How To: Upgrade DotnetNuke

Upgrading DotNetNuke is a process that comes as second nature to anyone that has been doing it a while, but we tend to forget that there are many new users who have never upgraded DotNetNuke.

In an over-simplified summary, the upgrade process for DotNetNuke is done by using the upgrade download package, and unzipping it over the top of your existing DNN files, then navigating to your site.  This will cause DNN to find the new code and it will automatically run any required SQL scripts to upgrade your Database.

There are a few things that you should do to prepare for your upgrade, and a few more things that you will need to be aware of so that your upgrade will go smoothly:

Step #1: Backup your current installation by making a copy of your DotNetNuke folder and a backup of your current Database.

• TIP: What I like to do is to copy all of my DotNetNuke files to a different location for performing the upgrade, that way any live site will still be running, and if there are problems with the upgrade I can just start over.  To upgrade this way you will need to create an alternate website and also restore the backup of your database to an alternate name. You will also need to add a Portal Alias for this new location which you can do before you make the backup of the DB, or if you wait until after you have restored the copy of the DB then you can add the PortalAlias entry directly to the PortalAlias table.

Step #2: Get the [u]upgrade[/u] download package for the version you are wanting to upgrade to and unzip this package over the top of your copy of the current DotNetNuke files.

Step #3: You will need to copy any new items from this new version out of the release.config file into your current web.config file.

• TIP: This process can be easier if you do it in the reverse.  In other words, copy any specific information from your current web.config to the release.config file, then rename release.config to web.config. 
  The following items will need to be copied over at a minimum:
  • Your connection strings (remember there are two places for these)
  • MachineValidationKey
  • MachineDecryptionKey
  • InstallationDate
  • codeSubdirectory

Step #4: Insure that your connection strings are pointing to the actual database that you want to upgrade.  If you have followed the backup tip above, then you will want to make sure that you connect to the alternate copy of your DB.

Step #5: Navigate to the url where you are upgrading your website, and DotNetNuke will automatically run any scripts needed to upgrade your DB.

You should now have an upgraded copy of your site to test that everything is still working as expected.  Or if you just backed up your live site and upgraded that one directly then you can test there. 

If you performed your upgrade on a copy of the website, then after you are satisfied that the upgrade is working as expected, you can easily upgrade your live site by shutting it down momentarily and then copying all the files from your upgraded folder back over to your live folder, and before turning your site back on make sure that your connection strings are pointing to your live DB.

Hi John,

So do I need to add things to the release.config for the FCKEditor and for the Solpart menu? I have some extra "stuff" in my current webconfig for these (I think).

ETA: I think just the FCKEditor has differences/additions and I'm assuming I do need to add these.  :)

ETA:  ok... I am on a test box.  I changed the release.config then renamed to web.config after unzipping to the DotNetNuke folder.  I tried to open the site and I am getting The Page Cannot Be Displayed error.  It doesn't seem to be finding it at all, but it was before I tried to upgrade...

thoughts?  :)

Yes, as noted in Step #3.

Make sure you copy over your MachineValidationKey and MachineEncryptionKey.

I'm not sure if I should start a new thread with this or put it here...

I asked my boss for permission to upgrade the production box in a couple of weeks after I have plenty of time to test the upgrade on the test box.  I want to make sure I'm thorough.  Any guidelines in terms of testing an upgrade?  So far, with the upgrade, I am able to get to the site, log in, self register and emails are sent successfully, fill out a feedback form successfully.  The pages appear to display fine.  I'm not sure what else to do but I feel like maybe I need to do more before I tell my boss I have tested thoroughly!

Thanks!

My old web.config didn't have the installation date string, either. What is the proper syntax, if this is truly needed? I am searching the DNN forums, as the new release.config would not contain this entry.

I was just going to ignore this, since my old web.config did not have it, but the "needs to change the Keys" now concerns me.  ;)

It looks like this and it doesn't mater what date you use, as long as the node is there with a date.

<appSettings><addkey="InstallationDate"value="7/9/2007"/></appSettings>

Thanks, John.

Just so understand this, as it's perplexing to a newcomer and one who didn't have this line in his old web.config, without this line, DNN would change the machine keys during the upgrade? Even if this were the case, would it be as problematic as upgrading with the wrong keys (not chaning the machine keys in the release.config) or would it simply know it's generating new keys and make all the necessary changes where the necessary changes need to be made?  ..if that makes any sense.  :)

Nonetheless, I'll drop it in my new web.config now and cross my fingers...just trying to understand how all this works. I would think that if one is performing an upgrade and changes their keys, connection strings, et al, why would the package care when it was originally installed? ...seems moot to me in my myopic world.