---
title: After you add new servers
description: The DS server upgrade process preserves the existing configuration as much as possible. This maintains compatibility, but there are more steps you must take.
component: pingds
version: 8.1
page_id: pingds:upgrade-guide:after-you-upgrade
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8.1/upgrade-guide/after-you-upgrade.html
revdate: 2025-10-22T14:42:39Z
keywords: ["Compatibility", "LDAP", "Migration", "Replication", "Setup & Configuration", "Troubleshooting", "Upgrade"]
section_ids:
  overview: Checklist
  upgrade-tuning: Tune settings
  upgrade_complete: Upgrade complete
---

# After you add new servers

The DS server upgrade process preserves the existing configuration as much as possible. This maintains compatibility, but there are more steps you must take.

## Checklist

Use this checklist to make sure you don't miss these important post-upgrade tasks:

* [icon: square-o, set=fa]Back up your directory data.1

* [icon: square-o, set=fa]Update your scripts to account for [Incompatible changes](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/release-notes/changes.html).

* [icon: square-o, set=fa]Plan your move away from [deprecated](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/release-notes/deprecation.html) features.

* [icon: square-o, set=fa]Move to dedicated service accounts for your directory applications.2

* [icon: square-o, set=fa]Manually review and purge the DS server configurations for stale references to old servers.3

* [icon: square-o, set=fa]Update bootstrap replication servers.4

* [icon: square-o, set=fa]Review [what's new and changed](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/release-notes/index.html) and adopt useful improvements.

* [icon: square-o, set=fa][Tune settings](#upgrade-tuning).

1 Backup files are *not* compatible between versions.

2 You would not run all your applications as the Linux root user or the Windows Administrator. Stop using superuser accounts like `cn=Directory Manager` or `uid=admin` as service accounts. Many DS setup profiles create service accounts for applications to use when authenticating to DS. For examples of AM service accounts, refer to the `base-entries.ldif` files in setup profiles under the `opendj/template/setup-profiles/AM` directory.

3 You can read the `opendj/config/config.ldif` file to find stale references, but always use the [dsconfig](../tools-reference/dsconfig.html) command to make changes to the configuration.

4 After you upgrade by adding new servers, but before you retire old servers, update bootstrap replication server settings to [remove the old servers](../config-guide/repl-bootstrap.html#remove-bootstrap-replication-server), and [add the new DS servers](../config-guide/repl-bootstrap.html#add-bootstrap-replication-server).

## Tune settings

Major software releases include significant changes that can render existing tuning settings obsolete. When upgrading to a new major release of DS or Java software, revisit the system configuration, server configuration, and Java settings. As part of the upgrade process, adjust the settings appropriately to align your deployment with the new software version.

Learn more in the [release notes](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/release-notes/requirements.html) and [Performance tuning](../config-guide/tuning.html).

## Upgrade complete

* [icon: check-square-o, set=fa]Perform [these steps](before-you-upgrade.html) before you add servers

* [icon: check-square-o, set=fa]Add new servers:

  * [icon: check-square-o, set=fa]Follow [these instructions](add-new-servers.html) unless upgrading from DS 7.4.0

  * [icon: check-square-o, set=fa]Follow [these instructions](from-740.html) when upgrading from DS 7.4.0

* [icon: check-square-o, set=fa]Perform [these steps](after-you-upgrade.html) after you finish adding servers