Does Enfold Server support an upgrade?

• Upgrades from ES 3x are supported. If you have an earlier ES version, you need to upgrade it first to ES 3.
• You can import a Zope Object Database (ZODB) file from a general Plone installation to Enfold Server 4. However, Enfold Server 4.x only supports ZODBs from Plone 3. If you have a ZODB from a general Plone 2.5 installation, you need to upgrade it to Plone 3.0x and then import it into Enfold Server 4.

Have you backed up your data?

• Backup these directories

  • C:\Program Files\Enfold Server\Server\var (this contains the Data.fs -- the main data file)
  • C:\Program Files\Enfold Server\Server\etc (this contains zeo.conf configuration file(s))
  • C:\Program Files\Enfold Server\Client\etc (this contains zope.conf configuration file(s))
  • (if you have more than one Zope client, you will need to copy C:\Program Files\Enfold Server\Client2\etc and so forth)

• I f upgrading from a generic Plone version, copy your Data.fs into the C:\Program Files\Enfold Server\Server\var directory.

• Stop existing Zope services. (To check whether any are running in Windows Server 2003, go to Start --> Accessories --> Administrative Tools --> Services. Turn off anything starting with "zope" or "zeo").

Have you written down your current Plone version number before upgrading?

To find your current Plone version number, log in with a manager/administrator account into Plone. Then go to Plone Site Setup (an option listed on the top right part of the page).

The information will appear in the Plone Version Overview section. The information will look like this:

Plone Version Overview

     * Plone 3.1.4
     * CMF 2.1.1
     * Zope (Zope 2.10.5-final, python 2.4.3, linux2)
     * Python 2.4.3 (#1, May 24 2008, 13:47:28) [GCC 4.1.2 20070626 (Red Hat 4.1.2-14)]
     * PIL 1.1.6

Have you gone into the ZMI to verify that the portal migration tool is aware of your current Plone version?

1. As a precautionary step, before upgrading, you should go to the Portal Migration tool in the Zope Management Interface ( http://localhost:8080/Plone/portal_migration/manage_migrate ) and verify that the version number it shows is accurate. (Some earlier versions of Plone were buggy and did not record the version number correctly). If it is not correct, select the correct version number from the dropdown list.

   

2. Run the install wizard, and make sure that you set the install path correctly.

3. Follow the instructions (which may require a restart of the machine). It will sometimes give you a message that some files could not be removed.

4. Make sure that at least one Zope client is running. You can verify this by opening the Enfold Server configuration tool and making sure that a green arrow icon appears besides one (or more) Zope clients.

5. Login to the Zope Management Interface (ZMI). Visit the same path for the portal migration tool ( http://localhost:8080/Plone/portal_migration/manage_migrate ). Follow whatever instructions this tool page says is necessary. If you see a button that says Upgrade in the middle of the page, click it. (You do not need to click the Force Upgrade button).

   

If you forget to go to the portal migration tool or you don't know what Plone version you previously had, the Plone site may not load (even though you can still access the ZMI).

Have you verified that your third party products work with the new version of Enfold Server?

Upgrading third party plugins can be tricky sometimes. Enfold support plans do not support upgrades of third-party products; for this reason, it is important to install products in such a way that it is easy to recognize which problems are caused by Enfold Server and which ones are caused by third party products. A lot of times, this will be obvious; for other occasions, this may not be not-so-obvious.

One good rule of thumb is to try to upgrade your third party products before you upgrade Enfold Server. (This assumes that a later product version will work on an earlier version of Plone--which may not always be true).

The good news is that it's fairly easy on the Plone.org site to check which versions of a product are compatible with a particular Plone version. In some cases, the product may work even though it is not documented on Plone.org and vice-versa. Generally though, if the product page on Plone.org shows that the product supports the Plone version included with Enfold Server, that is a promising sign.

If you already anticipate compatibility problems, you can do the upgrade while leaving out all third party products out. Then, you can add one third party product at a time and see if it works. This trial-and-error method is reliable but time-consuming (especially if you are using lots of third party products). In the majority of cases, it may not even be necessary.

Another idea is to create a test bed machine where you can see if Enfold Server works with your third party products. This can be helpful if you want extra assurance that downtime will be minimized. To do this, you'd need to install Plone or Enfold Server elsewhere, copy the Data.fs file and other files to the second machine, and see if it works. That affords a level of safety, but it also involves a lot of time and preparation. It may be easier and faster to do a quick check for compatibility on the product pages, install everything while leaving out what seems to be incompatible and debugging if the need arises.

1. Make sure you have backed up your product directory. It might also be helpful for your records to copy the version numbers of each product you installed. (A brief list of installed products is available on the Control Panel--> Products tab in the Zope Management Interface).
2. Check the project page to learn whether your product is compatible with this version of Plone (or whether a later version of the same product is available). Sometimes this information will not be easy to find. If newer versions are available, you should try to install them on your server before upgrading.
3. Try installing all your products into the Products directory. (If there are products you know are likely to cause problems, you might remove them temporarily).
4. Restart Zope/Plone and go to your Plone site (something like http://localhost:8080/Plone). Can you still see the main page? If not, check the debugging section below. Tip: If your Plone site is inaccessible, you will still be able to access the ZMI by going to http://localhost:8080/manage. The ZMI not only lets you view debug information, but lets you see product versions of everything. (Check the ZMI Control Panel--> Product Management).
5. Verify that your third party products are still functioning. Here are some things to check.

• Do the Plone products have their own configuration menu on Plone Site Setup? Sometimes you need to configure these things again when upgrading Plone before they will work.
• Are the Plone products visible in the Add-on Products screen? If you try to install a product again, is the product's name missing from the list of installed products? Being missing often indicates a compatibility problem.

Are you ready to stop Enfold Server/Plone during the upgrade process?

The Upgrade wizard will automatically stop Enfold Server during the upgrade process.