Due to a change in the packaging for Couchbase Server 1.8.1 on Windows you need to run the package installation twice in order to register the package and upgrade correctly. The correct steps are:

Once the process has completed, you can start Couchbase Server 1.8.1 and re-add and rebalance your node into your cluster.

If you are upgrading from Membase Server 1.7 you should take a backup and copy your configuration files, before uninstalling the existing Membase Server product. This will keep the data files in place where they will be upgraded during the installation and startup of Couchbase Server 1.8.

Step-by-step instructions are probided below:

After every node has been upgraded and restarted, and you can monitor its progress of "warming up". For more details, see Section 11.2, “Monitoring startup (warmup)” . Turn your application back on.

By using environment variable flags during installation you may optionally take more control of the upgrade process and results. The available environment variables are:

Example flag usage for RedHat / CentOS:

INSTALL_DONT_START_SERVER=1 INSTALL_DONT_AUTO_UPGRADE=1 \
    INSTALL_UPGRADE_CONFIG_DIR=/opt/membase/var/lib/membase/config \
    rpm -i couchbase-server-community_x86_64_1.8.1.rpm

For Ubuntu

INSTALL_DONT_START_SERVER=1 INSTALL_DONT_AUTO_UPGRADE=1 \
    INSTALL_UPGRADE_CONFIG_DIR=/opt/membase/var/lib/membase/config \
    dpkg -i couchbase-server-community_x86_64_1.8.1.deb

Example output when using flags, first uninstalling the existing Membase Server 1.7.x:

[root@localhost ~]# rpm -e membase-server
Stopping membase-server[ OK ]
warning: /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/config/config.dat saved as /opt/membase/var
/lib/membase/config/config.dat.rpmsave
[root@localhost ~]# INSTALL_DONT_START_SERVER=1 INSTALL_DONT_AUTO_UPGRADE=1
INSTALL_UPGRADE_CONFIG_DIR=/opt/membase/var/lib/membase/config rpm -i
couchbase-server-community_x86_64_1.8.1r-55-g80f24f2.rpm
Upgrading couchbase-server ...
/opt/couchbase/bin/cbupgrade -c /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/config -a yes
Skipping cbupgrade due to INSTALL_DONT_AUTO_UPGRADE ...
Skipping server start due to INSTALL_DONT_START_SERVER ...
You have successfully installed Couchbase Server.
Please browse to http://localhost.localdomain:8091/ to configure your server.
Please refer to http://couchbase.com for additional resources.
Please note that you have to update your firewall configuration to
allow connections to the following ports: 11211, 11210, 4369, 8091
and from 21100 to 21299.
By using this software you agree to the End User License Agreement.
See /opt/couchbase/LICENSE.txt.
[root@localhost ~]#

After using the INSTALL_DONT_AUTO_UPGRADE option, you can use the /opt/couchbase/bin/cbupgrade program later to fully control the upgrade steps. It's command-line options include:

[root@localhost ~]# /opt/couchbase/bin/cbupgrade -h
Usage: cbupgrade [-c path/to/previous/config/dir] [-a AUTO] [-d FILENAME] [-n] [-s FACTOR]
-c <path/to/previous/config/dir>
-- example: -c /etc/opt/membase/1.6.5.3.1
-a <yes|no>
-- automatic or non-interactive mode; default is 'no';
'yes' to force automatic 'yes' answers to all questions
-d <dbdir_output_file>
-- retrieve db directory from config file and exit
-n -- dry-run; don't actually change anything
-s <free_disk_space_needed_factor>
-- free disk space needed, as a factor of current bucket usage
-- default value is 2.0
-- example: -s 1.0

The cbupgrade program can be run using the -n flag, which tells cbupgrade to not modify any files, but just describe the changes it would make. For example:

[root@localhost ~]# /opt/couchbase/bin/cbupgrade -c /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/config -nDry-run
mode: no actual upgrade changes will be made.
Upgrading your Couchbase Server to 1.8.1r-55-g80f24f2.
The upgrade process might take awhile.
Analysing...
Previous config.dat file is /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/config/config.dat.rpmsave
Target node: ns_1@127.0.0.1
Membase/Couchbase should not be running.
Please use: /etc/init.d/couchbase-server stop
or: /etc/init.d/membase-server stop
Is the Membase/Couchbase server already stopped? [yes|no]
yes
Database dir: /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/data
Is that the expected database directory to upgrade? [yes|no]
yes
Buckets to upgrade: default
Are those the expected buckets to upgrade? [yes|no]
yes
Checking disk space available for buckets in directory:
/opt/membase/var/lib/membase/data
Free disk bucket space wanted: 0.0
Free disk bucket space available: 177790963712
Free disk space factor: 2.0
Ok.
Analysis complete.
Proceed with config & data upgrade steps? [yes|no]
yes
SKIPPED (dry-run): Copying /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/config/config.dat.rpmsave
SKIPPED (dry-run): cp /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/config/config.dat.rpmsave /opt/couchbase/var
/lib/couchbase/config/config.dat
Ensuring bucket data directories.
SKIPPED (dry-run): Ensuring bucket data directory: /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/data/default-data
SKIPPED (dry-run): mkdir -p /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/data/default-data
SKIPPED (dry-run): Ensuring dbdir owner/group: /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/data
SKIPPED (dry-run): chown -R couchbase:couchbase /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/data
SKIPPED (dry-run): Ensuring dbdir owner/group: /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/data
SKIPPED (dry-run): chown -R couchbase:couchbase /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/data
Upgrading buckets.
Skipping already converted bucket: /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/data/default-data
Skipping already converted bucket: /opt/membase/var/lib/membase/data/test0-data
Done.