Endpoint Protection

We're still on ver 12.1.6_MP6.  So is the server.

For ver 14 it sounds like a clean install is recommended (or the only option).  Uninstall SEP ver 12.  Install ver 14.

With users in several locations, desktops and laptops, etc. I don't see that being possible even if it's all automated, not to switch all users to ver 14 at once.

Standing up a new SEPM ver 14 server might be an option.  Easy way to move to a newer OS, and it's a fresh SEPM install of ver 14.  

I was told our license covers our current ver 12 and ver 14.  

Is it an option to keep our ver 12 SEPM server and ver 12 SEP users and set up a completely separate ver 14 SEPM server and start installing ver 14 on user machines?  Or can ver 12 user machines still pull updates from a ver 14 SEPM server?  I'm not seeing a way to switch to ver 14 without standing up a new server, at least not a way that doesn't leave machines hanging for a while.

You could stand up a new 14 environment if you wish and than move the clients over by replacing the sylink or just push out version 14 to them via the new SEPM.

Steps are here:

Upgrade or migrate to Endpoint Protection 14

Follow below steps -

1. Check if system requirements are met - 

https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.INFO3982.html

2. If your current server and database meets the above requirements then you can "upgrade" (not remove or install new SEPM) to SEPM 14

3. Download and install SEPM 14 on the existing server (Take database and server private key backup before this)

4. After upgrading SEPM 12.x to SEP 14.x, it's time for SEP clients to upgrade

5. You can do that in many ways, the best way is auto upgrade -

https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.TECH96789.html#upgrade

6. there are other ways as well like export the package and manually install or using clientremote.exe 

Hope this helps your query.

Or if you stand up a new server with the same version of SEP as you currently have and then setup replication between the new and old. Once they are connected update the management server list to make the new server the priority 1 and the old server priority 2 (Policies > Policy Components > Management server lists). Then wait as the machines check in they will all swap over to the new SEPM. Once you are happy they have all moved over. Sever replication and just upgrade the SEPM to 14. That way it will have replicated all the policy and group structure from your old SEPM too. 

Ah, thanks.  I didn't study ver 14 out too much after I saw issues with blue screens and log ins not working.  I saw somewhere about doing a clean install of ver 14 so I thought you couldn't upgrade anything from 12 to 14.  Sounds like the normal process then except it's a version change instead of a point-something upgrade change.

Yeah you can do the normal upgrade over any 12.1 and above instalation. It's only older versions you can't directly upgrade over. 

Upgrading the management server
https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.HOWTO81090.html

Upgrade to Symantec Endpoint 14
https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.TECH236071.html?redirect=false#step5

Thanks.

Can someone in the know fill me in on the ver 14 "refresh" update?  That's where I saw you have to do a clean install with it, can't upgrade, or something.

You can use either version since they're both considered current. Since you don't have a 14 environment up yet, install the latest one which is the refresh.