This topic describes items that require consideration before you begin a MOVEit upgrade. Considering these items in advance will help to make your upgrade experience as smooth and successful as possible.

Important: This topic is required reading for any upgrade scenario.

Upgrading MOVEit ensures that you have the latest features and functionality. To ensure a successful upgrade, careful planning in advance is needed.

Thoroughly review the planning information to understand the requirements for the upgrade process. You can determine what steps can be accomplished before you run the upgrade in order to ensure that system downtime is as short as possible.

Read the Release Notes

Carefully review the Release Notes for your current and target versions. The release notes summarize new and deprecated features, feature enhancements, bug fixes, and known issues, as well as detailing system requirements.

Release Notes for all supported versions are available here: MOVEit Automation

In-place upgrade or migration upgrade

One of the first decisions you need to make is the type of upgrade required. The chosen upgrade scenario depends on the details of your existing installation, the current and target version, and the complexity of any system-specific configuration.

An in-place upgrade introduces new features, improvements, or other technologies while maintaining the existing data and configuration on an existing server instance.

A migration upgrade introduces new features, improvements, or other technologies while migrating all data and configurations of an existing deployment to a new server instance.

The migration work flow presented here applies to upgrading MOVEit to a newer version. However, these steps can also be used to upgrade hardware or the operating systems while retaining the same MOVEit version.

Table 1. Differences between in-place and migration upgrade
Upgrade type Description
In-place upgrade
  • Upgrades your existing installation to the new version with your existing configuration on your current server or virtual machine.
  • Automatically updates features and implements new functionality.
  • Typically the most straight-forward approach.
  • Without a system backup and roll-back plan, it can be difficult to roll back to the previous version.
  • Do not use this process if you are upgrading the OS platform.
Migration upgrade
  • The new version of the MOVEit software is installed on a new server or virtual machine.
  • All data, configurations, and security items such as keys and certs are migrated to the new server or virtual machine.
  • Results in a clean installation with an up-to-date operating system. Operating system upgrades are supported using this process. Consult the Release Notes for supported operating systems.
  • The new server can be tested before going live. This will help you to identify and resolve any issues.
  • This requires additional resources and may be complex.

An in-place upgrade may appear to be a simple and straight-forward option, and if your current installation is not highly customized, an in-place upgrade is the best way to proceed. However, if your installation is older than the currently supported versions or is particularly complex, a migration upgrade provides a stable back-up until you complete post-installation testing on the upgraded version. A migration upgrade can provide continuity of operations on the current server to minimize downtime. When the migration is complete, you have a clean system.

Perform a test environment upgrade

If the resources are available, you should consider testing the upgrade on a separate server or virtual machine. If your chosen upgrade scenario is a migration upgrade, this test implementation will become your new production environment. In an in-place upgrade scenario, this test environment provides a back-up solution.

Testing the upgrade procedure in a non-production environment is an effective way to help ensure a smooth deployment for your users. This provides an opportunity to identify and address any potential issues or conflicts without impacting the live environment.

Upgrade paths

Use the Upgrade Path table in the Upgrading section of the Release Notes to determine the most efficient upgrade path from your current version to the target version. Review the Release Notes for the current and target versions, and all versions between to ensure a smooth upgrade.

Upgrades of versions older than currently supported, or systems with complex configurations may require additional upgrade support. If you are upgrading from an unsupported version, please contact Progress Support or your Account Executive to discuss a Professional Services engagement.

System requirements

System requirements are regularly updated and may have changed since your last MOVEit installation. Updates may include new operating system, RAM, disk, database, and security requirements. It is critical that you review the system requirements to ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements for the target version. System requirements are detailed in the Release Notes.

Database considerations

During the upgrade, you may need a database account with higher-level permissions than the database account that MOVEit normally runs with. Refer to the User credentials section below for more information

The time required to update the database will be affected by the volume of stored data, and can also depend on the nature of the schema changes required between your current and target versions.

To avoid errors, ensure that the free space on the database server/drive is three times the size of the current database. Consult your database administrator regarding timeouts that may be imposed by the database on completing update processes, if necessary.

If you changed your database schema in any way, such as new tables or indexes, the MOVEit Automation upgrade will fail. Your customizations, including data in custom tables, may be deleted.

User credentials

Ensure that you have the usernames and passwords for the accounts that you need for a successful upgrade. These include:
  • A Windows Administrator account to perform the upgrade.
  • The MOVEit Automation and Web Admin service accounts.
  • Database accounts:
    • For in-place upgrades, you will need a database account with permission to modify the database schema for the MOVEit database. In MS SQL, this is usually an account with 'DBO’ permissions. For MySQL, the default ‘root’ account will work.
    • For migration upgrades, you will need a database account that can create databases. For MS SQL, this is usually an sa-like account. For MySQL, the default ‘root’ account will work.
    • In addition, you will need the credentials for the database user with credentials for the existing MOVEit DB.
    • To see which user credentials your MOVEit server is currently using, use the MOVEit Automation Config Utility Database tab.
  • The administrator account that you use to log on to MOVEit Automation.
  • Any other user accounts that you will use to test after upgrade.

Web Admin URL configuration during upgrade

As part of the upgrade process, MOVEit Automation requires a Web Admin URL to allow the Automation service to accept connections from Web Admin. If your existing deployment did not previously require a Web Admin URL, for example, if you were not using Single Sign-On, you will be prompted to provide this value during an upgrade.

Network/Firewall/Security

If you are migrating to a new server in a migration upgrade, it is important to understand the existing server's configuration in the areas of network, firewalls and security, and to ensure that a new server will be substantially similar so that functionality (including user access) that relies on network resources will continue to function correctly.

If anti-virus software is configured on your existing server, ensure that the same configuration settings are applied to the new server.

You may need to temporarily disable your anti-virus software during an upgrade.

Multi-node considerations

If you have a multi-node configuration using MOVEit Automation Failover or other failover technology, the upgrade will be more complex.

An important thing to note is that you will have downtime for your MOVEit system. There is no way to use the multi-node capabilities of the product to perform a zero-downtime upgrade.

For multi-node specific upgrade details, see In-place upgrade with Failover and Migration upgrade with Failover. Before you begin an upgrade with failover, ensure that your systems meet these Assumptions and Requirements.

Related software and APIs

The MOVEit Automation Web Admin and Admin Console Utility must be upgraded at the same time as the MOVEit Server. Depending on your configuration, these items may be installed on other servers or workstations.

Windows COM API and Java API users must update their APIs to the same version as the MOVEit Server. These API libraries may be installed on other servers to help integrate MOVEit with other systems. This includes the MICentralClt.exe command line client found in the COM API.

The GetMICConfig utility, which is used to back up the MOVEit Automation configuration, and the MOVEit server must be the same version. As the utility is installed by default and run locally, this is not usually an issue. However, if you copied the utility to a different location, it must be updated. For information about export encryption options and decryption of backup files imported on another server, see GetMICConfig Utility.

License and installer

Before you upgrade, ensure that your license is valid for the version to which you want to upgrade. You can download the installer and see your licensing information on the Progress Customer Portal. If using Product Activation, the activation code is embedded in the installer file which will allow seamless activation of the product. If activating by a license file, you must get that file from the customer portal before your upgrade.

Regardless of which method you choose, you should have the full activation code for your product. This code is located in the same area of the portal that as the installer, under Additional Licensing Information. A MOVEit activation code is made up of your 15 character serial number, and an extra 8 characters. For example: 1A2B3C4D5E6F7G8H9J1K2L3.

Note: If you are migrating to a new server, you can use your current license on both your existing server and the new server for up to 90 days from delivery of the update, to allow for a smooth migration process.

Support

Before you upgrade, contact Progress if you are unsure of the support level that was purchased with your product. Standard support can only offer help during your regional business hours. Extended support calls related to upgrade or migration can provide some help and troubleshooting after-hours subject to limitations. For more information about what is covered by standard and extended support, see Scope of Support.

Back up your existing system and develop a roll-back plan

You should be confident in your current backup strategy. In the case of a failed upgrade, ensure that you can restore your current environment. This may be the fastest way to resume production processes.

If your infrastructure supports it, take a snapshot of the operating system and database just before beginning an upgrade. If you are using MySQL, taking a snapshot of your operating system will also include the database.

For information on how to back up your current MOVEit server, see Backup.

Plan for an outage

During an upgrade MOVEit Automation will be unavailable to your users. This includes deployments in a Failover configuration. MOVEit Automation will have a full outage for the duration of the upgrade. Depending on the size of your data, the outage window could be significant.

With proper planning, a migration upgrade to a new server can reduce the length of time of the outage.

When deciding on the day and time of the upgrade, consider the impact of the outage and your operational schedule.

Develop a use case test plan

MOVEit enables users to create highly customized workflows to meet many use cases. These are specific to your business requirements and system configurations. Therefore, we recommend that before you begin an upgrade you develop a test plan that you will use before and after the upgrade to test and confirm that all workflows are working as expected.

The use case test plan can also help in planning and estimating the actual effort that is required to upgrade the application, as well as tracking the tests and their results.

While only you know what is important to your organization, here are testing considerations to think about as you develop your plan.

Professional Services

Some customers have complex and/or large environments that may require special planning and the help of our Professional Services team. Please contact your Progress Account Executive.

Training and education requirements

Progress offers technical training and education services that are designed for individuals and companies to acquire, maintain, and optimize their IT skills. To view a full list and details of the available on-demand and instructor-led training, and consulting and outsourcing options, see Consulting, Training and Development Built Around You.