In-place upgrade paths of SQL Server are shown below.
Note: You’ll need to take into consideration:
- Operating Systems may not be supported between different versions of SQL Server ref: https://akawn.com/blog/2019/01/sql-server-supported-operating-systems/
- Upgrading between 32-bit and 64-bit is not possible.
- Don’t upgrade to an unsupported version unless your final destination is a supported version or you have to.
- Read the readme.
| Destination 2008 | 2008 R2 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2017 | 2019* | |
| Source 2005 | ✔ | ✔1 | ✔2 | ✔2 | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| 2008 | ✔ | ✔3 | ✔4 | ✔5 | ✔5 | ✔ | |
| 2008 R2 | ✔6 | ✔7 | ✔8 | ✔8 | ✔ | ||
| 2012 | ✔9 | ✔10 | ✔10 | ✔ | |||
| 2014 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| 2016 | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| 2017 | ✔ |
1 Minimum SQL Server 2005 SP2
2 Minimum SQL Server 2005 SP4
3 Minimum SQL Server 2008 SP2
4 Minimum SQL Server 2008 SP3
5 Minimum SQL Server 2008 SP4
6 Minimum SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1
7 Minimum SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2
8 Minimum SQL Server 2008 R2 SP3
9 Minimum SQL Server 2012 SP1
10 Minimum SQL Server 2012 SP2
* Unknown at this stage but SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 are not blocked