SQL Server in-place upgrades

Owned by Scott Le Brun (Deactivated)
Last updated: Oct 10, 2023 by David Rogers

Urgent note

Do not perform in-place SQL Server upgrades from SQL Server 2012/2014 to 2017 or 2019. Microsoft has removed the option for SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and will uninstall this during an in-place upgrade. SSRS will need to be installed from scratch and may not be able to recover any custom reports.

General notes

Recommended upgrade paths

  • SQL Server 2012 → SQL Server 2016
  • SQL Server 2014 → SQL Server 2016
  • SQL Server 2017 → SQL Server 2019

Supported SQL Server versions

  • SQL Server 2016 (supported)
  • SQL Server 2017 (not recommended for in-place upgrades)
  • SQL Server 2019 (supported - but only from SQL Server 2017)
  • SQL Server 2017/2019 support requires SQL 2016 database compatibility level
  • SQL Server 2022 is not yet supported

SQL Server versions 2017+ have removed SQL Server Reporting Services from the main installer and are not suitable for in-place upgrades. If upgrading to SQL Server 2017 or SQL 2019 is required, a server migration to new machines will need to take place and recommend contacting our Systems team to provide an assessment and quote.

Quick instructions

Modern SQL Server in-place upgrades are generally safe and relatively easy to perform. Download your licensed copy of SQL Server from your Microsoft vendor. Recommend using SQL Server 2016 for in-place upgrades at this point.

  1. Notify staff that Synergetic will be off-line
  2. Run SQL Server installer and select 'Upgrade'
  3. Select the correct SQL Server instance for Synergetic. In most cases, this will be the default instance.
  4. Click 'Next' until complete.
  5. Test and confirm SQL Server is working and upgraded correctly. Using SQL Server Management Studio, confirm the version (SQL 2016 - '13.xx', SQL 2017 - '14.xx', SQL 2019 - '15.xx')
  6. Test and confirm Synergetic is working correctly.