Sitecore Upgrade Best Practices

Uncertainty around best practices and pages of config changes have intimidated many organizations from going for Sitecore upgrades. Modern upgrade approaches – including edynamics’ automated upgrade tool and Sitecore’s migration utilities - have made the process easier.

Listen to the presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FaRBp0V7LI&t=6s

Transcript

1. SitecoreUpgrade Best Practices
2. Let's talk! • Quick Intro • Why should you upgrade? • Upgrade basics • Research and planning • Recommended approach • Tips for a smooth upgrade
3. Sitecore expert with 12 years of CMS experience and over 10 years of experience on the Sitecore platform. He loves building personalized web experiences using Sitecore's experience platform and helping clients understand Sitecore'scapabilities. Scott has architected many large Sitecoreapplications including sites serving 200+ million page views annually. Hi. I’m Scott. Scott Stocker scott.stocker@edynamic.net @sestocker
4. • Identify reasons to keep Sitecoreon a current version • Identify parts of the upgrade process • Identify areas for research and planning • Review the recommended approach • Get everyone more comfortable with the upgrade process Goals Today
5. Why upgrade?
6. • Support from Sitecore • Browser Compatibility • Server/Database Support • New Features Why Upgrade
7. SitecoreSupport
8. SitecoreSupport
9. Browser Support
10. Server/Workstation OS
11. Database Server
12. • Sitecoretagging /facets for improved search experiences • Item Buckets for improved content architecture • Introduction of xDB • Introduction of xProfile • Integrated Tag Management • SitecoreContentSearch • SPEAK UI improvements • SitecoreItems Web API • Support for MVC ASP.NET 5.1 New Features
13. The Basics
14. • Database • Configuration • New SitecoreFiles • DLL’s • /sitecoredirectory • Code Updates • New Server Roles Components of a SitecoreUpgrade
15. • Have to run steps separately as documented by Sitecore • Download the .update files • Usually Update Installation Wizard • Sometimes database scripts • Upgrades the content database and files on disk • Get needed files from Sitecore • SDN for versions of Sitecorebefore 8 • Dev for 8.0 and above Running the SitecoreUpgrade
16. Running the SitecoreUpgrade
17. Configuration Changes
18. • Usually only required for major versions • For example, ContentSearchAPI from 6.6 to 7.0 • Analytics API changes with xDBintroduction • Introduction of SPEAK • Start with new SitecoreDLL’s • Add to your solution in source control • Look for compilation errors • Test locally • If making several leaps, wait until the final version to make code changes • For example, if going from 6.6 to 8.1, don’t stop at 7.0 to make ContentSearchchanges Code Changes
19. • If you are upgrading from < 7.5: • MongoDB • Processing server • Other options • xManagementmode • xDBCloud from Sitecore New Server Roles
20. Planning
21. • Developer Workstations • Development Server • QA • UAT/Staging • Production CMS • Production CD SitecoreInstallations
22. • SitecoreModules • WFFM • Marketplace Modules • Are they compatible with the version you are upgrading to? • Other third party components • Clay Tablet Upgrade • .NET framework (Microsoft Identity changes) Sitecore“add-ons”
23. • “Big bang” upgrade? • Can all sites be upgraded at once? • Don’t forget about Sitecorelicensing • Per Sitecoreinstance • Temporary licensing available Sites
24. • Baseline metrics • Response time for top pages • CPU • Memory • Hardware requirements are different for Sitecore8.x Performance
25. • Document non-Sitecoreweb.configchanges • Custom setting sections • WCF Endpoint definitions • Etc. • Patch in Sitecoreconfiguration changes • Ensure that the patching places your configuration where it needs to be in the new version • /sitecore/admin/showconfig.aspx can help this process Configuration
26. • Final Database Upgrade Timing • Content Freeze • Code/ConfigDeployment • Rollback Go Live
27. Approach
28. • On a developer workstation or sandbox environment • Practice Upgrade Steps • Work with SitecoreSupport on any errors • Use vanilla CM instances • Remove customizations – especially pipelines • Upgrade modules along with Sitecoreversions • Document steps and problems • Upgraded database can now be used for developer changes • Re-enable customizations and test • Make necessary code changes Local Upgrade
29. • Server where final upgrade will be run • Practice Upgrade Steps • Use vanilla CM instances • Remove customizations – especially pipelines • Make it easy to replicate running the upgrade • Should be able to run the upgrade steps easily • Practice at least once before the final upgrade of content • Have your CM and CD ready ahead of time • Code/Configwill be deployed via your build process • Remember that custom configchanges will be patched in Upgrade Environment
30. • Upgrade the databases using out-of-the-box Sitecoreinstances • Sitecorefiles and configuration should come from the Sitecore installer • Custom configshould be patched in! • Don’t try to follow the pages of configchanges • Remember to remove Sitecoresupport files you might have • Typically these are hotfixes for a particular known issue • Test both content management and content delivery • Don’t forget to review log files, both during the upgrade and after Recommendations
31. 30 Features  Easy to install on your Sitecore instance - just select the current and target versions and start an upgrade  Pre-configured with automated testing capabilities powered by Selenium  Full support for multiple languages  Can handle any number of websites or microsites  Tool tracks all upgrade events in Sitecore log file so you can see success/failure at any time  Full support for user interface resolutions post upgrade  Full support for any on-premise or cloud deployment  Comes with 2 weeks of free, warranty support Benefits  Upgrade from any old Sitecore version to a higher versions within days  Low cost of overheads in upgrades  All 3rd party integrations with Sitecore instance maintained intact Sitecore Automatic Version Upgrader
32. edynamic‘s Auto vUpgrader for Sitecore Tool detects the current version by itself. User needs to select the next version Confirmation message displayed once the upgrade is complete Automated test case can be run subsequently with the tool Test results are displayed
33. Upgrade of 13 sites from Sitecore 6.6 to 8.1 within 1.2 weeks Georgia-Pacific LLC is one of the world's leading manufacturers & distributors of pulp, paper, tissue, toilet and paper towel dispensers and related chemicals. They were struggling for over past 4 months to upgrade multiple sites from Sitecore 6.6 to the latest version Background Solution & Benefits • edynamic was hired by G-P to rescue its upgrade project undergoing delays for months by incumbent vendor • With its upgrade utility tool edynamic upgraded 13 sites from Sitecore 6.6 to Sitecore 8.1 within a record time of 1.2 weeks • Test results showed minimal errors and were easily fixed after the upgrade
34. • Migration –not an upgrade • You tell the tool what content to migrate • Migrates: • Content items and media • All users, roles and security permissions • Assists with configuration migrations SitecoreExpress Migration Tool
35. SitecoreExpress Migration Tool
36. • Upgrade Sitecoreregularly • I recommend at least once every 12-18 months • Planning is key for success • Engage a partner for help • Sitecorepartners do upgrades all the time! • Practice helps –often based on content freeze and time it takes to upgrade, you will need to do the process several times • Engage SitecoreSupport for issues you can’t google • Note: only Sitecorecertified developers can engage support • Don’t use IE to run the upgrade • Modify the web.config/sitecore.configto increase timeouts Tips
37. Tips
38. • Email: scott.stocker@edynamic.net • Twitter: @sestocker • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottstocker • SitecoreStack Exchange: https://sitecore.stackexchange.com/ • Awesome-Sitecore: https://github.com/sestocker/awesome- sitecore Contact Me
39. Questions?