Upgrading SCCM 2012 R2 to SCCM 1511

Upgrading the SCCM 2012 R2 lab to SCCM 1511 is simple as long as you prepare your environment and make sure you backup your system. This is the first step, but I’m also planning to upgrade to 1607, so we can get started in deploying Windows 10 with SCCM and migrating MDT within our SCCM server. Big thank you for Anthony E, for hooking us up with the ISO files to continue our series.

To upgrade your SCCM server it takes some prepping and it depends on the actual SCCM version you have to determine if you are able to upgrade successful. Here are the path requirements:

• You can upgrade directly to SCCM 1511 if you’re running the following versions. Cumulative Update are not mandatory)
  • SCCM 2012 SP1
  • SCCM 2012 SP2
  • SCCM 2012 R2
  • SCCM 2012 R2 SP1
• If you’re running SCCM 2012 (non-SP), you need to apply first install Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2 before upgrading.
• If you’re running a Technical Preview on your lab server. Completely uninstall it before doing a fresh install. An upgrade is not supported from a Technical Preview version
• If you’re running SCCM 2007 a side-by-side migration is still possible but you must first start by a fresh install on a separate server. Supported SCCM 2007 is SP2+

Prerequisites

• If you have a hierarchy with a Central Administration Site and multiple Primary Site, start with the top of the hierarchy (CAS) and go down, upgrading all Primary Sites and Secondary Sites.
• You need to upgrade your ADK version to version 10 before the upgrade process.
• If you’re planning to use Windows 10 Servicing, you need to consider applying this important WSUS update  to your Windows Server.

Step 1: Get your copy of the latest Windows ADK files

Step 2: Go into Control Panel

Step 3: Then get into Programs and Features

Step 4: Locate the old Windows ADK and remove it from your machine

Step 5: Once the old Windows ADK installation is removed from the server, start installing the latest Windows ADK on your SCCM server

Step 6: Open up your Microsoft SQL management

Step 7: Backup your SCCM database

Step 8: Start the installation of SCCM 1511

Step 9: Click on Next

Step 10: We are doing an upgrade, so make sure “Upgrade the Configuration Manager site” is checked off and click on Next

Step 11: Check off “I accept these license terms” and click on “Next”

Step 12: Check off all three options and click on the Next

Step 13: create a folder on your C drive or second partition and point that folder here. Normally, it will be 56 files that are download into the folder.

Step 14: Pick your server language and click on Next

Step 15: Pick your client language and click on Next

Step 16: Read the usage data section (you’re not going to read it – ha) click on Next

Step 17: By default it will choose the first option, which is what we need so click on Next, but make sure it’s pointing to the correct server

Step 18: We are doing an upgrade, so click on Next

Step 19: This is the scary part, because if you have any errors it won’t let you upgrade. I only received three warnings do the the SQL setup. Fix your error and warnings and click on Begin Install to start the upgrade process

Step 20: Once you’re done you will get this dialog box

Step 21: If you want to double check the process go and locate ConfigMgrSetup file. Pick the one with the latest time stamp. It’s located in the root of the C drive.

Step 22: Go to the very bottom of the log file and you see that the upgrade was successful

Step 23: Open your SCCM console and click on the upper left corner and pick “About Configuration Manager”

Step 24: Congrats your SCCM was upgraded to 1511 which is also known as 5.0.8325.1000