Windows – In-place upgrade Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2012 R2 with System Center and SQL Server products installed

system-centerwindowswindows-server-2012windows-server-2012-r2

I'm upgrading a demo environment from Windows Server 2012 to 2012 R2. All of the System Center products in the environment have already been upgraded to 2012 R2 from 2012 SP1. In the interest of my sanity and schedule, I was hoping to do an in-place upgrade of the OS on these servers.

The environment runs the following applications:

  • AD Directory Services (will not be upgraded in-place)

  • System Center 2012 R2:

    • Configuration Manager

    • Operations Manager

    • Virtual Machine Manager

    • Service Manager

    • App Controller

    • Orchestrator

  • SQL Server 2012 to support System Center products (no failover clusters, mirroring, shipping, or AlwaysOn):

    • Database Engine w/ Full Text Search

    • SSRS

    • SSAS

I can't find any official documentation from Microsoft about whether in-place upgrades with these products installed is explicitly supported. I'd imagine that means that it is supported, but I thought I'd see if anyone has actually done this, or is aware of an official support statement in one direction or the other.

Best Answer

Not sure if you would be happy with this statement or not, here is the official statement:

Configuration Manager supports installing System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager to upgrade a site that runs Configuration Manager SP1. You can run the upgrade on the site servers of central administration sites and primary sites. After a primary site upgrades, you can then use the Configuration Manager console to upgrade secondary sites to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj822981.aspx

Updated answer:

The in-place OS upgrade is officially supported for Window Server 2012 to Window Server 2012 R2

Updated details for the in-place upgrade of the site server operating system. Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2012 R2 is supported.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2013/12/19/announcement-configuration-manager-documentation-library-update-for-december-2013.aspx

Full Detail:

Configuration Manager supports an in-place upgrade of the operating system of the site server in the following situations:

  • In-place upgrade to a higher Windows Server service pack as long as the resulting service pack level remains supported by Configuration Manager.
  • In-place upgrade from Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2012 R2.

Configuration Manager does not support the following Windows Server upgrade scenarios.

  • Any version of Windows Server 2008 to any version of Windows Server 2008 R2 or later.
  • Any version of Windows Server 2008 to any version of Windows Server 2012 or later.
  • Any version of Windows Server 2008 R2 to any version of Windows Server 2012 or later.

Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg682077.aspx

Additional Info:

Some users may find this link also particularly useful: Upgrade Sequencing for System Center 2012 R2

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