I guess it's about time to upgrade, but I have a company-crucial server app running, and I don't want to have any downtime beyond what is necessary (shut down the app, upgrade B4J, run the app again, back in business).
Is it possible to install two versions of B4J on the same PC so I can test? Or should I just upgrade and, if it fails, downgrade again?
Short Answer: Yes
Long Answer : Yes but, make sure you install to a different folder than the previous version, and you set the paths accordingly.
A few versions ago "we" changed Jetty versions, so keep that in mind
I would start by testing on a separate test server in an isolated environment to ensure everything works satisfactorily with test data. You can install the server in a separate directory alongside the existing server, but you'll need to use a different port number and network address (for example, port 80 and port 8080/443). After that, simply move the port numbers and any network addresses of the new software web server and restart it once you've shut down the old server within the minimum timeframe of the restart.