### Value Prop Upgrading GitHub Enterprise Server now requires about 20 minutes less downtime. Starting with GHES 3.21, pre-upgrade steps that previously ran during the maintenance window can now be run beforehand, while the appliance is still serving traffic. ### Expected Outcome Downtime during upgrades is one of the most significant friction points for GHES customers. Starting in 3.21, the pre-upgrade steps run while the appliance is still live, moving ~20 minutes of work outside the maintenance window and reducing total downtime accordingly.