# Getting started with upgrading the SMC

Upgrading the SMC updates the system software version, activates the newest dynamic update package, and can include changes to elements. Backing up the system before an upgrade is recommended.

## What SMC upgrades do

In addition to updating the SMC software, the upgrade makes other changes in your SMC:

- New system elements and policies can be added and obsolete system elements can be removed. Elements that are used are not deleted, but instead converted from system elements to regular elements when they have no default role anymore.
- Any element can be updated with new types of options (related to new or changed features), and occasionally obsolete options can be removed or changed.
- A new dynamic update package is activated, unless you have already installed the same or a newer update package before the installation. The previous installation can be the cause of some, but not necessarily all, of the preceding changes listed.
- The online help in the SMC Client is updated.

A summary of changes to elements is created during each upgrade; a link to these HTML reports is displayed when the Management Server upgrade is finished.

## Limitations

All SMC components (Management Server, SMC Client, Log Server, and the optional Web Access Server) must have the same software version. All other components try to connect to the Management Server when they start. They do not start if their software version does not match with the Management Server software version. If you have multiple Management Servers or Log Servers, you must upgrade each server separately so that they have the same software version.

## What do I need to know before I begin?

Although the need to do so is unlikely, the upgrade can be easily reversed if you take the correct precautions. If the SMC upgrade fails, you can automatically revert to the previous installation if you select the option in the installer before the upgrade starts. In any case, we recommend that you take a backup of the Management Server using the SMC’s internal backup tool before you upgrade.

The backup contains all necessary information to restore the configurations (including the engine configurations). The backup does not contain software version or operating system specific information. It can always be restored from an older version of the SMC to a newer version of the SMC if a direct upgrade is supported between the software versions involved.

The SMC is offline during the upgrade. The engines continue to operate normally and store their generated log data in their local spool while the Management Servers and Log Servers are offline. Once connectivity is restored, the spooled log data is transferred from the engines to the Log Servers.

To check which version of the SMC you are currently using, select Help > About in the SMC Client. Also, the SMC Client’s version is displayed in the SMC Client’s logon dialog box.