Before you begin the upgrade process, it is essential to read the release notes for your target version so you understand the required upgrade and migration tasks. This information helps you plan a safe and effective upgrade.

About this task

1. Read the release notes for your target version. Review upgrade and migration tasks that you will need to complete before or after your upgrade.
   • ServiceNow provides release notes for every release. The release notes offer valuable information about new functionality, notable changes, and fixes available in a particular version. Read the Quebec release notes to determine whether the upgrade contains functionality you need and fixes that resolve any issues affecting your instance. The release notes can also help you determine whether items you previously customized are being upgraded.
   • For Quebec-specific upgrade considerations, see Pre- and post-upgrade tasks for various products.
   • If you are thinking about upgrading to the Orlando family, problem (PRB) fixes can be an important factor in your upgrade plans. You can generate a list of Personalized PRB release notes for upgrades to Orlando. Compare the lists of fixed problems across various Orlando upgrade scenarios to help you decide which release version to upgrade to.
2. Complete the preparation and planning tasks in Phase 2 of the Upgrade planning checklist.

   The checklist contains a list of planning tasks that guide you through various aspects of upgrade preparation. You are guided through tasks such as scoping, gathering stakeholders, identifying features to disable and enable, and creating test plans to use throughout the upgrade. Follow these steps to ensure that all aspects of your organization are ready for the upgrade.

3. To better prepare for the upgrade, evaluate the level of customizations on your instances.

   For information on customization best practice guidelines, visit the Customer Success Center website.

   Table 1.

   Complexity score	Customization examples
   Low	Modification to form layout/design Add fields and/or UI policies to forms Build simple custom integration Extend an existing table (such as incident) in scope with new fields only
   Low-medium	Extend an existing table (such as incident) in scope with some scripting Extend an existing table (such as incident) as the basis for a different application, such as HR
   Medium	Build a new scoped application
   Medium-high	Build a new global application
   High	Change baseline business rules (such as modifying the SLA process) Build a complex custom integration

4. Create a comprehensive test plan that includes test cases for all core instance functionality and integrations, including any customizations you may have.

   To efficiently test and evaluate system functionality, create a set of detailed test scripts for your testing team to use. You will use this test plan throughout each instance upgrade.

   Instance	Type of testing required
   Development	Conduct smoke tests.
   Test	Use the ServiceNow Automated Test Framework to assist you in testing your non-production instances. You can use Automated Test Framework quick start tests and product testing suites to help you jump start your testing before and after upgrades. For a list of available tests and activation information, see Quick start tests. For extra testing coverage, you can also conduct user acceptance testing (UAT) on your non-production instances.
   Production	Conduct UAT. Note: The Automated Test Framework is intended for use on non-production instances. On your production instance, conduct UAT only.