JIRA Core required for JIRA Software?

[Andreas Müller]

In my organization we purchased JIRA Software (50 user Tier). Recently I wanted to upgrade my Installation to latest Version.

When I look in the "Version & licenses" page in Administration, I can see I have installed and licensed JIRA Software 7.1.4 with the Option to upgrade to 7.1.6 

Below that I see it is installed JIRA Core 7.1.2 (without a license) with the Option to download. I wonder why I see this? Is JIRA Core required/installed when JIRA Software is installed, then I would like to upgrade also from 7.1.2 to 7.1.6. If not required and not even installed, why do I see this here and why does it Show an "old" verison number 7.1.2?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

JIRA Software is actually an application that is added to JIRA Core.

When you use the JIRA Software installer, it's easier to imagine that the installer is installing JIRA Core with JIRA Software added to it as a bundle.

The two products do not have the same release cycles or numbering (although I suspect they will remain similar - when Core goes to 8, I imagine Software will also move to 8).

The upgrades are a bit complicated.  Because Software is an application you add to Core, it can be upgraded by installing a newer version in Core.  Core however can't be upgraded like that because it would have to upgrade it's own upgrade system, and Atlassian haven't yet coded for that.  Hence, you have to download it and install it separately.

[Geoff Wilson]

I'm in a similar boat with JIRA Software 7.0.10 (licensed) and JIRA Core 7.0.0 (no license). There is no prompt/button/link on Software to update to a newer version, but Core has a Download button for 7.1.6.  So if I want to ensure we are getting the latest bug fixes and feature changes, what are we supposed to do?  Download Core, figure out how to install that and then see if Software shows a 7.1+ version as available to update?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

That's pretty much spot on - download and upgrade core to 7.1.6.

The installer has evolved over the years - I remember all sorts of plans that ballooned out to hundreds of steps when doing JIRA upgrades, but now, the smaller updates are a lot less painful.

1. Stop JIRA
2. Take a backup of the JIRA home directory and the installation
3. Take a database backup
4. Download and run the installer for 7.1.6
5. Select the "upgrade" option and point it at your current installation
6. Start it up and do the basic testing, then look at upgrading add-ons and Software

Before doing it, I'd strongly recommend

• Doing it in test if you can
• Running the upgrade checkers in the admin section
• Reading the release notes

But I did a 7.0.1 to 7.1.2 a while back, and it sailed through, even with the somewhat dodgy add-on collection it had!

[Geoff Wilson]

Actually now I'm a bit confused again because in this other similar thread, https://answers.atlassian.com/questions/37534248, one of the guy's said that he downloaded the latest Software version manually and then that installed the unlicensed Core to the new version.   Is it fine either way then?  I guess one difference is by doing it with the licensed Software then that might not upgrade unlicensed Core to the absolute newest version?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Sorry, I made a mistake and focussed on the "download core" option.  It would be better and easier to download the latest installer for JIRA Software instead of Core.  It will still do the upgrade in the same way, but you'll have the latest Software as well, so you can skip the "and software" in step 6.