This recipe will guide you through the tasks required to upgrade VMM 2008 R2 SP1 to VMM 2012, showcasing the possible options and actions. It will then highlight the upgrade path to VMM 2012 SP1.
Note
A direct upgrade from VMM 2008 R2 SP1 to VMM 2012 SP1 is not supported. You need first to upgrade to VMM 2012. See the Upgrading to VMM 2012 SP1 section in this recipe to upgrade VMM 2012 to VMM 2012 SP1.
Go through the recipe Checking the VMM system requirements and preparing for the upgrade after deciding the upgrade method (in-place upgrade or upgrade to another server), and make sure you've installed all of the prerequisites.
If you're planning an in-place upgrade of VMM 2008 R2 SP1 running on a server with an OS other than the supported version, first upgrade the OS, and then carry out the steps to upgrade to VMM 2012, as described in this recipe.