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Performing an in-place or hybrid upgrade

Upgrade to an HCL Connections 8.0 deployment by running the Installation Manager Update function on a Connections 7.0 deployment. This can be done either in-place (in your existing production environment) or using a hybrid approach of installing 7.0 in a new environment identical to production then running the upgrade to 7.0.

After upgrading to HCL Connections 8.0, the latest HCL Connections 8.0 CR needs to be applied.

Download Connections and Component Pack 8 CR3. Connections Server packages are as follows:

  • HCL_Connections_8.0 (download package for Connections 8.0 including system requirements)
  • Websphere Application Server 8.5.5 and Select Fix Packs (download package for IBM WebSphere including FixPacks)

Attention:

  • On the system where the Deployment Manager is installed, prepare the supporting software for the update:
    • Download Connections 8.0 from the HCL License & Delivery Portal. Decompress the 8.0 package into a temp directory.
    • Verify that you have upgraded to the latest WebSphere Application Server and supplemental software from the HCL License & Delivery Portal, and have updated HTTP Server 8.5 and Web Server Plug-ins for IBM® WebSphere® Application Server 8.5.
    • Verify that you are running Installation Manager 1.9.1 654-bit.
    • In the soap.client.props file, change the SOAP Request Timeout to com.ibm.SOAP.requestTimeout=0 to ensure that no requests time out during the installation. Restart the Deployment Manager and start the HTTP services: HTTP Administration for WebSphere Application Server V8.5 and HTTP Server V8.5.

Important: If you have previously installed ICXT, contact HCL Support to acquire the new ICXT upgrade package. After downloading the ICXT package follow the ICXT installation guidelines.

  1. Stop all clusters and node agents in your deployment but leave the Deployment Manager running.

  2. Start Installation Manager.

  3. From the Installation Manager menu, click File > Preferences.

    Note: Be sure that the Search service repositories during installation and updates option is deselected.

  4. Click Repositories > Add Repository.

  5. Enter the full path to the Connections 8.0 install package that you downloaded and then click OK.

    Verify that Installation Manager can connect to the repository. For example: ..\HCL_Connections_Install\HCLConnections\repository.xml.

  6. Click OK.

  7. Click Update.

  8. Select HCL Connections and click Next.

  9. From the Update Packages screen select Version 8.0.0.0 and click Next.

  10. Review and accept the license agreement by clicking I accept terms in the license agreements and then click Next.

  11. Ensure that all the Connections applications are selected and click Next.

    Note: All of the installed applications are selected by default. All of the installed applications are typically selected by default. If you clear any of the selected applications, those applications will be uninstalled. If there are any non-selected applications, and you select those applications, they will be installed.

  12. Validate the Feature Foundation database

  13. Click OK > Next > Update > Finish.

  14. Close Installation Manager.

  15. When the installation is complete, start the node agent to deploy the updated Connections applications.

  16. Generate a new plug-in by completing the following steps:

    1. Still in the Integrated Solutions Console, click Servers > Server Types > Webservers.

    2. Select the Webserver, click Generate Plug-in, and wait for the plug-in to be generated.

    3. Select the Webserver again and click Propagate Plug-in.

  17. Stop the node agent so the temp directory can be cleaned out in the next step.

  18. Delete the contents of the cache under the App Server.

  19. Start the node agents, then perform a full synchronization to push the update to all nodes.

    Check the SystemOut.log of each node agent to ensure synchronization completed successfully.

  20. Start the Connections server.

  • A Connections 8.0 upgrade deployment updates a number of web services and other artifacts that require an end user to clear the browser cache to get the updates.
  • Alternatively, you can allow user's browsers to load new web services and artifacts by updating the <versionStamp value="####"/> in the LotusConnections-config.xml so users will see the changes the next time they log in, without having to clear their web browser cache. See Post-customization step after a Connections 8.0 upgrade is deployed so users will receive changes the next time they log in without having to clear their web browser cache. If the browser cache is not updated problems such as the Community Catalog not displaying correctly may occur.

Parent topic: In-place and hybrid upgrades