AEM 6.5 LTS: Upgrade 6.5.1 to 6.5.2 | Community
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Magicr
Magicr
Level 6
July 16, 2026
Question

AEM 6.5 LTS: Upgrade 6.5.1 to 6.5.2

  • July 16, 2026
  • 6 replies
  • 97 views

 I have an running AEM 6.5.1 LTS instance that contains a lot of own content and code packages, as well as own configurations. Now  I want to upgrade this instance to 6.5.2. I download the release service pack and figured out, the “service pack” is a jar and not a single zip file.

My current experience is when I execute this jar file I will get an instance with default and lose my content. 

Does not really exists another way? 

    6 replies

    chaudharynick
    chaudharynick
    Level 4
    July 16, 2026

    Hi ​@Magicr 

    can you please check software distribution and look for service pack package. it should be available as content package

    BrianKasingli
    Adobe Champion and Community Advisor
    BrianKasingliAdobe Champion and Community Advisor
    Adobe Champion and Community Advisor
    July 16, 2026

    You will not lose your existing content simply because the service pack is provided as a JAR.

    For AEM 6.5 LTS, there are two possible approaches:

    1. In-place upgrade

      Replace the existing Quickstart JAR with the new SP2 JAR and start it against the existing crx-quickstart repository. Your content, configurations and installed packages remain in the existing repository.

      Adobe documentation:
      https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/experience-manager-65-lts/content/implementing/deploying/upgrading/in-place-upgrade

    2. Sidegrade using Oak-upgrade

      Create a separate AEM 6.5 LTS instance and migrate the repository content using Oak-upgrade.

      Adobe documentation:
      https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/experience-manager-65-lts/content/implementing/deploying/upgrading/aem-65-to-aem-65lts-content-migration-using-oak-upgrade

    However, the Oak-upgrade document is specifically written for migrating from AEM 6.5 to AEM 6.5 LTS. For a normal AEM 6.5 LTS SP1 to SP2 update, the in-place Quickstart JAR upgrade is the more direct approach.

    Running the new JAR in an empty directory creates a new default instance. For an in-place upgrade, it must be used with your existing crx-quickstart repository.

    Take a complete backup and test the upgrade in a lower environment before upgrading production.

      Magicr
      MagicrAuthor
      Level 6
      July 17, 2026

      Thanks for your answer. I tried the first step. I used the command “-unpack”. After this, a new jar file was created in crx-quickstart/app. I deleted the old one and started my instance again. Result: The file error.log contains a lot of errors. When I called my updated instance via browser nothing works, except the system console. The overview page for bundles shows me a lot of stopped ones (I guess more than twenty) and I’m unable to start those.

      A
      akhil_merupula
      Level 4
      July 22, 2026

      Hi ​@Magicr,

       

      System console reachable but 20+ bundles stopped usually means the framework started and one low-level bundle failed to resolve, cascading upward. Which one determines the fix, so check error.log for the first Unable to resolve ... missing requirement ... osgi.wiring.package line:

       

      • Missing package is a JDK one (javax.xml.namespace, org.xml.sax, javax.annotation) → Java version mismatch. The system-package list in sling.properties doesn’t match the JDK you started with. Check your JDK against the 6.5 LTS technical requirements before anything else.

      • Missing package is an Adobe/Granite/Sling one with a version range → the launchpad is half-upgraded, old SP1 bundles still resolving alongside new ones.

       

      Also check /system/console/productinfo. If it still reports 6.5.1, the new launchpad never bootstrapped and the swap didn’t actually take.

       

      On procedure, the SP2 release notes sequence differs from editing crx-quickstart/app directly: the new Quickstart JAR goes in the install directory outside crx-quickstart, you run -unpack there, rename the unpacked JAR to match role and port (cq-author-4502.jar), then start. crx-quickstart/app gets regenerated by that process rather than maintained by hand.

       

      One clarification on ​@chaudharynick suggestion, for 6.5 LTS the service pack ships only as a Quickstart JAR. There’s no Package Manager ZIP equivalent, so Software Distribution won’t have a content-package version to fall back on.

       

      Given the current state, I’d restore the backup and redo it cleanly rather than try to repair the bundle cache in place.

       

      [link: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/experience-manager-65-lts/content/release-notes/release-notes]

      Magicr
      MagicrAuthor
      Level 6
      July 22, 2026

      Yes and no. The file 6.6.x.jar provides a complete cms application. This way creates a full clean runnable instance.

      The parameter “-unpack” extracts  a new jar file, wich is copied into crx-quickstart/app folder. It seems it does nothing else.. Previous created code and content packages do still exists in application folder. If you start your instance then the result creates an instance as described above.

      Again: Does exists a way to update, e .g. from 6.6.1 to 6.6.2, without creating a new instance. I ask because Adobe provides these files 6.6.1.jar and 6.6.2.jar as “Service Pack”

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