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Upgrading your PowerSyncPro Server

A step-by-step guide to seamlessly updating the PowerSyncPro Service and database.

The Scenario

To take advantage of new features, performance improvements, and security patches, you will occasionally need to upgrade your PowerSyncPro Server. Upgrading is designed to be highly straightforward: the installer supports direct, in-place upgrades, automatically migrating your database schema to the latest version during the installation process.

This guide outlines the safe upgrade path for standard and high-availability environments, highlighting critical pre-requisites and version-specific steps.

Pre-Upgrade Checklist

Before running the upgrade installer, ensure you have completed the following preparation steps:

  • [ ] Perform a SQL Database Backup: Since PowerSyncPro relies on Microsoft SQL Server for its database, always perform a full backup of your SQL database (e.g., PowerSyncProDB) before starting the upgrade. This ensures a safe roll-back point if any issues occur.
  • [ ] Verify Installer SQL Permissions (Critical): Ensure that the active Windows Administrator account running the upgrade MSI has administrative access (ideally sysadmin or db_owner) to the SQL Server database. Because the installer must execute database schema migrations and tables updates during the installation process, the upgrade will fail if the person running the installer lacks database modification rights.
  • [ ] Backup appsettings.json (Critical): If you have made any custom modifications to your PowerSyncPro server's configuration—such as custom Kestrel ports, connection strings, or SSL bindings—manually copy and backup your existing appsettings.json file (typically located in C:\Program Files\Declaration Software\PowerSyncPro). Some versions of the MSI installer do not automatically back up or merge the existing configuration, meaning your custom settings could be overwritten and lost during the upgrade process.
  •  [ ] Backup PowerSyncProData.Local.dat (Critical): Manually copy and backup the local encryption key file located at C:\ProgramData\Declaration Software\PowerSyncPro\PowerSyncProData.Local.dat. This file contains the unique cryptographic keys used to encrypt and secure sensitive data (such as Active Directory passwords, service account credentials, and pre-shared keys) inside your SQL database. If this file is lost or overwritten during the upgrade, the PowerSyncPro service will be completely unable to decrypt your database, rendering your existing configuration unreadable. 
  •  [ ] Backup web.config: If your PowerSyncPro server utilizes an IIS Reverse Proxy for external access, manually copy and backup the web.config file located in your web root directory (typically C:\inetpub\wwwroot). Running the MSI installer can reset IIS site configurations, overwriting the reverse proxy settings stored in this file.
  • [ ] Backup Server Configuration (Highly Recommended): Log into the PowerSyncPro Admin Portal, navigate to Global Settings --> Configuration, and download a full backup of your server configuration.
  • [ ] Identify the Active Service Account: Determine which service account runs the PowerSyncPro Windows service (e.g., a Group Managed Service Account / gMSA, a traditional AD account, or Local System). The upgrade installer will preserve this run-as context, but you must ensure you are running the installer as an administrator with permissions to modify this service.
  • [ ] Download the Latest Binaries: Retrieve the latest version of the PowerSyncProInstaller.msi from the official PowerSyncPro Downloads and Documentation Portal.

📞 Need Help? Support is Here If you experience any issues after performing the upgrade, please do not hesitate to contact our team via the PowerSyncPro Support Desk. PowerSyncPro Support engineers can assist you with restoring your downloaded server configuration backup to get your environments quickly back online.

Step-by-Step Upgrade Process

PowerSyncPro does not require you to uninstall the previous version before upgrading. An uninstall/reinstall flow is strictly not recommended for upgrades, as it can break service bindings, clear local configurations, and require you to recreate server security relationships.

To perform an in-place upgrade:

  1. Log on to the server hosting the central PowerSyncPro Service using the Windows account that holds the required Local Administrator and SQL database write permissions.
  2. Navigate to the directory where you downloaded the latest PowerSyncProInstaller.msi.
  3. Double-click the PowerSyncProInstaller.msi file.
  4. Click Next on the Welcome screen.
  5. Accept all default installation paths and configurations, then click Install.
  6. The upgrade will commence. During this phase, the installer will automatically apply any pending schema updates directly to your database.
  7. Once the installation wizard completes, click Finish.

Post-Upgrade Verification

Once the installer has finished, verify that the service is running and reporting the correct version:

  1. Open a local web browser on the server and navigate to the admin portal endpoint (typically http://localhost:5000 or your custom reverse proxy URL).
  2. Verify that you can log in successfully. Note that the service can take up to a minute to fully initialize on its first startup as it negotiates its SQL database connection.
  3. Look at the bottom-right corner of the administrative webpage to verify your updated version string.
  4. Open the Windows Services console (services.msc) and confirm that the PowerSyncPro service is running and its startup type is set to Automatic.