# INPLACE UPGRADES **URL:** \ **Category:** SLES Install-Boot\ **Created:** [September 27, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/inplace-upgrades/30367 "2017-09-27T12:32:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jennjennb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5ac83/32.png) [@jennjennb](https://forums.suse.com/u/jennjennb)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/inplace-upgrades/30367/1 "2017-09-27T12:32:36Z")
hello I am on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (x86\_64) VERSION = 11 PATCHLEVEL = 3 I am planning on upgrading to sles 12 soon and my tech lead is saying It is impossible to do an in place upgrade Is that true? thx, Jenn ---
**Author:** ![ab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@ab1](https://forums.suse.com/u/ab1)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 12:52pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/inplace-upgrades/30367/2 "2017-09-27T12:52:42Z")
I guess it depends on what your “tech lead” means by “in place upgrade”. If they mean you cannot upgrade a box from SLES 11 SP3 to SLES 12 SP3 at all, they are incorrect. If they mean you cannot go directly and be supported, they are correct, but you can upgrade first to SLES 11 SP4 and then to SLES 12 SP3 and be supported. Note that upgrades from one major version to another (11 to 12) requires offline upgrades, but you do not need a new box necessarily. [https://www.suse.com/documentation/sles-12/book\_sle\_deployment/data/sec\_update\_sle\_paths.html](https://www.suse.com/documentation/sles-12/book_sle_deployment/data/sec_update_sle_paths.html) – Good luck. If you find this post helpful and are logged into the web interface, show your appreciation and click on the star below. If you want to send me a private message, please let me know in the forum as I do not use the web interface often. ---
**Author:** ![smflood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forums.suse.com/smflood/32/10576_2.png) [@smflood](https://forums.suse.com/u/smflood)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 1:28pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/inplace-upgrades/30367/3 "2017-09-27T13:28:38Z")
[QUOTE=ab;39686]I guess it depends on what your “tech lead” means by “in place upgrade”. If they mean you cannot upgrade a box from SLES 11 SP3 to SLES 12 SP3 at all, they are incorrect. If they mean you cannot go directly and be supported, they are correct, but you can upgrade first to SLES 11 SP4 and then to SLES 12 SP3 and be supported. Note that upgrades from one major version to another (11 to 12) requires offline upgrades, but you do not need a new box necessarily. [https://www.suse.com/documentation/sles-12/book\_sle\_deployment/data/sec\_update\_sle\_paths.html](https://www.suse.com/documentation/sles-12/book_sle_deployment/data/sec_update_sle_paths.html) [/QUOTE] Another option is to first upgrade SLES11 SP3 to SLES12 SP2 and then upgrade to SLES12 SP3. However my preferred option would be to first upgrade SLES11 SP3 to SLES11 SP4 (so you’re still dealing with SLES11) and then upgrade to SLES12 SP3 (so you jump to latest SLES12 in one go). Either way you should be clear about why you’re upgrading to SLES12. If it’s just to keep up-to-date with a supported release then that’s fine but if you’re upgrading to use a particular new feature that could depend on your current setup. The obvious one that springs to mind is Btrfs and snapshots - unless you’re already using Btrfs with SLES11 SP3 upgrading to SLES12 will not magically give you that in which case you might be better off migrating to a freshly installed SLES12 SP3 server. HTH. ---
**Author:** ![kgroneman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f1d935/32.png) [@kgroneman](https://forums.suse.com/u/kgroneman)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/inplace-upgrades/30367/4 "2017-09-27T17:19:58Z")
Simon, Aaron, Let me introduce you to Jennifer Bitondo. Many moons ago, shortly after dinosaurs became extinct, Jenn provided KP technical support. You can see her in many of our pictures like the 2003 Orlando pics. She’s the cute ginger hair girl. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jennjennb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5ac83/32.png) [@jennjennb](https://forums.suse.com/u/jennjennb)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/inplace-upgrades/30367/5 "2017-09-27T17:45:57Z")
This is great info. My company is out of date and not great at patching but getting to sp4 seem like it wouldn’t be to difficult. If you can believe it … I just upgraded like 500 servers from PA-RISC / Itanium to Linux SLES11 this year… and that was FUN! I may hit you up with some more questions… THANKS!!! It sure has been way too long since I have been in these FORUMS!! Jenn 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@ab1](https://forums.suse.com/u/ab1)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 1:03am UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/inplace-upgrades/30367/6 "2017-09-28T01:03:35Z")
On 09/27/2017 08:54 AM, jennjennb wrote:[color=blue] > This is great info. My company is out of date and not great at patching > but getting to sp4 seem like it wouldn’t be to difficult. If you can > believe it … I just upgraded like 500 servers from PA-RISC / Itanium to > Linux SLES11 this year… and that was FUN![/color] That does sound like fun; I wish I could have some fun like that, but I’ve still never seen an Itanium machine in my life. 🙂 [color=blue] > I may hit you up with some more questions… THANKS!!![/color] Please do; as a KP/Sysop you know how it works, and how we somehow enjoy people dropping in with questions. Stick around and join us again. [color=blue] > It sure has been way too long since I have been in these FORUMS!![/color] Easily resolved. Ask lots of questions and we will make up lots of answers; if you’re luck, some may even be valid. – Good luck. If you find this post helpful and are logged into the web interface, show your appreciation and click on the star below. If you want to send me a private message, please let me know in the forum as I do not use the web interface often. ---
**Author:** ![mrosen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@mrosen](https://forums.suse.com/u/mrosen)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2017, 12:48pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/inplace-upgrades/30367/7 "2017-09-28T12:48:17Z")
Aaron, Am 28.09.2017 um 00:03 schrieb ab:[color=blue] > Please do; as a KP/Sysop you know how it works, and how we somehow enjoy > people dropping in with questions. Stick around and join us again.[/color] Jenn wasn’t a KP/Sysop, she was a Novell Employee supporting us Sysops together with Pam. Hi Jenn! ## CU, Massimo Rosen Micro Focus Knowledge Partner No emails please! [http://www.cfc-it.de](http://www.cfc-it.de)