Version Compatibility

MCBDS Manager is designed with backward and forward compatibility. Here's how different versions work together.

Compatibility Matrix

API Server Version	UI Client Version	Status	Available Features
v1.1	v1.1	? Full Support	? Pack Management ? Player Allowlist ? All v1.0 features
v1.1	v1.0	? Limited	? Pack Management (not available) ? Player Allowlist (not available) ? All v1.0 features work normally
v1.0	v1.1	? Limited	? Pack Management (UI hidden) ? Player Allowlist (UI hidden) ? All v1.0 features work normally
v1.0	v1.0	? Compatible	? Real-time monitoring ? Command console ? Backup management ? Server properties

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Full Upgrade (Recommended)

Configuration: API v1.1 + UI v1.1

Result: All features available

Steps:

Install API v1.1 Windows Service
Update UI clients to v1.1 (web/mobile)
Enjoy pack management and allowlist features!

Scenario 2: Server Upgraded, Old UI

Configuration: API v1.1 + UI v1.0

Result: Old features work, new features not accessible

What happens:

? Dashboard, commands, backups work normally
? Pack management button not visible in UI
? Allowlist management not available
Server has the capabilities, but UI can't access them

Recommendation: Update your UI clients to v1.1 to access new features

Scenario 3: New UI, Old Server

Configuration: API v1.0 + UI v1.1

Result: New features gracefully disabled

What happens:

? Dashboard, commands, backups work normally
? Pack management button hidden automatically
? Allowlist shows "feature unavailable" message
UI detects server capabilities via /api/version

Recommendation: Upgrade your API server to v1.1 to unlock new features

How Feature Detection Works

The v1.1 UI client automatically detects server capabilities by calling the /api/version endpoint on startup.

API v1.0 Response:

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "supportsAllowlist": false,
  "supportsPackManagement": false,
  "supportedFeatures": [
    "server-monitoring",
    "command-execution",
    "backup-management"
  ]
}

API v1.1 Response:

{
  "version": "1.1",
  "supportsAllowlist": true,
  "supportsPackManagement": true,
  "supportedFeatures": [
    "server-monitoring",
    "command-execution",
    "backup-management",
    "allowlist-management",
    "pack-management"
  ]
}

Smart UI: The v1.1 UI client reads these flags and automatically hides or shows features based on what the server supports. No manual configuration needed!

Upgrade Paths

From v1.0 to v1.1 (Server)

Download v1.1 installer
Run installer (settings preserved)
Service automatically restarts
No downtime required

Your configuration, backups, and world data are preserved!

From v1.0 to v1.1 (UI)

Web UI:

Clear browser cache
Refresh page (Ctrl+F5)
New features appear

Mobile App:

Update from app store
Or sideload v1.1 APK

Breaking Changes

Good News: No Breaking Changes!

v1.1 is fully backward compatible with v1.0. All existing APIs, endpoints, and features continue to work exactly as before. New features are purely additive.

Future Compatibility

v1.2 Docker Deprecation

The Docker-based deployment will be deprecated in v1.2 (Q2 2025). Only the Windows Service installer will be supported going forward.

Action Required: If you're using Docker, plan to migrate to the Windows Service installer before v1.2 release. Migration guide available here.

Testing Compatibility

To verify your current setup compatibility:

Check API Version:

curl http://localhost:8080/api/version

Check in UI:

Open MCBDS Manager
Go to Server Properties page
Look for "Pack Management" and "Allowlist" buttons
If visible with blue/green cards: v1.1
If not visible: v1.0

FAQ

Not recommended. While the core features will work, any data created with v1.1 features (packs, allowlist) won't be accessible. If you must downgrade, backup your configuration first.

No. You can have mixed versions. v1.0 UI clients will continue working with v1.1 servers, they just won't see new features. Update clients at your convenience.

No. The v1.1 installer includes smart configuration merging. Your custom settings (port, paths, Xbox API key, etc.) are automatically preserved and merged with new defaults. A backup is created as appsettings.backup.json for safety.