In this article, we will discuss the steps on how to upgrade Microsoft SQL Server 2019 to 2022. Microsoft SQL Server is a proprietary relational database management system developed by Microsoft. This upgrade process is the same as when upgrading from Microsoft SQL server 2017 to 2019 and so on. Please see how does DELL Free Fall Data Protection work, and how to use the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter to Test Application Compatibility on Windows 11.

Note: Before upgrading your Microsoft SQL 2019 to 2022. It is essential to have the right backup in place in case of restoration. Kindly assess Microsoft documentation for specific requirements. Lastly, test the upgrade process in a test (controlled) environment to ensure compatibility with your existing applications and infrastructure.

While the above is been considered, you should communicate the downtime to stakeholders and users of the system as this can have potential impacts on users during the transition.

Please see how to fix “Microsoft SQL Evaluation period has expired: How to upgrade SQL Server instance,” and the differences between various Editions of Microsoft SQL Server. See how to install MSSQL Server 2019 Developer Edition and SSMS on Windows, and how to download and install Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Express edition and SSMS?

Why upgrade Microsoft SQL Server 2019 to 2022

There are numerous reasons for performing upgrading from Microsoft SQL Server 2019 to SQL Server 2022. I would not go into much detail this topic has been dealt with here “how to install SQL Server 2022 Express and SQL Server Management Studio“.

Every version of SQL Server brings performance enhancements, whether it’s in query execution speed, indexing, or other areas. SQL Server 2022 may offer optimisations that can make your database operations faster and more efficient.
Microsoft SQL Server 2022 introduces new features and functionalities that might be beneficial for your organisation. These could include improvements in areas such as high availability, disaster recovery, data warehousing, analytics, and more.
As newer versions are released, support for older versions eventually phases out. Upgrading to SQL Server 2022 ensures that you continue to receive official support from Microsoft, including patches, updates, and technical assistance.

Note: According to the Microsoft documentation. You can upgrade from SQL Server 2012 (11.x), SQL Server 2014 (12.x), SQL Server 2016 (13.x), SQL Server 2017 (14.x), and SQL Server 2019 (15.x). This article lists the supported upgrade paths from these SQL Server versions, and the supported edition upgrades for SQL Server 2022 (16.x).

See how to upgrade Windows Server evaluation to full version, and how to Convert Windows Server Essentials or Evaluation to Retail Edition.

Pre-upgrade checklist

As mentioned earlier, it is very vital to verify that the functionality you’re currently using is supported in the edition to which you’re moving. For instance, Trellix claimed in their product documentation that they support Windows Server 2022 and Microsoft SQL 2022.

But in the installation guide, you will NOT find Microsoft SQL 2022 in it. So when you install SQL server 2022, and initiate ePO installation, the application rolls back and never succeeds.

Here is how to install Trellix ePolicy Orchestrator Installation on Windows Server, and Fixes to Trellix ePolicy Orchestrator Installation Errors.

Before upgrading SQL Server, enable Windows Authentication for SQL Server Agent and verify the default configuration, that the SQL Server Agent service account is a member of the SQL Server sysadmin group.

Note: Ensure your server is properly patched. Upgrade is blocked if there’s a pending restart. Also, upgrade is blocked if the Windows Installer service isn’t running.

SQL Server Support Status

Any version of SQL Server prior to SQL Server 2019 to me are considered legacy versions as support for older versions phases out. Here is the support status of the most recent previous versions:

SQL Server 2012	Extended End Date – Jul 12, 2022	Mainstream End Date – Jul 11, 2017	Start Date – May 20, 2012
SQL Server 2014	Extended End Date – Jul 9, 2024	Mainstream End Date – Jul 9, 2019	Start Date – Jun 5, 2014
SQL Server 2016	Extended End Date – Jul 14, 2026	Mainstream End Date – Jul 13, 2021	Start Date – Jul 14, 2026
SQL Server 2017	Extended End Date – Oct 12, 2027	Mainstream End Date – Oct 11, 2022	Start Date – Sep 29, 2017
SQL Server 2019	Extended End Date – Jan 8, 2030	Mainstream End Date – Feb 28, 2025	Start Date – Nov 4, 2019

Mainstream support entails providing functional bug fixes, security fixes, and implementing new features/feature improvements. Extended support involves solely delivering security fixes.

Once a system exits extended support. Updates cease unless additional extended security support is paid for or the SQL Server instance is migrated to an Azure VM. Since SQL Server 2022 will offer longer mainstream support compared to SQL Server 2019, let’s upgrade.

Recommendation: Run SQL Server on Windows Server 2022

When migrating to SQL Server 2022, using Windows Server 2022 is recommended over older versions of Windows Server. Please see How to install Windows Server 2022 on VMware Workstation, how to install Windows Server 2022 on VirtualBox, and how to Upgrade Windows Server 2019 to 2022 via iDRAC.

While SQL Server 2022 is compatible with Windows Server 2016 and newer. Opting for Windows Server 2022 is advisable to ensure optimal performance and compatibility.

Windows Server 2012	Extended End Data – Oct 10, 2023	Mainstream End Date – Oct 9, 2018	Start Date – Oct 30, 2012
Windows Server 2016	Extended End Data – Jan 12, 2027	Mainstream End Date – Jan 11, 2022	Start Date – Oct 15, 2016
Windows Server 2019	Extended End Data – Jan 9, 2029	Mainstream End Date – Jan 9, 2024	Start Date – Nov 13, 2018
Windows Server 2022	Extended End Data – Oct 14, 2031	Mainstream End Date – Oct 13, 2026	Start Date – Aug 18, 2021

Please see how to fix Keep personal files and apps option greyed out during Upgrade, how to Perform an in-place upgrade from Windows Server 2016 to Windows Server 2019.

SQL Server Compatibility

Note: You can migrate databases from older versions of SQL Server to SQL Server 2022 (16.x), as long as the source database compatibility level is 90 or higher.

Databases with a compatibility level of 90 (for example, on SQL Server 2005 (9.x)), are automatically upgraded to a compatibility level of 100 when migrated to SQL Server 2022 (16.x).

If the compatibility level on the source database is 100 or higher, it is unchanged on SQL Server 2022 (16.x). Please see how to alter a DATABASE compatibility level.

Upgrade Microsoft SQL Server

Note: Upgrading to SQL Server 2022 overwrites the previous version of SQL Server and will no longer exist on your server. Also, SQL Server Installation Wizard provides a single feature tree for an in-place upgrade of SQL Server components to the latest version of SQL Server 2022.

To start the installtion, double click on the SETUP.exe file as shown below. The Installation Wizard starts the SQL Server Installation Center.

To upgrade an existing instance of SQL Server. Click Installation in the left-hand navigation area. Then click on “upgrade from a previous versions of SQL Server”.

On the License Terms page, review the license agreement and accept the license terms.

On the Select Instance page, specify the instance of SQL Server to upgrade and click Next

Here is how to fix Unable to connect to MSSQL Server after changing the Server name. How to enable or disable automatic software updates on Mac, and How to uninstall Microsoft SQL Server on Windows.

Specify Service Account

On the Server Configuration, i.e the “Service Accounts page”- The default service accounts are displayed for SQL Server services. The actual services that are configured on this page depend on the features that you are upgrading.

Authentication and login information will be carried forward from the previous instance of SQL Server. You can assign the same login account to all SQL Server services, or you can configure each service account individually.

You can also specify whether services start automatically, are started manually, or are disabled. Microsoft recommends that you configure service accounts individually. So that SQL Server services are granted the minimum permissions they have to have to complete their tasks.

Click Next to continue!