Upgrade a NetScaler standalone appliance

Last published : Sep 22, 2026
Before upgrading the system software, make sure that you read the Before you begin section and complete the prerequisites such as backing up the necessary files and downloading the NetScaler firmware.

Upgrade a NetScaler standalone appliance by using the GUI

Follow these steps to upgrade a standalone NetScaler to release 13.1 by using the GUI.
  1. In a web browser, type the IP address of the NetScaler, for example http://10.102.29.50.
  2. In User Name and Password, type the administrator credentials (nsroot/nsroot) and then click Log On.
  3. Navigate to System and click System Upgrade.
  4. From the Choose File menu choose the appropriate option: Local or Appliance. If you want to use the Appliance option, the firmware must be uploaded to the NetScaler first. You can use any file transfer method such as WinSCP to upload the NetScaler firmware to the appliance.
  5. Select the correct file and click Upgrade.
  6. Follow the instructions to upgrade the software.
  7. When prompted, select Reboot.
After the upgrade, close all browser instances and clear your computer's cache before accessing the appliance.

Upgrade a NetScaler standalone appliance by using the CLI

Follow these steps to upgrade a standalone NetScaler to release 13.1 by using the CLI:
In the following procedure, <release> and <releasenumber> represent the release version you are upgrading to, and <targetbuildnumber> represents the build number that you are upgrading to. The procedure includes optional steps to avoid losing any updates that are pushed to the /etc directory during the upgrade.
  1. Use an SSH client, such as PuTTy, to open an SSH connection to the appliance.
  2. Log on to the appliance by using the administrator credentials. Save the running configuration. At the prompt, type:
    save config
  3. Switch to the shell prompt by running the following command:
    shell
  4. Create a copy of the ns.conf file. At the shell prompt, type:
    • cd /nsconfig
    • cp ns.conf ns.conf.NS<currentreleasenumber><currentbuildnumber>
    You should back up the configuration file to another computer.
  5. IMPORTANT:
    It is important that both the upgrade changes and your customizations are applied to an upgraded NetScaler appliance. So, if you have customized configuration files in the /etc directory, perform the pre-upgrade steps in Upgrade considerations for customized configuration files
  6. Create a location for the installation package. At the shell prompt type:
    • cd /var/nsinstall
    • cd <releasenumber>
      Note:
      If the desired release number directory is not present, create one using the following command:
      mkdir <releasenumber>
      Example:
      mkdir 13.1
    • mkdir build_<targetbuildnumber>
    • cd build_<targetbuildnumber>
  7. Copy the already downloaded NetScaler firmware to the build directory that you have created in the preceding step, by using any file transferring method such as WinSCP. See the Before You Begin section for more information about downloading the NetScaler firmware.
  8. Extract the contents of the installation package. Example:
    tar –xvzf build-13.1-37.2_nc_64.tgz
  9. Run the installns script to install the new version of the system software.
    ./installns
    Note:
    During CLI upgrade, you might see the following prompt:
    Do you wish to delete old signature files and kernel images?
    In most cases, select No to retain older kernel images and corresponding signature files. Select Yes only if /flash has insufficient free space and cleanup is required to continue the upgrade.
  10. When prompted, restart the NetScaler.
  11. IMPORTANT:
    It is important that both the upgrade changes and your customizations are applied to an upgraded NetScaler appliance. So, if you have customized configuration files in the /etc directory, perform the post-upgrade steps in Upgrade considerations for customized configuration files
See the following example of NetScaler firmware upgrade.
login: nsroot

Password: nsroot

Last login: Mon Apr 17 15:05:05 2018 from 10.252.243.134

Done

> save config

> shell

Last login: Mon Apr 17 15:05:05 2018 from 10.252.243.134

root@NSnnn# cd /var/nsinstall

root@NSnnn# cd 13.1

root@NSnnn# mkdir build_43.1

root@NSnnn# cd build_43.1

root@NSnnn# ftp &lt;FTP server IP address>

ftp> mget build-13.1-41.1_nc.tgz

ftp> bye

root@NSnnn# tar xzvf build-13.1-41.1_nc.tgz

root@NSnnn# ./installns

installns version (13.1-41.1) kernel (ns-13.1-41.1_nc.gz)

...

Copying ns-13.1-41.1_nc.gz to /flash/ns-13.1-41.1_nc.gz ...

...

Installation has completed.

Do you wish to delete old signature files and kernel images? [Y/N] N

Reboot NOW? [Y/N] Y

How to upgrade a standalone NetScaler appliance by using the CLI

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Upgrade a NetScaler standalone appliance by using the NITRO API

To use NITRO API to upgrade or downgrade a NetScaler, see Automate NetScaler Upgrade and Downgrade with a Single API.

Verify entities status on the NetScaler appliance after upgrading

After the NetScaler appliance is upgraded, verify the status of the following entities:
  • Virtual servers are in UP state
  • Monitors are in UP state
  • GSLB sites synchronize without any issues
  • All certificates are present on the appliance
  • All the licenses are present on the appliance

Check and install NetScaler 13.1 software update

Update the NetScaler software when an update is available, for better performance. A NetScaler update can include feature improvements, performance fixes, or enhancements. Make sure that you read the release notes to see what fixes and enhancements are available in the update. To check and install a software update, do the following.
  1. In the NetScaler home page, click Check for Update from the nsroot menu at the top right corner.
  2. In the Latest System Software Updates Available page, check the available software update that you can install.
  3. Click Download to download the installation package from the NetScaler download website.
  4. After you have downloaded the software package, install the update through either CLI or GUI procedure.
Note
The Check for Update link is accessible only if you log into the GUI through HTTP protocol and not through HTTPS protocol.

Related resources

The following resources provide related information about upgrading or downgrading a NetScaler appliance: