# Fishbowl Inventory Release Notes, Updates and Upgrade Checklist

> Source: https://netray.co/erp-help/fishbowl-inventory-release-notes-updates-upgrade-checklist
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: ERP Help

## Short answer

Fishbowl publishes release notes with each version through its help center and support site; read them for the version you are moving to, not just the latest. For on-prem installs, an update means upgrading the Fishbowl server first, then clients, after a verified database backup. Test in a copy of production before upgrading the live system.

## Kind

how-to

## System

small-erp

## Erp

Fishbowl Inventory

## Module

Versions / Upgrades / Administration

## Query

fishbowl inventory release notes

## Alternate Queries

- fishbowl inventory updates
- fishbowl upgrade checklist
- how to update fishbowl server

## Applies To

Fishbowl Inventory on-prem server editions; Fishbowl Drive updates are managed by Fishbowl

## Steps

### How to upgrade safely

**Items:**

- Find the release notes for your current version and your target version on Fishbowl's help center. Read every version in between if you are skipping releases.
- Check compatibility: operating system, database version, Java or runtime requirements, integrations and any custom reports or modules.
- Take a full backup of the Fishbowl database and the server files, and verify you can restore it.
- Restore the backup to a test server and run the upgrade there first.
- Test the workflows you rely on: sales order to shipment, purchasing and receiving, manufacturing orders, scanners, integrations and key reports.
- Schedule the production upgrade for a quiet window and tell users. Upgrade the server first, then update each client to match.
- After the upgrade, check integrations, scheduled tasks and custom reports again, and keep the backup until the new version has run for a full cycle.

## Sections

### Reading release notes properly

**Body:**

Release notes list new features, fixes and known issues. For an admin, the useful parts are changes that affect data (new required fields, schema changes), integrations (API changes, deprecated endpoints) and reports (changed tables or columns). Search the notes for each integration and custom report you use.

I do not list specific version numbers here because they change; use Fishbowl's official release notes for the current ones.

### Server, client and database

**Body:**

Fishbowl is a server and client application on a MySQL database, so versions must match between server and clients. A client that is out of step may refuse to connect or behave strangely after the server is updated.

Large databases may take noticeably longer to migrate on first start. Plan for that, and do not interrupt the process.

### After the upgrade

**Body:**

- Monitor for the first few days: integration errors, failed scheduled jobs and user reports of missing fields. Keep a short list of the tests you ran so the next upgrade is faster.
- If something breaks, restoring the pre-upgrade backup is the safe rollback, which is why the verified backup matters.

## Pitfalls

- Upgrading production without a tested restore.
- Skipping several versions and missing a notice that required an intermediate step.
- Forgetting to update clients and integration software after the server.
- Custom reports and API integrations breaking silently after schema or endpoint changes.

## Ai Angle

An on-prem assistant that has indexed the release notes and your own integration and report inventory can answer 'which of our custom reports touch tables changed in this release', saving a manual review. It reads your documents locally; nothing is sent to a public model.

## Faq

### Where are Fishbowl release notes?

**Answer:** On Fishbowl's help center and support site, per version. Read the notes for your target version and any versions you skip.

### How do I update Fishbowl?

**Answer:** Back up, test on a copy, then upgrade the server and update each client to the same version. Fishbowl Drive is updated by Fishbowl.

### Do I need to update every version?

**Answer:** Not always, but check the notes: some releases require an intermediate step. Support can confirm the supported upgrade path.

### Can I roll back a Fishbowl upgrade?

**Answer:** Yes if you took a verified backup before upgrading. Restore the database and reinstall the previous server version.

## Search terms

fishbowl inventory release notes, fishbowl inventory updates, fishbowl upgrade checklist, update fishbowl server, fishbowl version history, fishbowl what's new, fishbowl client server version mismatch, fishbowl upgrade backup

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