# Server Host Update & Upgrade

## Overview

Any operating system or distribution updates, as well as version upgrades, are the responsibility of the customer or hosting support.

You can find a list of supported distributions in the [system requirements](/helmut4-releases/getting-started/tech-specs/helmut4-server.md).

### Updates

Please always update the staging system before applying updates to the production server.

### Upgrades

When upgrading a distribution, it's best to do so outside of production hours. We generally recommend setting up a new virtual machine (VM) instead of upgrading an existing operating system. This way, you'll have a full backup in case of any issues.

After everything is up and running smoothly, you can restore the Helmut configuration from within the preferences.

Refer to: [Backup & Restore](/helmut4-releases/helmut4-components/helmutfx/preferences.md#backup-and-restore)

#### Cluster Upgrade

Our recommendation for upgrading from an older Ubuntu version, such as 20.04 LTS, to a newer one like 24.04 LTS is to create a new set of virtual machines (VMs) initially.

Once these VMs are configured and everything is working as expected, you can then restore the configuration.

After confirming that everything is functioning correctly, you can change the DNS entry to redirect users to the new cluster. In the event of an error, you can quickly revert back to the old cluster.


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.helmut.de/helmut4-releases/getting-started/upgrade-guide/helmut4-server/server-host-update-and-upgrade.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.