When a new version of Jira is released, it is sometimes necessary for Jira to convert older data to a newer format. This is done by a series of 'upgrade tasks' which Jira runs on the data.

Newer versions of Jira don't contain all the upgrade tasks needed to convert data from the very oldest versions of Jira, so sometimes upgrades from very old versions must be performed in several stages. At any given time we, Atlassian, support versions of Jira up to 2 years back, and we actively work to document changes between these versions. Exact changes between older, non-supported versions and current versions aren't always documented.

If you're upgrading Jira and plan on jumping several versions, you should always read the release and upgrade notes to help you plan your upgrade. Depending on your configuration, there may be requirements to upgrade to interim versions to ensure your upgrade is as smooth as possible. You should also check the relevant supported platform. We add and remove support for platforms as we progress, so for example, your current database may not be supported in a newer version.

• Jira Software release and upgrade notes
• Jira Core release and upgrade notes
• Jira Service Management release and upgrade notes

On this page, we'll detail the required versions that cannot be bypassed due to Jira upgrade tasks, and suggested upgrade paths. These upgrade paths do not take into account the supported platfrom upgrades you may need to make.

Jira Core

Jira Core is the base platform of all the Jira applications, and was previously known as Jira prior to October, 2015. 

Jira < 3.X → Jira 4.4.5 → Jira 6.4 →  Jira Core 7.0.x → Jira Core > 7.0

Jira Software

Jira Software previously consisted of Jira and the Jira Agile add-on. When upgrading Jira and the Jira Agile add-on, there are more specific steps required to ensure you're compatible and don't miss any upgrade tasks. The Jira Agile add-on was also previously known as GreenHopper. If you're upgrading from an old version of Jira Agile/GreenHopper, we also suggest you read the Jira Agile release and upgrade notes.

Jira < 3.X → Jira 4.4.5 → Jira 6.4 →  Jira Software 7.0.x →  Jira Software > 7.0

GH < 3.8 → GH 5.7 → Agile 6.3 →  Jira Software 7.0.X →  Jira Software > 7.0

Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management previously consisted of Jira and the Jira Service Management add-on. When upgrading Jira and the Jira Service Management add-on, there are more specific steps required to ensure you're compatible, and don't miss any upgrade tasks. We also suggest you read the Jira Service Management release and upgrade notes.

Jira < 6.1.9 → Jira 6.3.5 → Jira 6.4 →  Jira Service Management 3.0.X → Jira Service Management > 3.0

SD < 1.1.6 → SD 2.0.5 → SD 2.4.2 →  Jira Service Management 3.0.X →  Jira Service Management > 3.0