You can upgrade an instance from SQL Server 2012 Basic Edition to SQL Server 2016 High-availability Edition.

For details about the functional differences between different versions and editions, see Functions supported by different versions and editions of SQL Server.

Billing description

For details about the billing for version upgrade, see Billing details about configuration change.

Impact

After the upgrade is completed, you must switch over services. The downtime caused by the switchover varies depending on the instance size. In most cases, switchover can be completed within 20 minutes. We recommend that you switch over services during system maintenance. Make sure each application can be reconnected in the event of disconnection.

Prerequisites

The instance must be one of the following editions:
  • SQL Server 2012 Enterprise Edition
  • SQL Server 2012 Web
  • SQL Server 2012 Standard Edition (Basic Edition)

Precautions

Your instance cannot be rolled back to SQL Server 2012 Basic Edition after the upgrade is completed.

Warning We recommend that you create a pay-as-you-go instance to test the version compatibility before the upgrade.

Procedure

For more information, see Upgrade from Basic Edition to High-availability Edition.