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Upgrade ArcGIS Server

ArcGIS Server 10.6.1 is provided as a setup program and is executed through a utility named Setup.exe.

Caution:

Upgrading ArcGIS Server will restart all of your services. You should consider your ArcGIS Server site offline during the upgrade.

Prepare to upgrade ArcGIS Server

Before upgrading, carefully review the following information. See the full list of frequently asked questions for upgrading ArcGIS Server.

Note:
If you are upgrading ArcGIS Server from 10.1 to 10.6.x, an in-place upgrade is not supported. You must uninstall the 10.1 software and then install ArcGIS Server 10.6.x.
  • If you are upgrading to 10.6.1 from version 10.5.1 or earlier, you will need to reauthorize your software with a new authorization file for 10.6.1. You can access your new authorization files in My Esri. If you are upgrading from version 10.6, you do not need to re-authorize.
  • Running the 10.6.1 setup will automatically upgrade your ArcGIS Server to 10.6.1. There is no need to obtain and install each previously released version in sequence, or to uninstall your previous version of ArcGIS Server.
  • For your ArcGIS Enterprise portal to function, it must be the same version as your hosting server. You also need to re-install your Web Adaptor instances to the same version as ArcGIS Server.
  • The recommended order to upgrade your 10.6.1 deployment is the following:
    1. Upgrade Portal for ArcGIS
    2. Upgrade ArcGIS Web Adaptor (for Portal)
    3. Upgrade ArcGIS Server (update hosting server first, then any other servers)
    4. Upgrade ArcGIS Web Adaptor (for Server)
    5. ArcGIS Data Store (upgrade primary first, then stand-by)
  • If you have already configured an enterprise geodatabase as the managed database for your hosting server and you are upgrading to 10.6.1, you will need to conduct a few additional steps. Once you've upgraded Server, you will need to register the enterprise geodatabase as a database (as opposed to a managed database). Then, install ArcGIS Data Store and register it as a relational data store. This will configure ArcGIS Data Store as your hosting server's managed database.
  • Your ArcGIS Enterprise portal's version must match the version of the hosting server, any GeoAnalytics Server, any GeoEvent Server, and any Raster Analytics Server federated with it. However, a 10.6 portal will work with any other federated server that is at version 10.5 or later. For example, a 10.5 GIS Server (that is not the hosting server) and a 10.5.1 Business Analyst Server can be federated with a 10.6 portal, as long as its hosting server is at version 10.6.
  • If you back up your ArcGIS Server site prior to upgrading, you can use the backup if you need to roll back to the previous version. For steps on how to back up your ArcGIS Server site prior to upgrading, see Back up and restore your ArcGIS Server site configuration
  • Do not unfederate any server federated with a portal when you upgrade your deployment. This adversely impacts your portal deployment, as users will be unable to access, share, or use ArcGIS Server services in the portal.
  • If your site is in read-only mode, the site mode will be set to editable for you when you upgrade. After all machines in your site have been successfully upgraded, the site will remain in editable mode. You can switch back to read-only mode once your upgrade is complete.
  • The 10.0 SQL Server-based identity store has been deprecated as of 10.5. Your site will be changed to use a built-in user and group store if you upgrade to 10.6.1 and previously used a SQL Server-based identity store.
  • Before upgrading, clear the cache of all internet browsers used on each machine in your ArcGIS Server deployment.
  • Before you upgrade your ArcGIS Server site, ensure that any databases you use are supported at the upgraded ArcGIS Server release. See the relevant Relational Database Management Systems requirements topic for details.

Upgrade a single-machine site

If you have a single-machine ArcGIS Server site, follow the steps in the sections below to upgrade the ArcGIS Server machine to version 10.6.1. The following options are available to upgrade your ArcGIS Server site:

Upgrade a multi-machine site

If you have a multi-machine ArcGIS Server site, you need to upgrade each machine in the site to version 10.6.1. It's recommended that you upgrade each ArcGIS Server machine sequentially: Wait until the first machine is upgraded before continuing the upgrade on the next one. Each ArcGIS Server machine in the site must be at the same version number and be licensed exactly the same.

If you have a multi-machine ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server site, follow the additional steps in the Upgrade GeoAnalytics Server section below when upgrading.

The following options are available to upgrade your ArcGIS Server machines. Repeat the upgrade steps on each ArcGIS Server machine to upgrade your site to version 10.6.1.

Upgrade using the setup program

Note:

It is recommended that you use setup.exe to upgrade ArcGIS Server to 10.6.1. If organizational restraints prevent you from using setup.exe, see Upgrading an earlier version silently using setup.msi.

  1. During the installation, read the master agreement and accept it, or exit if you do not agree with the terms.

  2. The setup program displays the features that will be installed.

    Select features for installation

    If you see the following dialog box after the Select Features dialog box, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 was not found on your machine. The .NET Extension Support feature requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5. The .NET Extension Support feature is required for server object extension (SOE) and server object interceptor (SOI) development and use. If you intend to develop or use SOEs or SOIs, follow the instructions on the dialog box to install the .NET Extension Support feature.

    Legacy:

    In earlier versions, the ArcGIS Server setup required Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (SP1) to install the .NET Extension Support feature.

    Missing Dependencies dialog box

    The ArcGIS Server account used by your existing installation is prepopulated in the ArcGIS Server Account input box. Provide the password for the ArcGIS Server account. Typically, this is the password you defined when installing the software. If the password has changed since you installed the software, for example, by using the Configure ArcGIS Server Account Utility, you need to provide the password you designated when modifying the account.

    If the password is not validated successfully, an error message is displayed indicating the password is invalid. If you are unsure of the password for the ArcGIS Server account, contact your system administrator or reset your password using the Configure ArcGIS Server Account Utility. For more information, see The ArcGIS Server account.

    If you select the second option, I have a configuration file with the account information generated by a previous run of this setup, the credentials in the server configuration file must be the same credentials used by your existing ArcGIS Server site.

    Specify

  3. If you select Specify the account name and password and manually enter the ArcGIS Server account information, the next dialog box presents you with the option to export a server configuration file. If you do not want to export a configuration file, click Next, and accept the default Do not export configuration file option. If you want to export a server configuration file for future installations, select Export configuration file. Browse to a secure folder and provide a name for the configuration file.

    Note:

    There are several reasons you may want to export a server configuration file:

    • Create the same ArcGIS Server account when installing on multiple machines.
    • Store the account for use when upgrading to a newer version.
    • Perform a silent installation where the user name and password are encrypted.

    Export a server configuration file

    Caution:

    When exporting a server configuration file to a network share, the Local System account on the machine where ArcGIS Server is being installed must have write permissions to the network share. For example, if you're installing ArcGIS Server on a machine named Quick, the Local System account on Quick must have write permission to the network share. If the permissions are not set, the server configuration file may not be exported successfully. If you are unsure how to correctly set permissions for the network share, contact your system administrator or export the server configuration file locally and copy it to the network share.

  4. To complete the installation, follow the directions on the screen.

  5. After the installation completes, the software authorization wizard opens for you to reauthorize ArcGIS Server with a new license file. You can access your new authorization files in My Esri. You can choose to authorize your software later, but you must complete this workflow before moving on to the next step of the upgrade process.

    Note:

    If you will be authorizing your ArcGIS Server as multiple licensing roles, you will need to run the software authorization wizard again, for a total of once for each licensing role you apply to the machine.

  6. Once authorized, ArcGIS Server Manager will automatically open. Click Continue Server Upgrade to complete the upgrade. You must use ArcGIS Server Manager on the local machine where you are running the upgrade to complete this step. You cannot Continue Server Upgrade through a Web Adaptor or load balancer.
    Caution:

    If errors are returned when you Continue Server Upgrade, you may need to address the errors before you can continue. For example, if you encounter an error about an invalid license, you will need to reauthorize the software using a valid license. You may then retry by clicking Continue Server Upgrade again.

  7. If you configured ArcGIS Web Adaptor to work with your site, you'll need to install 10.6.1 as well. For instructions, see the following applicable Web Adaptor:

    If you have a multi-machine ArcGIS Server site, repeat the steps above on the remaining ArcGIS Server machines in your site. Wait until a site has finished upgrading before clicking Continue Server Upgrade on another site.

  8. If you will use the upgraded ArcGIS Server as an ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server or for raster analysis with ArcGIS Image Server and you have not previously used either of these roles, follow these steps to use your upgraded ArcGIS Server site for these purposes:
    1. Be sure you authorized the site with an ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server or ArcGIS Image Server licensing role.
    2. Sign in to the portal federated with your site. Sign in as a member of the default administrator role. The portal URL is in the format https://webadaptorhost.domain.com/<webadaptorname>/home.
    3. Browse to Organization > Edit Settings > Servers.
    4. On the Servers page, click Validate Servers to verify that the federated server you want to use as an ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server or raster analysis server can still communicate with the portal. A green check mark appears next to each valid federated server.
    5. Once you verify the server is valid, configure it as the portal's GeoAnalytics or raster analysis server by choosing the federated server from the Feature Analysis - GeoAnalytics Tools or Raster Analysis drop-down list.
  9. If you are upgrading from a version previous to 10.5 (10.4.1 or earlier), restart the ArcGIS Server service on the machines in the portal's hosting server and the machines in the federated ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server and raster analysis server (ArcGIS Image Server).

If you want the ability to update passwords in registered and managed database connections used by existing services, run the ExternalizeConnectionStrings.bat command utility to update existing service connections.

If you have customized a service with server object extensions (SOEs) or server object interceptors (SOIs), restart the service after upgrading ArcGIS Server.

Silently upgrade

When silently upgrading using setup.exe, you must specify the ArcGIS Server account used by the software. Typically, this is the account you defined when installing the software. If the account has changed since you installed, for example, by using the Configure ArcGIS Server Account Utility, you need to provide the user name and password you designated when modifying the account.

If you do not specify the ArcGIS Server account, or it does not match the ArcGIS Server account used by your current installation, the installation process displays a message indicating the credentials could not be validated. As a result, the installation will exit.

You can determine the ArcGIS Server account by accessing the Configure ArcGIS Server Account Utility from the Start menu on the machine hosting ArcGIS Server. The ArcGIS Serverr account is listed in the dialog box. If you are unsure of the password for the ArcGIS Server account, contact your system administrator or reset your password using the Configure ArcGIS Server Account Utility. For more information, see The ArcGIS Server account.

In the following example, the ArcGIS Server account used by the software is myaccount:

<path to ArcGIS Server setup download folder>\Setup.exe /qb USER_NAME=myaccount PASSWORD=mypassword

After the installation completes, the software authorization wizard opens for you to reauthorize ArcGIS Server with a new license file. You can access your new authorization files in My Esri. You can choose to authorize your software later, but you must complete this workflow before moving on to the next step of the upgrade process.

Note:

If you will be authorizing your ArcGIS Server as multiple licensing roles, you will need to run the software authorization wizard again, for a total of once for each licensing role you apply to the machine.

Once authorized, ArcGIS Server Manager will automatically open. Click Continue Server Upgrade to complete the upgrade.

Note:

You must use ArcGIS Server Manager on the local machine where you are running the upgrade to complete this step. You cannot Continue Server Upgrade through a Web Adaptor or load balancer.

Starting at 10.6, you can also use the upgradeserver command line utility to complete the upgrade and post-upgrade operations silently. In the command line, navigate to your <Server install directory>/tools/upgradeserver folder and run the following: upgradeserver.bat -s. For assistance, run the command with -h or --help.

If you configured ArcGIS Web Adaptor to work with your site, you'll need to install 10.6.1 as well. For instructions, see the following applicable Web Adaptor:

Note:

If you have a multiple machine ArcGIS Server site, repeat the silent upgrade above on the remaining ArcGIS Server machines in your site.

If you want the ability to update passwords in registered and managed database connections used by existing services, run the ExternalizeConnectionStrings.bat command utility to update existing service connections.

Upgrade ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server

If you have a multi-machine GeoAnalytics Server site, you must follow some additional steps when upgrading your deployment.

  1. Stop the ArcGIS Server service on all machines in the GeoAnalytics Server site using the Windows Service Manager desktop app.
  2. Restart each machine in the site. Once restarted, open the Windows Service Manager on each machine; if the ArcGIS Server service is again running, stop the service.
  3. Check for any orphaned ArcGIS Server processes that are known to impede the upgrade process:
    1. Open Task Manager to view running processes. Click More Details if not open by default.
    2. Navigate to the Details tab. Right-click the Name header and click Select Columns.
    3. In the Select Columns dialog, check the Command Line option and click OK. Sort the processes by the Name column.
    4. Look for processes named cmd.exe. In the Command Line column, check for paths beginning with <ArcGIS Server install location>\ArcGIS\Server\. If these processes exist, right-click each and select End Task.
    5. Look for processes named java.exe. In the Command Line column, check for paths beginning with <ArcGIS Server install location>\ArcGIS\Server\. If these processes exist, right-click and select End Task for these processes.
    6. Repeat the above steps for all machines in the GeoAnalytics Server site.
  4. When you have ensured that no orphaned ArcGIS Server processes are still running, follow the upgrade steps in this topic to upgrade the primary machine in your GeoAnalytics Server site, whether you are using the setup program or upgrading silently.
  5. Repeat these steps for each machine in the site.
  6. When all machines have been upgraded, stop the ArcGIS Server service on all machines again. Wait at least five minutes to allow the system to make necessary adjustments.
  7. After at least five minutes have elapsed, use the Services app to restart the ArcGIS Server service on all machines in your site. Again, wait at least five minutes after restarting the service.
  8. Use the Compute Platform Health Check operation in the ArcGIS Server Administrator Directory to verify your GeoAnalytics Server site is ready to use.

Update services to allow password changes

GIS services use the credentials of ArcGIS Server's registered and managed databases to access data. If the service connects to the registered or managed database using a database user, and that user's password changes, the service can no longer access the data. Starting with ArcGIS 10.4, newly published services are configured to allow you to update database passwords. However, if you upgrade ArcGIS Server 10.3.1 or an older release to 10.6.1 and have existing map, feature, or image services that access a database using a database user, you need to run the ExternalizeConnectionStrings.bat command utility to update the services if you want the ability to update registered or managed database passwords used by these services.

Note:

Although the ExternalizeConnectionStrings.bat command will update the database connection, resetting the password will not apply to existing geoprocessing services or their associated result map services. However, you can republish geoprocessing services to your upgraded ArcGIS Server to obtain the type of connection that can be updated to use a new password.

  1. After you upgrade ArcGIS Server on all machines in the ArcGIS Server site, sign in to ArcGIS Server Manager as an ArcGIS Server administrator and validate all registered databases. Go to Site > Data Store and click Validate All.
  2. If any registered database connections are invalid, fix the connection.
  3. Log in to one of the ArcGIS Server machines as a Windows administrator on that machine.
  4. Open a command prompt as a Windows administrator (Run As Administrator) and change the directory to <ArcGIS Server installation directory>\ArcGIS\Server\tools\ExternalizeConnectionStrings.
  5. Run ExternalizeConnectionStrings.bat to update connection functionality for existing map, feature, or image services. For example

    C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Server\tools\ExternalizeConnectionStrings>ExternalizeConnectionStrings.bat

    This will return a list of all services running on the ArcGIS Server site, with messages indicating whether the connection was updated for the service.

Scan for security best practices

Esri recommends using the serverScan.py script to check for security best practices with your ArcGIS Server after installation.