For parallel and secured processing of the same database by different users at the same time, it is possible to create different versions of this database. This means that no data has to be locked or duplicated. In this way, long transactions are enabled or simplified, as editors can work on their own edit version of the geodatabase for a longer period of time. After editing, the versions are compared with the parent version (default version) and written back to it.

An Overview of versioning can be found on the Esri homepage.

Procedure

Versions

1.Call function
The function can be activated via the Home tab, the Edit tool group or via the display of the active version - in the middle of the status bar. In the left side panel, the Versions tab opens.
 
The following tools are available in the opened tab:

 

The filter functions can be combined with each other. Their mode of operation behaves additively.
You can navigate between the versions displayed in the list using the arrow keys.
A selected version can be opened with the ENTER key.

2.Create and open version
The active version is displayed by name at the bottom of the page area and highlighted with a green bar on the left-hand side. If no version is selected, the Default version is displayed. With the Create button a new edit version can be created after entering the necessary parameters. In addition to the mandatory parameters to be assigned Name and Description the access authorization can be selected from a drop-down list.

Users with administrator privileges can perform all actions on any version.
The creation date of the version is assigned automatically.
You can switch to this editing version for immediate editing by ticking the "Switch to version" checkbox when creating. In addition, you can switch between versions by clicking on a version in the list or via the action menu of the version.

3.Create or edit feature in edit version
Features can be created or edited on the newly created or selected version, which is marked as the active version by a green bar.

The editing options of the versions depend on the access authorization.

4.Reconcile changes
If the changes made in the editing version are to flow back into the default version, reconciling with the current status of the default version is first necessary. Possible changes in the default version in the meantime are transferred to the editing version and displayed. It is checked whether changes have been made to the same features in both versions. In the event of a conflict, a Warning message appears asking whether conflicts should be resolved in favor of the edit version or whether the adjustment should be aborted so that the changes from the default version are not adopted.

In the Network Editor, conflicts are always resolved in favor of the editing version. In case of ambiguity, a more differentiated conflict resolution must be performed via ArcGIS Pro.

If required, the adjustment can be skipped with this function and Post changes can be processed directly.

5.Post changes
With this function all changes of the edit version are written back to the default version. Before that, the function performs a reconciling and takes over all changes of the default version into the edit version. If no conflicts occur, the changes of the editing version are written back to the default version. In the event of a conflict, a warning appears. The conflicts can be resolved in favor of the edit version and the changes can be written back to the default version or the function can be aborted and the conflicts can be cleaned up before publishing to ArcGIS Pro.

6.Delete version
A version that is no longer needed can be deleted.

Functions of the action menu

The following helpful functions are available via the action menu next to the displayed version:

Markups and Hints are not connected to a geodatabase version.

For a space-saving view, the compact view can be selected in the "Status bar" section.