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Upgrade

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      On upgrading from a 2.x release, all Couchbase Lite databases automatically re-index on initial database open.
      This can result in a delay before the database is usable.

      4.0.0 Upgrade

      Couchbase Lite 4.0 introduces significant architectural changes, most notably the migration from revision trees to version vectors for document versioning. This upgrade requires understanding of the compatibility requirements.

      The action takes place automatically and can lead to some delay in the database becoming available for use in your application.

      In addition, if you’re syncing with a 4.0.0 Sync Gateway, you should be aware of the significant configuration enhancements introduced and their effects. See Upgrading Sync Gateway for more details. This is a one-way conversion.

      Major Changes in 4.0.0

      Version Vector Architecture: CBL 4.0.0 replaces the revision tree system with version vectors, providing improved performance, scalability, and conflict resolution. Documents now use version-based revision IDs in the format <timestamp>@<source-id> instead of the previous <generation>-<document-hash> format.

      Enhanced Conflict Resolution: The default conflict resolution strategy changes from most active wins to last write wins based on hybrid logical timestamps, providing more intuitive and predictable conflict resolution behavior.

      New Document Properties: Access to document timestamps is available through the c4rev_getTimestamp() function, providing direct access to the document’s logical timestamp as a uint64_t value representing nanoseconds since the Unix epoch.

      Database Compatibility

      Automatic Upgrade from 3.x: CBL 4.0.0 databases are compatible with CBL 3.1 and 3.2 databases. When opening a 3.1 or 3.2 database with CBL 4.0.0, documents are automatically upgraded to use version vectors when they’re updated and saved.

      No Configuration Required: CBL 4.0.0 enables version vectors by default - the feature requires no API configuration.

      Synchronization Compatibility

      Sync Gateway Requirements: CBL 4.0.0 requires Sync Gateway 4.x or later for synchronization. Attempting to sync with Sync Gateway versions prior to 4.x results in replication errors with appropriate error messages indicating the incompatibility.

      Peer-to-Peer Compatibility: CBL 4.0.0 can only perform peer-to-peer synchronization with other CBL 4.x instances using either CBLURLEndpointListener or CBLMessageEndpointListener. Sync attempts with CBL 3.x peers fail with appropriate error messages.

      Replication Compatibility

      CBL 4.0 introduces strict replication compatibility requirements due to the version vector architecture changes.

      Sync Gateway Compatibility: CBL 4.0 requires Sync Gateway 4.0 or later for synchronization. Attempting to sync with Sync Gateway versions prior to 4.0 results in replication errors with appropriate error messages indicating the incompatibility.

      Peer-to-Peer Compatibility: CBL 4.0 can only perform peer-to-peer synchronization with other CBL 4.0+ instances. Sync attempts with CBL 3.x or earlier peers fails with appropriate error messages.

      No Backward Compatibility: unlike previous CBL versions, CBL 4.0 cannot sync with earlier versions of either Sync Gateway or other CBL instances due to the fundamental changes in document versioning architecture.

      Downgrading Couchbase Lite

      Downgrading Between Major Releases

      No Downgrade Support - Couchbase Lite (CBL) does not support downgrades between major versions. Once you upgrade to a new major version, attempting to downgrade to a previous major version creates incompatibility issues. For example, upgrading from CBL 3.x to CBL 4.x does not allow you to revert to CBL 3.x.

      Downgrading Between Minor Releases

      Conditional Downgrade Support - Couchbase Lite considers downgrade support for minor releases on a case-by-case basis. The release notes for each minor version specify whether it supports downgrades.

      For example, when a new minor version such as CBL 3.1.0 becomes available, the release notes specify whether reverting to CBL 3.0.x receives support.

      Downgrading Between Patch Releases

      Full Downgrade Support - Couchbase Lite supports downgrades between patch releases. Users can downgrade between different patch versions within the same minor release.

      For example, if you’re running CBL 3.1.6 you can downgrade to CBL 3.1.4 or CBL 3.1.3 without issues.

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