Automic Transport Case compatibility between different versions

Products

• CA Automic Workload Automation - Automation Engine
• CA Automic One Automation

Issue/Introduction

How does the compatibility concept of the Transport Case work?  Is it possible to unload a transport case from a higher version or service pack on the same version and load it into a lower version or service pack on the same version?

Environment

Release: All versions
Component: unload and load utilities - ucybdbld and ucybdbldg, ucybdbun and ucybdbung

Resolution

The Transport Case is used to transport (copy) objects between different Automation Engine systems or different clients. In general, it’s always upward compatible and never downward compatible.
That means that from one of the versions 10.0, 11.2 and 12.1, etc. you can transport objects to the same or higher version, never to a lower version.  This is also true for service packs on the same version.  For example:

Works: Unload a transport case from 12.2.x and load into 12.3.x
Works: Unload a transport case from 12.3.3 and load into 12.3.7

Does not work: Unload a transport case from 21.0 and load into 12.3
Does not work: Unload a transport case from 21.0.2 and load into 21.0.1

Note: This behavior is the same for xml exports (Export and Import functions) and for client copy in most cases (see article: Client copy between service packs is inconsistent in 12.3.x)

In case an incompatible transport is loaded, one of the following error messages will appear:

U00021178 Diese UCDBUP hat Step Nummer &01. Aktuelle Eingabedatei benötigt &02 oder höher.
U00021178 This UCDBUP has step number &01. Current input file requires &02 or higher.
U00021178 Ce UCDBUP a un numéro de step &01. Le fichier actuel requiert &02 ou supérieur.

U04005869 Die vorhandene Version der Exportdatei '&01' ist mit der aktuellen Version '&02' nicht kompatibel!
U04005869 The existing version '&01' of the export file is not compatible with the current version '&02'!
U04005869 La version existante '&01' du fichier d'Export n'est pas compatible avec la version actuelle '&01' !