A system and method is disclosed for providing an online software upgrade in a switch in a telecommunications system. The switch comprises: 1) a main processing unit for executing call process client applications associated with call connections; and 2) call application nodes for executing call process server applications; and 3) system management nodes. A configuration management controller associated with a system management node executes an online software upgrade for the software in the switch while the switch is executing the software that is being upgraded. Each new software upgrade is tested before the software upgrades are made operational in the switch.