diff --git a/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/check_version_compatibility.test.mocks.ts b/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/check_version_compatibility.test.mocks.ts
index a0e03552ed9465..8d7cbe657758c8 100644
--- a/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/check_version_compatibility.test.mocks.ts
+++ b/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/check_version_compatibility.test.mocks.ts
@@ -6,16 +6,16 @@
  * Side Public License, v 1.
  */
 
-export const getModelVersionsFromMappingsMock = jest.fn();
-export const compareModelVersionsMock = jest.fn();
-export const getModelVersionMapForTypesMock = jest.fn();
+export const getVirtualVersionsFromMappingsMock = jest.fn();
+export const compareVirtualVersionsMock = jest.fn();
+export const getVirtualVersionMapMock = jest.fn();
 
 jest.doMock('@kbn/core-saved-objects-base-server-internal', () => {
   const actual = jest.requireActual('@kbn/core-saved-objects-base-server-internal');
   return {
     ...actual,
-    getModelVersionsFromMappings: getModelVersionsFromMappingsMock,
-    compareModelVersions: compareModelVersionsMock,
-    getModelVersionMapForTypes: getModelVersionMapForTypesMock,
+    getVirtualVersionsFromMappings: getVirtualVersionsFromMappingsMock,
+    compareVirtualVersions: compareVirtualVersionsMock,
+    getVirtualVersionMap: getVirtualVersionMapMock,
   };
 });
diff --git a/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/check_version_compatibility.test.ts b/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/check_version_compatibility.test.ts
index 8430f1f8984263..528855417e90f2 100644
--- a/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/check_version_compatibility.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/check_version_compatibility.test.ts
@@ -7,14 +7,14 @@
  */
 
 import {
-  compareModelVersionsMock,
-  getModelVersionsFromMappingsMock,
-  getModelVersionMapForTypesMock,
+  compareVirtualVersionsMock,
+  getVirtualVersionMapMock,
+  getVirtualVersionsFromMappingsMock,
 } from './check_version_compatibility.test.mocks';
 import type { SavedObjectsType } from '@kbn/core-saved-objects-server';
 import type {
   IndexMapping,
-  ModelVersionMap,
+  VirtualVersionMap,
   CompareModelVersionResult,
 } from '@kbn/core-saved-objects-base-server-internal';
 import { checkVersionCompatibility } from './check_version_compatibility';
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ describe('checkVersionCompatibility', () => {
   let mappings: IndexMapping;
 
   beforeEach(() => {
-    compareModelVersionsMock.mockReset().mockReturnValue({});
-    getModelVersionsFromMappingsMock.mockReset().mockReturnValue({});
-    getModelVersionMapForTypesMock.mockReset().mockReturnValue({ status: 'equal' });
+    compareVirtualVersionsMock.mockReset().mockReturnValue({});
+    getVirtualVersionMapMock.mockReset().mockReturnValue({});
+    getVirtualVersionsFromMappingsMock.mockReset().mockReturnValue({ status: 'equal' });
 
     types = [createType({ name: 'foo' }), createType({ name: 'bar' })];
 
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ describe('checkVersionCompatibility', () => {
       deletedTypes,
     });
 
-    expect(getModelVersionMapForTypesMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(getModelVersionMapForTypesMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(types);
+    expect(getVirtualVersionMapMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(getVirtualVersionMapMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(types);
   });
 
   it('calls getModelVersionsFromMappings with the correct parameters', () => {
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ describe('checkVersionCompatibility', () => {
       deletedTypes,
     });
 
-    expect(getModelVersionsFromMappingsMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(getModelVersionsFromMappingsMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+    expect(getVirtualVersionsFromMappingsMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(getVirtualVersionsFromMappingsMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
       mappings,
       source: 'mappingVersions',
       knownTypes: ['foo', 'bar'],
@@ -67,11 +67,11 @@ describe('checkVersionCompatibility', () => {
   });
 
   it('calls compareModelVersions with the correct parameters', () => {
-    const appVersions: ModelVersionMap = { foo: 2, bar: 2 };
-    const indexVersions: ModelVersionMap = { foo: 1, bar: 1 };
+    const appVersions: VirtualVersionMap = { foo: '10.2.0', bar: '10.2.0' };
+    const indexVersions: VirtualVersionMap = { foo: '10.1.0', bar: '10.1.0' };
 
-    getModelVersionMapForTypesMock.mockReturnValue(appVersions);
-    getModelVersionsFromMappingsMock.mockReturnValue(indexVersions);
+    getVirtualVersionMapMock.mockReturnValue(appVersions);
+    getVirtualVersionsFromMappingsMock.mockReturnValue(indexVersions);
 
     checkVersionCompatibility({
       types,
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ describe('checkVersionCompatibility', () => {
       deletedTypes,
     });
 
-    expect(compareModelVersionsMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(compareModelVersionsMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+    expect(compareVirtualVersionsMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(compareVirtualVersionsMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
       appVersions,
       indexVersions,
       deletedTypes,
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ describe('checkVersionCompatibility', () => {
         equal: [],
       },
     };
-    compareModelVersionsMock.mockReturnValue(expected);
+    compareVirtualVersionsMock.mockReturnValue(expected);
 
     const result = checkVersionCompatibility({
       types,
diff --git a/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/generate_additive_mapping_diff.test.ts b/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/generate_additive_mapping_diff.test.ts
index ce0cba20f427c5..9e711dd6daaf11 100644
--- a/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/generate_additive_mapping_diff.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/saved-objects/core-saved-objects-migration-server-internal/src/zdt/utils/generate_additive_mapping_diff.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  * Side Public License, v 1.
  */
 
+import type { SavedObjectsModelVersion } from '@kbn/core-saved-objects-server';
 import type { IndexMappingMeta } from '@kbn/core-saved-objects-base-server-internal';
 import { generateAdditiveMappingDiff } from './generate_additive_mapping_diff';
 import { createType } from '../test_helpers';
@@ -13,20 +14,24 @@ import { createType } from '../test_helpers';
 describe('generateAdditiveMappingDiff', () => {
   const deletedTypes = ['deletedType'];
 
+  const stubMigration = jest.fn();
+  const stubModelVersion: SavedObjectsModelVersion = { modelChange: { type: 'expansion' } };
+
   const getTypes = () => {
     const foo = createType({
       name: 'foo',
+      switchToModelVersionAt: '8.0.0',
       modelVersions: {
-        1: { modelChange: { type: 'expansion' } },
-        2: { modelChange: { type: 'expansion' } },
+        1: stubModelVersion,
+        2: stubModelVersion,
       },
       mappings: { properties: { fooProp: { type: 'text' } } },
     });
     const bar = createType({
       name: 'bar',
-      modelVersions: {
-        1: { modelChange: { type: 'expansion' } },
-        2: { modelChange: { type: 'expansion' } },
+      migrations: {
+        '8.0.0': stubMigration,
+        '8.5.0': stubMigration,
       },
       mappings: { properties: { barProp: { type: 'text' } } },
     });
@@ -39,8 +44,8 @@ describe('generateAdditiveMappingDiff', () => {
     const types = [foo, bar];
     const meta: IndexMappingMeta = {
       mappingVersions: {
-        foo: 1,
-        bar: 1,
+        foo: '10.1.0',
+        bar: '7.9.0',
       },
     };
 
@@ -61,8 +66,8 @@ describe('generateAdditiveMappingDiff', () => {
     const types = [foo, bar];
     const meta: IndexMappingMeta = {
       mappingVersions: {
-        foo: 1,
-        bar: 2,
+        foo: '10.1.0',
+        bar: '8.5.0',
       },
     };
 
@@ -82,9 +87,9 @@ describe('generateAdditiveMappingDiff', () => {
     const types = [foo, bar];
     const meta: IndexMappingMeta = {
       mappingVersions: {
-        foo: 1,
-        bar: 1,
-        deletedType: 42,
+        foo: '10.1.0',
+        bar: '8.2.0',
+        deletedType: '10.2.0',
       },
     };
 
@@ -105,8 +110,8 @@ describe('generateAdditiveMappingDiff', () => {
     const types = [foo, bar];
     const meta: IndexMappingMeta = {
       mappingVersions: {
-        foo: 1,
-        bar: 3,
+        foo: '10.1.0',
+        bar: '10.1.0',
       },
     };