DEPRECATION PLAN FOR ARCGIS 10.0 AND ARCGIS 10.1

ARCGIS DESKTOP 10.0

• ArcGIS 10.0 is the last release of Solaris support for ArcReader and ArcGIS Engine; we will no longer support the Solaris platform for this functionality beyond ArcGIS 10.0 due to limited demand for this platform.
• ArcGIS 10.0 is the last release with full Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) support. With ArcGIS 10.1 we will no longer support VBA development. Esri strongly recommends that no further development occur with VBA and ArcGIS Desktop. Users who have custom functionality built using VBA should actively plan strategies to rewrite their applications using a supported development language such as Python, VB.NET, or C# so their applications continue to be operational and supported in future releases of ArcGIS. To help with the migration process, ArcGIS 10.1 will include the “VBA Compatibility” setup that will allow existing VBA code to execute until the migration is complete.
• ArcGIS 10.0 is the last release that the ArcObjects SDK for Microsoft .NET will support Visual Studio 2008.

ArcGIS Server 10.0

• ArcGIS 10.0 is the last ArcGIS Server release with support for Solaris (with the exception of the ArcSDE technology component); we will not support this platform after ArcGIS 10.0 due to limited demand for the Solaris server platform. We will continue to support the ArcSDE component of ArcGIS Server on the Solaris platform beyond the ArcGIS 10.0 release.
• ArcGIS Server 10.0 is the last ArcGIS Server release with support for local connections from WebADF applications. The 10.1 Web ADF applications will only support local connections to Server versions prior to 10.1. We recommend developers using local connections for accessing finegrained ArcObjects migrate their business logic to Server Object Extensions. For Web ADF based editing applications (all of which use Local connections), we urge users to look at alternative web editing tools based in the ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs.
• ArcGIS Server 10.0 is the last release with support for 32-bit operating systems. The next release of ArcGIS Server (10.1) will run natively as a 64-bit application, requiring 64-bit operating systems [Added 8/18/2011] and databases [Added 6/07/2012].This includes the ArcSDE technology component of ArcGIS Server known as the ArcSDE application server.
• ArcGIS Server 10.0 is the last release with support for VBScript or JScript on ArcGIS Server for Linux. VBScript and JScript will continue to be supported on ArcGIS Server for Microsoft Windows. Python scripting will be added as a replacement for these scripting languages and ArcGIS Desktop will support authoring Python scripts in areas where VBScript and JScript are presently used.
• ArcGIS Server 10.0 is the last release supporting publishing non-optimized map documents (MXD files). The next major release will only support publishing optimized maps (MSDs) as that is the best practice for map publishing.

ARCGIS 10.1 

Smart Data Compression 

ArcGIS 10.1, and its service packs, will be the last planned release that supports Esri’s Smart Data 

Compression (SDC) data format. This includes SDC support in ArcGIS for Desktop, Server, Engine, Mobile, ArcPad and Esri data products like StreetMap North America and Esri’s Business Analyst. The SDC data format is being replaced with Compressed File Geodatabase (CFGDB) file format [Added 6/07/2012].

ARCGIS DESKTOP 10.1 

• ArcGIS 10.1 will no longer support the Solaris versions of ArcReader and ArcGIS Engine. 
•  [Correction 10/6/2011] ArcGIS Desktop, ArcReader, ArcGIS Engine 10.1 will be the last release that supports Microsoft Windows Server 2003 / 2003 R2. 
• [Correction 10/6/2011] ArcGIS 10.1 will be the last release supporting ArcReader for Linux. At the 10.1 release, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 & 6 will be supported. However, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS/ES/WS 4 will no longer be supported at 10.1. We will no longer support ArcReader on Linux after the ArcGIS 10.1 release. 
• [Correction 10/6/2011] ArcGIS Engine 10.1 no longer supports SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS/ES/WS 4. However, we will support SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 & 6. 
• [Correction 10/6/2011] ArcGIS 10.1 will be the last planned release for the ArcGIS License Manager on the Solaris operating system. Esri will continue to support the License Manager on Microsoft Windows, and Linux operating systems. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 & 6 will be supported (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS/ES/WS 4 will no longer be supported at 10.1). 
• ArcGIS 10.1 will no longer support Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). 
• ArcGIS 10.1 ArcObjects SDK for Microsoft .NET no longer supports Visual Studio 2008. Esri recommends using Visual Studio 2010 for ArcObjects development for ArcGIS 10.1. 
• [Added 8/18/2011] ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Engine and Controls, and ArcReader 10.1 will no longer support or provide popup context sensitive help in WinHelp (HLP file) format. No HLP files will be delivered with 10.1. The popup context sensitive help mechanism, including the ‘What’s This tool’ in the Standard toolbar of all the Desktop applications, is removed at 10.1. Help for commands at 10.1 is provided via ribbon-style multi-line tooltips, some of which contain F1 links that launch specific Desktop Help topics. The help for dialogs is provided via clickable hyperlinks or Help buttons in the key dialogs that also launch specific Desktop Help topics. 

ARCGIS SERVER 10.1 

• ArcGIS Server 10.1 will be the last planned release for the ArcGIS Server Web ADFs (Application Developer Framework) for both Microsoft .NET and Java. Esri will continue supporting the Web ADFs during the 10.1 release cycle but only fixes to critical issues will be addressed. No new functionality or enhancement requests will be addressed for the Web ADFs. Web application developers are encouraged to move to a web services based pattern with the ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs for JavaScript, Flex, or Silverlight. 
• [Correction 8/18/2011] ArcGIS Server 10.1 will no longer support local connections (DCOM connections). ArcGIS Server 10.1 will be a web services (REST, SOAP, and OGC) server only. This will have an impact on: o The web editing functionality of default Web ADF will no longer be supported. ArcGIS 10.1 will continue evolving and enhancing its web editing capabilities on top of the new ‘Feature Service’ (new in ArcGIS 10) and the ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs. 
• Custom developed applications from business partners and users using fine grained ArcObjects through DCOM will not be supported. Thanks to the recent enhancements in Server Object Extensions, developers can now migrate custom business logic written at the web application (Web ADF) level to custom ArcGIS Server services. Development against fine grained ArcObjects continues to be fully supported following the Server Object Extension pattern for extending ArcGIS Server services. Esri has been recommending this approach for some time already, due to its simplicity and improved performance. Page 6 of 8 Last updated June 7, 2012 
• Web ADF applications using non-pooled services will not be supported. Over the years, some customers have adopted a pattern for their ArcGIS Server applications that use non-pooled services. 
• [Added 8/18/2011] Please visit the following discussion for details on alternatives to non-pooled services and local (DCOM) connection