A platform that has fallen behind on versions can't be updated in a single leap. Here's how to cross several major versions and their technical transitions without breaking production.
Postponing upgrades looks economical in the short term. In the long run, the gap widens: one day the running version is no longer supported, and updating requires crossing several major versions at once — including changes to the underlying Java engine.
You can't jump directly from several versions behind to the latest. Each jump has its incompatibilities, and each Java transition introduces its own risks. Attempted all at once, it's a recipe for prolonged downtime.
A stepping-stone upgrade: you cross the mandatory intermediate versions one at a time, validating stability at each jump and each technical transition. The path is longer, but every step is reversible and verified.
Nimbax planned and oversaw an upgrade of this kind, taking a Data Center platform across several major versions of lag with the successive Java transitions, with no risky jump.
Version debt is compound interest. The longer you wait, the more complex the catch-up. A stepping-stone plan is the only safe way to pay it back.
An Atlassian expert gets back to you directly.
