# Upgrade Steps

> Step-by-step Mesa upgrade instructions with per-role timelines and examples for block producers, SNARK workers, archive nodes, and exchanges.

Canonical URL: https://docs.minaprotocol.com/network-upgrades/mesa/upgrade-steps/

The Mesa upgrade proceeds through four sequential phases. Each phase has specific actions for different node operator types.

| Phase | Description |
|---|---|
| [Pre-Upgrade](/network-upgrades/mesa/requirements) | Prepare infrastructure, upgrade to the stop-slot release, run archive upgrade scripts |
| [State Finalization](/network-upgrades/mesa/upgrade-steps/state-finalization) | 100-slot stabilization period — no new transactions accepted, block production continues |
| [Upgrade](/network-upgrades/mesa/upgrade-steps/upgrade) | Network halts, state is exported, Mesa build is published |
| [Post-Upgrade](/network-upgrades/mesa/upgrade-steps/post-upgrade) | Block production resumes on Mesa — verification and health checks for the new network |

**Please note:** A simplified Node Status service will be part of the upgrade tooling and enabled by default in the Pre-Upgrade release with stop-slots ([3.x.x](https://github.com/MinaProtocol/mina/releases)). This feature allows for a safe upgrade by monitoring the amount of upgraded active stake. Only non-sensitive data is reported.

Before proceeding, make sure you have reviewed the [Requirements](/network-upgrades/mesa/requirements) and chosen your [Upgrade Mode](/network-upgrades/mesa/upgrade-modes).

## Walkthroughs by role

The per-phase pages above describe what every role does at each step. For end-to-end narrative walkthroughs with concrete commands by role and deployment style (block producer automode/manual, archive node, zkApp developer, exchange), see the [Examples](/network-upgrades/mesa/upgrade-steps/examples) page.

Role-specific quick references:

- **Block Producers & SNARK Coordinators** — pick a mode on [Upgrade Modes](/network-upgrades/mesa/upgrade-modes). Install commands for automode are in [Upgrade Modes — Installing automode](/network-upgrades/mesa/upgrade-modes#installing-automode).
- **SNARK Workers** — coordinator-spawned workers inherit the coordinator's binary; standalone `mina internal snark-worker` deployments must be redeployed with the Mesa binary after the fork.
- **Archive Node Operators** — Archive nodes do **not** support automode (see [Upgrade Modes](/network-upgrades/mesa/upgrade-modes) for limitations). See [Archive Upgrade](/network-upgrades/mesa/archive-upgrade) for the schema upgrade and trustless/trustful paths.
- **Exchanges** — disable MINA deposits and withdrawals before the _stop-transaction-slot_ and keep them disabled until Mesa block production resumes. See [Exchanges](/network-upgrades/mesa/upgrade-steps/post-upgrade) on the Post-Upgrade page for the re-enable checklist.

:::danger For exchanges
Any transactions submitted after the _stop-transaction-slot_ **will not exist on the Mesa chain**. Disable deposits and withdrawals **before** [State Finalization](/network-upgrades/mesa/upgrade-steps/state-finalization) begins and keep them disabled until block production resumes on Mesa.
:::