There's pretty wide version compatibility between clients and servers; we
didn't go v7 server-side until pretty recently but have been running the v7
client for a while. IBM has a matrix published here:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21053218

For basic backups and restores I think you can deviate even more, but
obviously you won't get support.

On Tue, Jan 02, 2018 at 03:14:24PM -0500, Tom Alverson wrote:
> Our TSM storage servers were all upgraded last year to 7.1.7.2 (before this
> new security update came out).   Now I am wondering if I should start using
> the updated client or not?   If the servers stay at 7.1.7.2 for now is
> there any harm in using the newer client?  I would have to use 7.1.8.0 on
> anything older than 2012.  I saw some email traffic earlier that once you
> use the new authentication mode on a node you can't go back?  But it seems
> that would not be possible until our storage servers get upgraded.
>
> Is there any downside in my case (where the storage servers are still at
> 7.1.7.2) of using the latest client versions in the interim??  Our current
> standard client versions now are 7.1.6.4 for 2008 and older, and 8.1.0.0
> (yes the horrible buggy one) on newer servers.
>
> Tom

--
-- Skylar Thompson (skylar2 AT u.washington DOT edu)
-- Genome Sciences Department, System Administrator
-- Foege Building S046, (206)-685-7354
-- University of Washington School of Medicine