Prev Next

Print

We will address each layer of a typical Sitecore V4 solution step by step to migrate to Sitecore V5 in a most unobtrusive way. The process can be roughly described as moving the content Items to Sitecore V5 and then updating both the presentation code (including both xsl transformations and server side code) and custom features you’ve built to work against the Sitecore V5 API.  

Most often the best choice would be to start with content migration. If you can ‘freeze’ the site so that content doesn’t get updated, then you will only have to do it once. If not, you will need to repeat data migration once again once you’re done with the rest in order to convert and add the latest changes. It is recommended to refrain from significant changes in site content until the end of the migration process.  

The instructions below aim at being a comprehensive guide. You can simplify or omit some steps depending on your requirements though.  

A typical migration process will look similar to the following:  

1. Move content Items to Sitecore V5 using data transfer tool .
   Use the new automated data transfer solution to convert your database to Sitecore V5.
   At this point you don’t need to make sure that everything looks just like it used to in Sitecore V4, and in fact that would be hard without modifying the presentation logic. You can repeat the data transfer later if needed.
    
2. Update the basic presentation logic .
   This step involves making sure that your XSL transformations work the same way as before (they might require minor changes) and updating server side code to work against Sitecore V5 API.
    
3. Update advanced code.
   Advanced customizations need to be reworked to accommodate new concepts introduced in Sitecore V5. The list of advanced customizations includes but is not limited to:
   system and client events,
   external data integration,
   security customizations.
    
4. (Optional) Transfer the recently changed content and update presentation/code.
   If the site was being updated during the migration, the fresh content is transferred once you’re sure that steps 1-3 are successfully completed (this also involves QA). From this stage everyone is asked to stop updating the site.
    
5. Going Live.
   All incoming requests are redirected to the updated solution. It is a good idea to keep the old solution available so that you can switch back as soon as possible. If any content changes were made during steps 4-5, either editors will have to transfer them manually (if feasible) or additional conversion runs will be required. 
    
6. Modules
   Module migration strategies may vary from module to module. Most often you would install the Sitecore V5 compatible version of the module and then attach the existing data. To move to the Mailing List 5, for instance, you will need to install the module, fill in the settings and point it to the existing database. The API is mostly compatible with the Sitecore V4 version, except for minor improvements and namespace changes.
   Visit the sdn5 products section for a list of links to useful resources regarding the migration strategies for other modules.

Prev

Next