Upgrade checklist for 4.x patch release

This chapter describes how to prepare to upgrade the Neo4j DBMS to a newer PATCH release within the same MAJOR and MINOR version.

Before you start preparing for the upgrade, it is very important to read the information in Understanding upgrades and migration and Supported upgrade and migration paths.

Follow the checklist to prepare for upgrading your Neo4j deployment:

If you are upgrading a Causal Cluster, complete the checklist for each cluster member.

Prerequisites

  1. Verify that you have installed Java 11.

  2. Review the improvements and fixes that have been carried out in the version that you want to upgrade to.

Back up your current deployment

Depending on your particular deployment and environment, it is important to design an appropriate backup and restore strategy. For more information about what to consider when deciding on your backup and restore strategy, what needs to be backed up, and the different backup modes and options, see the Operations Manual → Backup and restore planning page of your version.

Prepare a new neo4j.conf file to be used by the new installation

Prepare a neo4j.conf file to be used by the new installation if you have any custom values configured in your old neo4j.conf file. Look for:

  • Any non-default settings.

  • Any custom values of the settings dbms.directories.* and dbms.default_database.

  • (In cluster installations) Cluster-specific configuration settings, which might be different for the different cluster members.

Perform a test upgrade

Based on the findings in this chapter, allocate a staging test environment for the upgrade and do a test upgrade. The test upgrade will give you valuable information about the time required for the production upgrade. Follow the steps as per your Neo4j version and deployment type.

Monitor the logs

The neo4j.log file contains information on how many steps the upgrade will involve and how far it has progressed. It is a good idea to monitor this log. For more information, see Operations Manual → Log files.