Become familiar with the upgrade process and what it will entail. Read about the prerequisites and study the different upgrade methods.
Prerequisites
Minimum hardware requirements
|
CPU |
x64, dual-core processesor
(quad-core recommended) |
|
Memory |
8GB
(16GB recommended for multi-server deployments) |
| Storage |
80GB + DVD drive |
Minimum software requirements
|
SQL Server Requirements |
|
SQL Server 2005 |
• 64-bit edition
• SP3 + cumulative update 3 or later |
|
OR |
|
|
SQL Server 2008 |
• 64-bit edition
• SP1 + cumulative update 2 or later |
|
OR |
|
|
SQL Server 2008 R2 |
• 64-bit edition
|
|
Operating System Requirements |
| Windows Server 2008 |
• 64-bit
• SP2 or later |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 |
• only available in 64-bit |
Note: These are generic, bottom-line hardware and SQL specs for ALL server roles. The web front end (WFE) servers will generally be the least powerful servers in the farm, and the SQL server will usually be the more robust server and have specifications higher than the minimum listed above.
Additional Software Requirements
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Windows® Installer 4.5
Microsoft Identity Foundation Framework
Microsoft Sync Framework Runtime v1.0 (x64)
Microsoft Office 2010 Filter Packs
Microsoft Chart Controls for .NET Framework 3.5
Windows PowerShell 2.0
SQL Server 2008 Native Client
Minimum software requirements for CLIENTS
Fully Supported Browsers:
• Internet Explorer 7 32-bit
• Internet Explorer 8 32-bit
Supported Browsers with Known Limitations:
• Internet Explorer 7 64-bit
• Internet Explorer 8 64-bit
• Firefox 3.x
• Safari 4.x
Upgrade Techniques
There are two main methods for upgrading from Office SharePoint Server 2007 to SharePoint 2010, the in-place method and the database attach method. There is also a hybrid method which we will touch on later in this document.
- In-Place
An in-place upgrade takes place on existing hardware, and the previous version is overwritten.
- This process can be re-started as necessary, if there are any issues.
- Farm-wide settings, such as search settings and audiences, are kept and upgraded.
- Sites are not accessible during the upgrade. Servers and farms are completely offline.
- The same URL will be able to be used by site users after the upgrade.
- The following steps occur during this upgrade:
- On the upgrade the administrator chooses In-place Upgrade.
- The configuration database and the Central Administration site are upgraded.
- Server-specific data is upgraded, such as settings within Central Admin.
- Each web application is upgraded, along with each site collection within.
- The upgrade process ends.
- This upgrade needs to then be run on each server in the farm.
- Confirm that the upgrade successfully completed on each server.
- Note that the old version of SharePoint has now been overwritten, and there’s no revert and try again (unless it’s a virtual server, I guess)
- Database Attach
This method entails backing up a SharePoint 2007 database, attaching it to a new SharePoint 2010 web application, then upgrading the database.
- The following types of databases can be attached: Content DB, Shared Services Provider (SSP) DB, Project DB
- The following two databases cannot be attached: Configuration and Search
- Multiple content databases can be upgraded at the same time.
- Multiple farms can even be combined into one farm using this method. (database migration)
BUT...
- Central Admin configuration / farm settings are not upgraded.
- Server customizations will need to be transferred over manually.
- This method requires more time and more network bandwidth because of moving all of those databases.
- Note that it does take extra time to re-configure those configuration and search farm settings, but it could most likely be a worthwhile endeavor.
Note that the "Gradual" upgrade technique that existed in SharePoint 2007 no longer exists.
Hybrid Approach
There's another option for upgrade, called the Hybrid Approach, which gives the best of both worlds of the other two mehods! Here are the steps that this approach entails:
- Detach the databases
At this point, the servers on which the databases reside must already meet the minimum hardware and software requirements for SharePoint 2010.
- Perform an in-place upgrade to SharePoint 2010
- Perform a DB attach of the content databases
- Farm-wide settings are kept in-tact
- Server customizations are fine, and still in place
- Multiple content databases can be upgraded at the same time.
- As the upgrade proceeds through all of the sites, the ones that aren't currently being upgraded are still going to be accessible in read-only mode.
This process does require more management (babysitting) than the other upgrade processes. If the current farm is on x86 hardware, this amount of work involved could be restrictive because this is more labor-intensive.
Downtime Mitigation
In SharePoint 2010, there are several new ways that the amount of downtime during an upgrade is mitigated.
- Read-Only Databases
During the upgrade process, content databases are set as read only, from within SQL. This allows all users to at least still have read access to their SharePoint sites at this time.
- Multiple, simultaneous DB attach upgrades
This ability reduces the amount of time that the upgrade process will take. The resources on the SQL server itself will be the only limiting factor in the speed.
- Alternate access mapping (AAM) redirections
This can be used when there is such a large amount of content that the upgrade cannot be completed within an acceptable window of time. Use these redirections for directing requests to the old SharePoint 2007 farm or the new 2010 one. This utilizes client-side redirects. Note that it is not supported, to have two different farms using the same URL.
Upgrade Improvements
- Visual Upgrade
- Upgrade Logging
Visual Upgrade
As opposed to actual server downtime in the last segement, which is only system related, there is a new concept in SharePoint 2010, that has more to do with the actual impact on users who work in SharePoint day-to-day. This new functionality is called Visual Upgrade. After the actual server upgrade to SharePoint 2010 has been performed, by default all of the SharePoint sites still have the familiar user interface of SharePoint 2010. This allows the capability to gradually wean the users into the new SharePoint, if it is so desired.
Once upgraded, each SharePoint site will have a new option under Site Settings, called Preview New Visuals:
This functionality lets you check to see what each site will look like with the full SharePoint 2010 user experience, before committing to the changes permanently. This can be done at as granularly as the web (individual sub-site) level. Also, if it is preferred, the new visuals can be committed to en-mass, using Windows Powershell scripting on the server.
Note that the following items will not be compatible with the old version’s UI, and will automatically be upgraded to the new visuals: My sites (the public facing profile), MS-Project Web Access (PWA) sites, Excel Services web parts, Report Server web parts
Upgrade Logging
The logging during the upgrade process has been much enhanced since the last version. The following are new logging features in SharePoint 2010:
· A unique log is created per upgrade. Each time an upgrade pipeline is called upon, it opens a new log that includes the timestamp for the upgrade session start.
· The log files will be located in the ULS directory.
· A separate log is created, just for errors, which also includes callstacks.
· Documentation will by tied in, so a KB article may be referenced, according to the error.
· What is logged?
o Information about the old and new build numbers
o Command and parameters that initiated the upgrade
o Information about whether the upgrade was based on a timer job
o There will be a secondary log, with a results section that will be written to, that points back to the primary log. This will include a cumulative list of errors, warnings, databases upgraded, issues detected/fixed, and even the suggested action to be taken by the administrator in order to resolve the issues! This log will even be as detailed as to include GUIDs, URLs, and item names involved in any of these errors. And for those of you who thrive on positive reinforcement, there will be “victory conditions” to indicate a successful upgrade.
The Administrator’s Experience
In general, the whole of the SharePoint Administrator’s experience during the upgrade process has been improved, and is significantly less painful than in the last version. There is more visual feedback during the upgrade process, and a new Upgrade Status page in Central Administration. As mentioned in the previous section, the upgrade itself will be self-correcting when possible. Also, the Windows PowerShell scripting language is now deeply engrained in SharePoint 2010, and there are many commands that can be scripted for this upgrade process.
Next, Prepare