OK, if that tool takes backup of the database, one way or another, and you know how to restore, you could rely on that backup. But if you are uncertain, you may want to take a regular SQL backup just in case. Apply the COPY_ONLY option so it does not interfer with the regular backup system (in case they are doing differentials).
In place Upgrade from Sql 2014 to 2022
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pdsqsql
436
Reputation points
Hello,
I am planning to perform Sql server 2014 to 2022 on Windows server 2022.
I have done following before upgrade:
- Verified Sql server 2014 is at SP3
- Done Assessment and nothing breaking change except depreciated datatype.
- We will be taking Windows image/Snapshot backup
- Windows server has .Net 4.8
- Database size is 1 TB+
Do we need still Regular Sql Database backup as will have Windows Server Snapshot?
Could you please suggest anything else?
What should be the Migration/Upgrade plan?
I am thinking following steps:
- Run the SQL Server 2022 setup media as administrator.
- Select Installation > Upgrade from a previous version of SQL Server.
- Follow the wizard prompts, accepting license terms and selecting instances to upgrade.
Thanks for your help!
SQL Server | Other
Answer recommended by moderator
Answer recommended by moderator
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Erland Sommarskog 133.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator2026-03-14T21:48:58.93+00:00
2 additional answers
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Erland Sommarskog 133.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2026-03-13T21:45:53.3266667+00:00 By all means take regular SQL Server backups as well! You can never have too many backups!
It was only a few weeks ago where I tried to help someone who had some upgrade operation failing, and then reverted the VM back to a snapshot. For some reason, full-text indexing had now stopped working.
If this is a virtual machine, clone the VM and run the version upgrade on the clone first to verify that everything runs well.
If this is a physical machine, it's more difficult to run a faithful test, but I would still recommend that you do.
It is a supported upgrade path, but I never tried an in-place upgrade that spans this many versions.
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pdsqsql 436 Reputation points
2026-03-13T22:03:22.8433333+00:00 Erland,
Thanks. I agreed taking Sql backup will be always good idea.
Any thoughts, while upgrading Sql DB Size will impact?
I am just trying to get rough estimate that how long it will take time whole In-Place upgrade process considering 1 TB+ DB size.
fyi.. we don't have any non production environment.
I am assuming backup it self will take 3+hrs as few months back I have taken 400+ GB size backup on Sahred Network folder which took almost an hour.
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Erland Sommarskog 133.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2026-03-13T22:12:37.3466667+00:00 No non-production environment? You are indeed a gambler!
I would not expect the database upgrade be very dependent on the database size. I believe what is happening is mainly changes to the system tables. Yes, they could be making changes to the page layout, which would require the to touch every page. But that would make the upgrade of a petabyte database prohibitedly expensive, so I would not expect them to do that.
As for how long time the backup takes, you should know that already. I mean, you are already regularly backing up the database, aren't you?
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pdsqsql 436 Reputation points
2026-03-14T21:45:14.0933333+00:00 Yeah, Unfortunately it was before me and may be they don't need it although we have normally non-prod servers.
We are taking backup through 3rd party tool.
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Lakshmi Narayana Garikapati 1,300 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator2026-03-23T09:54:58.2566667+00:00 Hi,pdsqsql
Following up to confirm if the earlier responses addressed your query. If not, please share your questions and we’ll assist further
Thanks,
Lakshmi.
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Lakshmi Narayana Garikapati 1,300 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-03-26T11:32:56.22+00:00 Hi,pdsqsql
Following up to confirm if the earlier responses addressed your query. If not, please share your questions and we’ll assist further
Thanks,
Lakshmi.
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pdsqsql 436 Reputation points
2026-03-31T15:01:00.9+00:00 Thanks Erland for your tips and suggetions, appreciate it!
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Q&A Assist2026-03-13T21:39:11.1366667+00:00 AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn moreA regular SQL Server backup is still required and strongly recommended, even if a Windows snapshot/image is taken. Database backups are the supported and documented recovery method for SQL Server, while VM or OS-level snapshots are an additional safety net, not a replacement.
For an in-place upgrade from SQL Server 2014 SP3 to SQL Server 2022 on Windows Server 2022, the plan should align with the documented upgrade and pre-upgrade guidance.
Key points for the plan:
- Validate supported upgrade path and requirements
- SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SP3 is a supported direct in-place upgrade source for SQL Server 2022 (16.x).
- Verify hardware/OS meets SQL Server 2022 requirements and that the edition/feature set in use is supported in the target edition.
- Review the pre-upgrade checklist items such as supported OS, pending restart, and Windows Installer service status.
- Pre-upgrade planning and checks
- Take full SQL Server backups of all user databases and all system databases (except tempdb), even if a VM/Windows snapshot is taken.
- Review current environment: components in use, client connectivity, and any features that may behave differently or be deprecated.
- Consider third-party components (backup tools, monitoring, etc.) for SQL Server 2022 compatibility.
- Run the SQL Server System Configuration Checker (SCC) via Setup to detect blocking issues before scheduling downtime.
- Choose and execute the in-place upgrade
- In-place upgrade is supported and is the simplest approach when some downtime is acceptable.
- Steps (refining the outline already listed):
- Log on with an account that has local admin and SQL sysadmin rights.
- Mount or copy the SQL Server 2022 installation media and run
Setup.exeas administrator. - In SQL Server Installation Center, select Installation → Upgrade from an earlier version of SQL Server.
- On Product Key, specify the appropriate key/edition.
- Proceed through the wizard (rules checks, feature selection, instance selection) until Ready to upgrade, then select Upgrade.
- Wait for completion and review the Complete page and summary log for any warnings or failures.
- Post-upgrade tasks
- Verify SQL Server version and edition after upgrade.
- Validate application connectivity and run smoke tests on critical workloads.
- Review any deprecated features or behavior changes identified in the assessment and adjust as needed.
Given the 1 TB+ database size, plan sufficient downtime for the in-place upgrade and ensure backups (both SQL and snapshot) are completed and tested (e.g., test restore on another instance if possible) before starting.
References:
- Validate supported upgrade path and requirements