---
title: Directory server
description: This page shows how to upgrade a directory server in place.
component: pingds
version: 8.1
page_id: pingds:upgrade-guide:upgrade-ds
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8.1/upgrade-guide/upgrade-ds.html
revdate: 2025-10-22T14:42:39Z
keywords: ["LDAP", "Upgrade"]
section_ids:
  next_steps: Next steps
---

# Directory server

This page shows how to upgrade a directory server in place.

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | Before upgrading, make sure you stop the server. Once you have unpacked the new server files, do not modify the server configuration until after you have completed the upgrade process.Failure to follow the upgrade instructions can result in the loss of all user data. |

1. Make sure you've completed the tasks in [Before you upgrade in place](before-you-upgrade-in-place.html).

2. Stop the server.

3. Proceed to upgrade the server:

   1. When upgrading a server installed from the cross-platform ZIP distribution:

      * [Unpack the new files over the old files](../install-guide/install-files.html).

      * If the existing server uses a Java version that is no longer supported, follow the steps in [Java updates](../security-guide/java.html), but do not restart the server yet.

      * Run the [upgrade](../tools-reference/upgrade.html) command to bring the server up to date with the new software delivery.

        By default, the `upgrade` command runs interactively, requesting confirmation before making important configuration changes. For some potentially long-duration tasks, such as rebuilding indexes, the default choice is to defer the tasks until after upgrade.

        You can use the `--no-prompt` option to run the command non-interactively. In this case, the `--acceptLicense` option lets you accept the license terms non-interactively.

        When using the `--no-prompt` option, if the `upgrade` command cannot complete because it requires confirmation for a potentially long or critical task, then it exits with an error, and a message about how to finish making the changes. You can add the `--force` option to force a non-interactive upgrade to continue in this case, also performing long-running and critical tasks.

   2. When upgrading a server installed from native packages, use the system package management tools.

   Although unlikely, when the server configuration has changed in an incompatible way with the previous release, the `upgrade` command can fail when performing property value substitution for a configuration expression. If this happens, change the configuration to a static value during upgrade. Use the configuration expression again after you successfully run the `upgrade` command.

4. When the mutable data mounted at runtime differs from that of the instance where you first run the `upgrade` command, upgrade only mutable data by running the command again with the `--dataOnly` option at runtime.

   The `--dataOnly` option can be useful when running the server in a Docker container, for example.

5. Start the upgraded server.

   At this point, the upgrade process is complete. Refer to the resulting `upgrade.log` file for a full list of operations performed.

   Replication updates the upgraded server with changes that occurred during the upgrade process.

6. If you disabled the Windows service to upgrade, enable it again:

   ```powershell
   windows-service.bat --enableService
   ```

## Next steps

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

* [icon: square-o, set=fa]Upgrade each:

  * [icon: check-square-o, set=fa][Directory server](upgrade-ds.html)

  * [icon: square-o, set=fa]*[Directory proxy](upgrade-proxy.html)*

  * [icon: square-o, set=fa]*[Replication server](upgrade-rs.html)*

  * [icon: square-o, set=fa]*[HDAP gateway](upgrade-rest.html)*

* [icon: square-o, set=fa]Perform [these steps](after-you-upgrade-in-place.html) after you upgrade