Before you begin the upgrade process, read the Madrid release notes and review the upgrade and migration tasks for your applications and features.

System upgrades can be significant projects. Each ServiceNow feature release includes major additions, and you should always consider the impact of new functionality on an instance. Upgrading implements enhancements to all features that are part of the base system or are already active, unless the feature is customized on your instance. For a list of all available plugins and whether they are active by default on the base system, see List of Madrid plugins.

Careful preparation and knowledge of the available software, tools, and resources can contribute to a successful upgrade. In addition to the materials provided by ServiceNow, it is important to understand how your ServiceNow instance is currently operating and the performance level of key business functionality. Set the expectation with IT and business users that time must be dedicated to preparing for, implementing, and testing ServiceNow upgrades.

If you have any issues during the upgrade process, contact ServiceNow Technical Support. ServiceNow Technical Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist you with any questions or issues.

For additional help with upgrades, ServiceNow also offers various Production Readiness Services. These services specifically address challenges with instance upgradability, manageability, scalability, and performance. The reviews are performed by a ServiceNow-certified professional consultant, who provide recommendations to align customer configurations with ServiceNow best practices. Contact your ServiceNow sales representative for more details.

Upgrade and update durations in Madrid

Supported upgrades

You can upgrade directly to the latest release family. If multiple software versions are involved in your upgrade, be sure to consult the release notes for each version between your current version and the target version. For more information about release terminology and availability phases, see the ServiceNow Release Cycle [KB0547244] article in the HI Knowledge Base.

Upgrades and the ServiceNow Store

The ServiceNow Store includes official applications that are developed and released by ServiceNow. Users can download, access, and configure ServiceNow Store apps on their instances.

Starting in the Madrid release, new versions for a ServiceNow Store app can be defined in patch and family releases. This includes the ability to define a minimum version and/or a hotfix for a version you already have installed. From Madrid onwards, if your instance has an installed app version below the defined minimum version, the app will be upgraded to the minimum required version. Similarly, if your instance has an installed app below the defined hotfix version, your app will be upgraded to the hotfix version.

For example, consider an application that defines these versions in a release: 1.7.1, 2.4.0, and 3.0.1. In this example, version 1.7.1 is the minimum version. Versions 2.4.0 and 3.0.1 are hotfix versions.

Upgrades vs. updates

ServiceNow organizes its releases into families. A family is a set of releases that are named after a major city, such as Madrid. Families also contain patches and hotfixes. For example, the following releases are both part of the Madrid family:

• Madrid Patch 4
• Madrid Patch 3 Hotfix 2

Upgrading is the act of moving to a release that is in a different family than your current release. For example, a move from London Patch 7 to Madrid Patch 3 is an upgrade because London and Madrid are different families.

Updating is the act of moving from one patch or hotfix to another within the same release family. For example, a move from Madrid Patch 1 to Madrid Patch 3 is an update because both versions are part of the Madrid family.

In both cases, the target release is Madrid Patch 3. It is the difference between your current and target release family that determines whether you are upgrading or updating.

Features, patches, and hotfixes

Each release family contains features, patches, and hotfixes.

A feature provides a complete solution that customers can implement to add value to their organization. New features are generally only available as part of a feature release. Features are supported with patches and hotfixes.

For more information about release terminology and availability phases, see the ServiceNow Release Cycle [KB0547244] article in the HI Knowledge Base.

Rollbacks and backups

When you plan an upgrade, remember that ServiceNow does not provide a universal rollback option. Rollbacks are available for upgrades (for example, Madrid patch-to-patch and Madrid patch-to-hotfix). The rollback window is 10 days by default. You can customize this window by modifying the glide.rollback.expiration_days property. To request a rollback, contact ServiceNow Technical Support.

Avoid restoring a production instance from backup, when possible, due to downtime and data loss. When a problem cannot be solved using other methods, restoring a production instance from backup is a final option. ServiceNow can restore an instance to any point in time, regardless of when a backup is completed. ServiceNow Technical Support provides support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for assistance with critical post-upgrade issues.

Testing throughout upgrades

Testing is an integral portion that occurs after each instance is upgraded. After you upgrade an instance, test and validate it.

If you encounter any post-upgrade issues, document the issue's conditions, steps to reproduce the issue, and your customizations. Contact ServiceNow Technical Support to open an incident for each issue, and provide this information accordingly. ServiceNow Technical Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist you with any questions or issues.