Upgrade from 2.4.1 SP1 to 2.6 - Big Effort?

[sjewett]

Hi All -

We are trying to satisfy a demand from our users for a CMS where they can import, edit, and manage their own content for display. We have downloaded and installed JBoss Portal 2.4.1 SP1 (bundled with JBoss AS 4.0.4GA) and demo'd the CMS functionality. Our users are very excited and want to get going right away.

My question: we would like to eventually use Portal 2.6, to take advantage of the fine-grained CMS security features, but we don't want to go ahead with the current, Alpha version. If we deliver a solution now, on 2.4.1, how difficult will it be to upgrade our production environment to the final version of 2.6 later this year? What will that entail? Does anyone know?

Thanks!

[soshah]

The fine grained security and Workflow features in Portal 2.6 should plugin just fine when you migrate to 2.6

Also, there are no changes in data storage mechanisms between 2.4 and 2.6, so there should be no data migration necessary.


I would recommend using 2.4.1 in production for now, and give 2.6 a try in testing/staging/development to see if there are any migration issues you run into.

In fact if you do, I would like to know of them

[sjewett]

Sohil -

Thanks for the response! Right now, we have only a development instance up and running. If I understand you correctly, it should be relatively easy to download V2.6 Alpha1 binary and configure it to point to our current datastore instance (the out-of-the-box Hypersonic, that came with 2.4.1 SP1 bundled)? Do the docs explain how to do this?

I'll give that a try. Thanks again!
-Steve

BTW - it's currently on WinXP Pro, but eventually will be on RedHat Linux 4 ES.

[soshah]

sjewett-

Look at the installation section of our documentation.

Also look at wiki docs for 2.6 related services:

http://wiki.jboss.org/wiki/Wiki.jsp?page=JBossPortal


And yes, the Hypersonic setup should work out-of-the-box for you.


Thanks

[sjewett]

Sohil -

I downloaded and extracted 2.6 Alpha1 as well as JBoss AS 4.0.4 GA. I copied the jboss-portal.sar from the 2.6 Alpha1 dir into the deploy dir of the app server. In the app server deploy dir, I then edited the connection-URL for the PortalDS in portal-hsqldb-ds.xml so that it would point to the data dir of our 2.4.1 instance.

<connection-url>jdbc:hsqldb:C:${/}jboss-portal-2.4.1${/}server${/}default${/}data${/}portal${/}hypersonic${/}database</connection-url>

When I run the server and access the default page, I get a strange combo of the old and the new: The theme is from the 2.4.1 instance, but the text for the Greetings! portlet is from 2.6. Everything is mixed. And there is a message in the Navigation portlet saying:

Object not found portal.NavigationPortlet

What I am aiming for is everything to be in 2.6, but I want the directories and files in CMS to reflect the things that we created and imported during our 2.4.1 incarnation. Is this possible without re-creating and re-importing the files to the new database?

Thank you - your help is much appreciated.
-Steve

[sjewett]

Sohil -

Can the 2.6 Portal point to two different databases: one as the CMS repository and one for all non-CMS-repository data? Can you define two datasources in portal-hsqldb-ds.xml (the second one called cmsDS) and then edit the jboss-service.xml in default\deploy\jboss-portal.sar\portal-cms.sar\META-INF so that it points to the cmsDS?

Thanks,
-Steve

[sjewett]

Hi Sohil -

After trying - unsuccessfully - the two scenarios I described to you above, I've concluded that the process of upgrading from 2.4 to 2.6 probably involves a migration application similar to the one that is described in Chap. 4 of the Reference Guide, which describes upgrading from 2.2 to 2.4. But this hasn't been developed yet for 2.4 to 2.6. If my conclusion is erroneous . . . please set me straight.

Thank you,
-Steve

[soshah]

What I am aiming for is everything to be in 2.6, but I want the directories and files in CMS to reflect the things that we created and imported during our 2.4.1 incarnation. Is this possible without re-creating and re-importing the files to the new database?

the database schema and data is the same between 2.4.1 and 2.6. Ofcourse new tables are added for the cms security and workflow which are missing in 2.4. However, you don't need to migrate any data between 2.4.1 and 2.6

Can the 2.6 Portal point to two different databases: one as the CMS repository and one for all non-CMS-repository data? Can you define two datasources in portal-hsqldb-ds.xml (the second one called cmsDS) and then edit the jboss-service.xml in default\deploy\jboss-portal.sar\portal-cms.sar\META-INF so that it points to the cmsDS?

No, because the Security and Workflow feature are associated with the Portal Identity which is stored in the Portal database. Also, I am not sure what this will buy you.

When I run the server and access the default page, I get a strange combo of the old and the new: The theme is from the 2.4.1 instance, but the text for the Greetings! portlet is from 2.6. Everything is mixed. And there is a message in the Navigation portlet

This might just be some cleanup issue in 2.6. The true test would be to create the content in a 2.4.1 instance in the database. Leaving the database as is, and loading the 2.6 portal instance. Your CMS content should stay in tact including versions etc.

You can test this by navigating the content via the Content Admin tool on both instances. If you do, I would be interested to know what you find

But this hasn't been developed yet for 2.4 to 2.6. If my conclusion is erroneous . . . please set me straight.

There is no data migration necessary between 2.4 and 2.6 so far.


Hope this helps

Thanks

[sjewett]

The true test would be to create the content in a 2.4.1 instance in the database. Leaving the database as is, and loading the 2.6 portal instance. Your CMS content should stay in tact including versions etc.

You can test this by navigating the content via the Content Admin tool on both instances. If you do, I would be interested to know what you find

I was confused, but I think I have figured out why. When working with 2.4.1, I had downloaded the zip file that has the AS bundled in. You have suggested that I leave the database as is and "load the 2.6 portal instance." I couldn't figure out how to do this. Can I load the 2.6 instance by copying the jboss-portal.sar directory from the 2.6 directories into the deploy dir of my bundled 2.4.1? Then it will work with my existing database (right?). (And when I start up the server, will it create the additional 2.6 tables that you mentioned?)

Thanks, Sohil. Please let me know if my current thinking is on track.

[soshah]

yes delete the 2.4.1 jboss-portal.sar file and add the jboss-portal.sar file from 2.6 release leaving the portal database in tact

also just for sake of proper cleanup delete the data,tmp, and work directories in your server configuration as well.

[sjewett]

if I delete the data directory, won't I be deleting the 2.4.1 content I am trying to preserve? I know that resides "in the database," but I guess I don't understand how Hypersonic works.

[soshah]

yes you are correct.

I was thinking you were using mysql. don't delete the data directory for hsql

[sjewett]

Sohil -

I did the following: I deployed a clean install of 2.4.1 SP1, logged into the portal, and imported several files into CMS. Then I loaded 2.6.ALPHA1 on the same server, and used the same repository I had used for 2.4.1.

It worked as you expected. I was able to access the CMS repo and see the files I had imported with 2.4.1. I was not able to import more files - but this was due to the known bug where the Select Action dropdown doesn't work with IE6.

There were a few "cleanup" issues (object not found, etc.) which I have not yet addressed.

Thank you very much for your help! I think I'm all set with this.