It's not necessary to upgrade to 8.0.1 to avoid the datetime.xml problem. You can also install 7.2.9.1 (which I recommend) or 7.3.3.1.
If you really want to upgrade directly to 8.0.1 then, yes, you can do so. See https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/8.0.1/Installation/HowtoupgradeSplunk#Upgrade_paths_to_.... Since it's a major version change, I recommend upgrading your test system first.
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If this reply helps you, Karma would be appreciated.
