Decided to use the Paid Remote Upgrade. Worth every penny. Minor post issue, resolved within minutes by Zhang. Post upgrade support, rapid and responsive. Count me in for the next upgrade paid support.
Thanks Zhang

==== Required information ====
- iRedMail version (check /etc/iredmail-release):  0.9.7 -> 0.9.8
- Linux/BSD distribution name and version: Ubuntu 16.04 TLS
- Store mail accounts in which backend (LDAP/MySQL/PGSQL): MySQL
- Web server (Apache or Nginx):Apache
- Manage mail accounts with iRedAdmin-Pro? Yes
- [IMPORTANT] Related original log or error message is required if you're experiencing an issue.
====