Need help upgrading from Jira Server 7.1.6 to a version compatible with Server 2016

Question

Hi, we planning on upgrading our Jira server from Server 2012 to Server 2016 and I'd like to upgrade our Jira software to a version supported by Server 2016 before the OS upgrade.  I'm thinking going with the earliest stable version that is compatible with 2016 would be best.  I've tried to review the documentation on upgrades but am getting very confused.  Can you please provide the recommended upgrade process we should follow to have a successful upgrade?  Note, we have a very small Jira environment that is not mission critical so we can tolerate downtime during the upgrade.  The Jira DB is running on SQL 2012 running on a Server 2016 server.

Thanks,

Frank

Tinker Fadoua · Answer

Hi @Frank Pasquarello

Here is my suggestion, it is recommended to upgrade Jira as version 7.1.6 is no longer supported. If you ever need Atlassian Support they won't assist you with an old version, please take a look at the following page:

https://confluence.atlassian.com/support/atlassian-support-end-of-life-policy-201851003.html

Yes Jira 8.1 on Windows Server 2016 should work without any issues. I did it for one of my customers.

As far as the upgrade steps, please follow the link below:

https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver/upgrading-jira-installer-938846937.html

* Make sure to upgrade your windows server first
* Check that Jira 7.1.6 is working properly and nothing is missing
* Then start planning your Jira upgrade.
* Always try your upgrade on a test instance before Production.

I hope this helps if not feel free to send more questions.

Best,

Fadoua

Frank Pasquarello_x9q7o8 · Answer

Hi Fadoua, thanks for the reply.  This is helpful but doesn't list what MS Server versions each version of Jira is supported on.  Does that mean they're supported on any version?  Can you tell me if my current version, 7.1.6, will run on Server 2016 if I do the upgrade without upgrading Jira?  If not, it looks like 8.1 might be a good version for me because it still supports my DB version of SQL 2012.  Is 8.1 supported on Server 2016, and if so, what is the upgrade process?

Thanks again,

Frank

Tinker Fadoua · Answer

@Frank Pasquarello

Let's start with this document then let me know if you have any questions:

https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver/supported-platforms-938846830.html

Best,

Fadoua