关于升级到新版本

通过将企业升级到新发布的版本，可以受益于 GitHub Enterprise Server 的各种新功能和缺陷修复。

GitHub Enterprise Server is constantly improving, with new functionality and bug fixes introduced through feature and patch releases.

Feature releases include new functionality and feature upgrades and typically occur quarterly.

Starting with GitHub Enterprise Server 3.0, all feature releases begin with at least one release candidate. Release candidates are proposed feature releases, with a complete feature set. There may be bugs or issues in a release candidate which can only be found through feedback from customers actually using GitHub Enterprise Server.

You can get early access to the latest features by testing a release candidate as soon as the release candidate is available.

For performance, stability, and security reasons:

  • Do not install a release candidate in a production environment. Release candidate builds are intended solely for use in a test or staging environment.
  • Do not upgrade to a release candidate from a supported, earlier version. Instead, install a release candidate in a new, test environment.
  • Do not upgrade from the release candidate to later versions when they are released, including generally available releases. Instead, destroy the release candidate environment as soon as the generally available release is available.

As you test a release candidate, please provide feedback by contacting support. For more information, see "GitHub Support documentation."

We'll use your feedback to apply bug fixes and any other necessary changes to create a stable production release. Each new release candidate adds bug fixes for issues found in prior versions. When the release is ready for widespread adoption, GitHub publishes a stable feature release.

Patch releases, which consist of hot patches and bug fixes only, happen more frequently. Patch releases are generally available when first released, with no release candidates. Upgrading to a patch release typically requires less than five minutes of downtime.

To set up a completely new GitHub Enterprise Server instance and configure the instance however you like, see "Setting up a GitHub Enterprise Server instance" and "Configuring GitHub Enterprise."

To upgrade your existing instance to a new release, see "Release notes" and "Upgrading GitHub Enterprise Server." Because you can only upgrade from a feature release that's at most two releases behind, use the Upgrade assistant to find the upgrade path from your current release version.

Warning

An upgrade to a new feature release will cause a few hours of downtime, during which none of your users will be able to use the enterprise. You can inform your users about downtime by publishing a global announcement banner, using your enterprise settings or the REST API. For more information, see "Customizing user messages for your enterprise" and "REST API endpoints for GitHub Enterprise administration."

Further reading