Demo Upgrading Jenkins

Upgrading Jenkins with minimal downtime requires planning and the built-in Prepare for Shutdown feature. In this guide, we’ll cover:

• Checking for new Jenkins releases
• Reviewing changelogs
• Preventing new builds during the update
• Performing the WAR file upgrade
• Verifying the new version

1. Choose Your Jenkins Release

Navigate to the Jenkins download and deployment page. Compare the Stable (LTS) and Weekly packages:

2. Check for Updates on Your Dashboard

Log in to Jenkins and go to Manage Jenkins. The dashboard shows pending updates and plugin advisories:

Click Changelog to review the release notes:

For example, upgrading from 2.462.1 to 2.492.1 brings critical security fixes and performance improvements. Copy the WAR URL (e.g., https://updates.jenkins.io/download/war/2.492.1/jenkins.war) for the next step.

3. Prepare Jenkins for Upgrade

Before replacing the WAR, enter shutdown mode so existing builds finish and no new builds start:

1. Go to Manage Jenkins → Prepare for Shutdown
2. Add a reason (e.g., “Planning for upgrade”) and confirm

A banner appears and all new build requests queue:

Monitor the build queue to ensure no jobs are running:

Any attempt to start a new job—like ascii-build-job—will now wait until after the upgrade:

4. Upgrade the Jenkins WAR

On your Jenkins host, run the following commands:

# Stop Jenkins
sudo systemctl stop jenkins

# Backup the existing WAR
sudo mv /usr/share/java/jenkins.war /usr/share/java/jenkins.war.bak

# Download the new WAR
sudo wget -O /usr/share/java/jenkins.war \
  https://updates.jenkins.io/download/war/2.492.1/jenkins.war

# Restart Jenkins
sudo systemctl start jenkins

5. Verify the Upgrade

After Jenkins restarts, log back in and confirm the new version under Manage Jenkins or in the dashboard footer. It should display 2.492.1.

Links and References

• Jenkins Downloads
• Jenkins Changelog (LTS)
• Jenkins “Prepare for Shutdown” Documentation