Question

Use newest FME Desktop with an old FME Server

  • 22 August 2019
  • 5 replies
  • 18 views
philippeb
Badge +8

Hello there!

If I want to use the newest FME Desktop functions (v2019) with an old FME Server (let's say v2017), do you think it would be possible to publish on my server a worskspace created on FME Desktop 2017 who will call (with a SystemCaller or whatever) a batch file that will run FME Desktop 2019?

Batch file line command example

"C:\apps\FME2019.1\fme.exe" "\\NASASERVER\c$\FME\Workbench\Talk2Aliens\SolutionHere.fmw"

First of all, is that legal? Does Safe permit that?

Secondly, would that work?

Thanks!

5 replies

stalknecht
Rank
Userlevel 1
Badge +18

Yes it will work. If everything is licensed than it's ok to do.

philippeb
Badge +8

It's working great! I'm now launching FME Desktop 2019.1 process with FME Server 2017. And I don't have to republish my workspaces each time I'm doing modifications.

I had to install FME Desktop on my server though. I can't use fme.exe from another machine, it gives me a licence issue.

J
Badge +2

Hi @philippeb

 

 

Please be aware that publishing a workspace to an older FME Server from a newer version of workbench is not supported, you can find more information in this article:

 

 

https://knowledge.safe.com/articles/819/fme-versions-and-workspace-compatibility.html

 

 

So if you want to use newer functionality you will always have to use the newer workbench to run those workspaces. There's no guarantee that the 2019 workspaces you're publishing to 2017 server will work (although you seem to have success now), because whilst the workspace may look fine there may have been changes under the hood that mean the workspace will not run as expected.

 

 

If you do find outputs or behaviour that is not as it used to/expected, before we would be able to support you we'd require you to build and publish your workspaces from the same build as your FME Server, or upgrade it. to match your workbench version.
philippeb
Badge +8

Hi @philippeb

 

 

Please be aware that publishing a workspace to an older FME Server from a newer version of workbench is not supported, you can find more information in this article:

 

 

https://knowledge.safe.com/articles/819/fme-versions-and-workspace-compatibility.html

 

 

So if you want to use newer functionality you will always have to use the newer workbench to run those workspaces. There's no guarantee that the 2019 workspaces you're publishing to 2017 server will work (although you seem to have success now), because whilst the workspace may look fine there may have been changes under the hood that mean the workspace will not run as expected.

 

 

If you do find outputs or behaviour that is not as it used to/expected, before we would be able to support you we'd require you to build and publish your workspaces from the same build as your FME Server, or upgrade it. to match your workbench version.

Ho I'm not publishing FME 2019 workspaces on FME Server 2017, I would never do that, I'm aware of the problems that it would potentially cause. I totally understand that you don't support this.

 

I published a FME 2017 workspace that calls a batch file (see the command above), who calls a FME 2019 workspace using FME Desktop 2019 (fme.exe) to run.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but the way I see it, FME Server 2017 doesn't run anything implicating FME Desktop 2019.

J
Badge +2

Ho I'm not publishing FME 2019 workspaces on FME Server 2017, I would never do that, I'm aware of the problems that it would potentially cause. I totally understand that you don't support this.

 

I published a FME 2017 workspace that calls a batch file (see the command above), who calls a FME 2019 workspace using FME Desktop 2019 (fme.exe) to run.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but the way I see it, FME Server 2017 doesn't run anything implicating FME Desktop 2019.

Ahh I see my apologies! I got confused by the wording where you reference an older server, then publishing a workspace. I missed that you'd be publishing the 2017 workspace.

 

Your method is totally fine.

 

 

 

I'll leave my answer up just in case anyone else new to FME isn't aware of the limitations.

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