Understanding Downgrade Protection for Scheduled Upgrades and PatchesSummary<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } When multiple upgrades or patches are scheduled for an instance, a change may occasionally target a version older than the version already installed. To prevent unintended downgrades, ServiceNow provides a built-in safeguard called Downgrade Protection. What is Downgrade Protection? Downgrade Protection automatically detects when a scheduled upgrade or patch targets a version older than the current version running on the instance. If this occurs, the scheduled change is automatically skipped at runtime, preventing the instance from being downgraded. For example, if an instance has these changes scheduled: Change 1: An end-of-life (EOL) upgrade to Australia Patch 2 is scheduled for an earlier date.Change 2: Zurich Patch 7 patch is scheduled for a later date. Once the instance is upgraded to Australia Patch 2, the later Zurich Patch 7 patch is identified as an older release family and is automatically skipped when its scheduled execution time is reached. Skipping a Lower Version Upgrade To skip a scheduled upgrade or patch to a lower version, schedule a higher-version upgrade before the lower-version change is due to run. Once the instance is upgraded to the higher version, any pending change requests targeting a lower version will be automatically cancelled or skipped on their scheduled date by the Downgrade Protection feature. Note: Downgrade Protection ensures that scheduled changes targeting versions older than the current version are automatically skipped at runtime. This protects the platform from regression and helps prevent bugs or inconsistencies that may result from reverting to an older version. FAQ Do I need to manually cancel a lower-version change? No. If the instance is upgraded to a higher version before the lower-version change executes, Downgrade Protection will automatically skip the lower-version change at runtime. How can I skip a scheduled upgrade to a lower version? Schedule or reschedule an upgrade to a higher version before the lower-version change is due to run. Once the higher version is installed, Downgrade Protection will automatically prevent the lower-version change from being applied. Related Links<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } ServiceNow versions and release familiesManage and schedule instance upgradesUse comments to request support for patch and EOL changes