major, minor, and patch numbers must match for agent to be available for remote simulation.

Administrators should manage deployments so that agents and clients update at the same time, to ensure consistency of results.