Abstract: A system and method for converting a software system from a first version to a second version. Conversion software is treated as a series of individual conversion steps that, taken together, convert the software system. A conversion database stores a list of conversion steps and associated capabilities. Each conversion step performs a partial conversion of the software system, and different combinations of the conversion steps may be utilized to convert the software system from the first version to the second version, with each combination requiring a different number of steps. A Generic Upgrade Engine (GUE) builds a conversion graph from the list of available conversion steps and capabilities, and searches the graph to determine the shortest path from the first version to the second version. This creates a conversion program with the fewest number of conversion steps. If a requested version is not supported, the GUE selects the closest alternative.