How to upgrade from 3.7 to 4.0

I have a site that was developed using Sitefinity 3.7.
I downloaded and installed 4.0

http://www.sitefinity.com/4.0/documentation/installation-and-administration-guide/upgrading-sitefinity-projects.aspx

This link says I can use Project Manager to upgrade to 4.0, but how?
Upgrade button is always disabled.

Any pointers how to proceed is highly appreciated.

Thanks!
-B

You have to make a new 4.0 project with the project manager, then use this sitefinitymigration.codeplex.com/ to migrate the content...it is not really a super easy process right now to be honest :)

What if you don't have the original project files, but have complete access to the site where the content and sitefinity software resides?

I'm taking over a project for a friend who had someone else start this, and since there isn't much content working with 4.0 would be nicer in my opinion than trying to work with 3.7 that I don't have installed.

So what I need to do is get the files off the server and setup a new project on my workstation?

Then setup a blank 4.0 project

download the files from codeplex.com

follow the not so easy to follow instructions...

then upload my files back to the site???

thanks for the help.

john

What type of content? If it's just some pages I would avoid the migration tool like the plague at the moment just do it by hand. I did not have a good experience with it at all with just importing blogs (and it takes so long for new versions to come out)

So how exactly do you do it by hand? 

I am new to sitefinity...and after reading all this evening...and seeing what's out there...I'm going to leave the site as is for now...and focus on adding the rest of the content...and will practice upgrading it offline...in my dev environment before I attempt anything at all on the live site.

The site is just a few pages...and graphics...nothing complex...which is why I figured it would be easy to upgrade now...vice later, once we've "lived in" the site for a while, creating things like blogs, and items , etc...

john

It will be easy if it's just a few pages :)

So follow the new method of loading in everything under the folders in App_Data, then load the .master page into the page templates backend

Then just go about creating the pages and copy\pasting over content...should be able to do a complete migration over really quickly actually. 

You're gonna burn too much time trying to use the migration tool, it's not worth it (at least in it's alpha\beta stage whatever it is right now)

Ok...I'll do that...and let you know how it comes out.

Thanks!

john

I did this a few times myself, don't get discouraged (literally what you're about to do)

If you make everything inside of the App_Data folder, then if something goes horribly wrong, then you can just create a new project in a couple mins (with the project manager) then just copy\paste the theme over (and register it) then you're back up and running.

Hi John,

If this is a website with several pages, you can recreate them manually in Sitefinity 4.0. There is a built-in functionality in Sitefinity 4.0 that allows you to syndicate Rss items, so if you have news, blogs etc in 3.x edition you can use this feature to migrate the content more easily. Anyway the suggestions provider by Steve are also valid.

Regards,
Ivan Dimitrov
the Telerik team

Hi all,

Unfortunately, compared to John's situation, our 3.7SP4 company web is about 500 pages.

Steve, you were absolutely right. I felt really sad the other day when I teased myself into trying the migration tool. Excited after a million steps of presumably accurate preparation, the tool hangs, probably close to the final steps, and the pages that were generated just displays errors referring to the old SF assemblies. I was able to grab some of the log output in the conversion page, and among other things it does not like that I have English pages (?)

I understand that there are lots of things that are far from ready with version 4. Still, I think I could live with those issues for a while. And this week we can't delay any further, the addition of a considerable amount of material to the web. (including some controls, or whatever it is called in version 4)

What makes me really disappointed is that Telerik released version 4 without having an official migration tool, which was supposed to be available at that moment.
And to top it off, I felt that we had been very cautious not to complicate the 3.7 project, just to make sure we would be on the fast track when arriving at the gate of migration.

We need to convert pages (with templates) and libraries (images/documents/etc). Would like to have generic content and lists converted (to something similar?), but we can also move those items (70-80) manually if we have to. We can do without blogs, news and forums. (not too much here)
We can also recreate, users, roles and page rights if needed. And of course, nice with a marker where our user controls used to be.

In my search results there are no indication that anyone has ever come out with anything useful from the migration tool. Anyone?
And it seems Telerik has been very quiet about details for any future migration plans. After my unsuccessful migration attempt the skeptical part of me would like to know:
- Is version 4 stable for production, even with simple projects? I case I would expect the migration tool to be considered a core function, provided in the package, not open source. (sorry, don't have time, I choose to pay for products with such options)
- Or, is the plan more or less to have the need for migration fade away as time goes by?
In that case I would really like to know right away, to be able to find the best point in time to start manual conversion.
Well, I could understand, if the structure of v4 is even more radically different from v3.7, than what I've heard.

In case the SF4SP1 (to come in the next hours I read) would bring an updated migration tool, or someone can help me point out a simple fix by reading my migration log (using a ticket?):
Since I know little of the v4 structure, and the 3.7 doesn't really fit the new environment, is there a risk that we would bring over stuff or structures that later will turn out to be a problem? I'd hate to have a haunted project..
Honestly, even with 500 pages and lots of libraries, do anyone still think it is better to convert manually?

Thanks,
Olav

Ok, I guess my disappointment is mostly caused by the fact that I'm generally very satisfied with Sitefinity..

Anyway, I just thought of an alternative that might help a little for our immediate needs.

In case SF4 later this year, without too much hassle (for us..), would be able to import a branch of pages from one v4-project to another v4-project (ok to move templates manually), we could put our urgent material in a separate web for a while. And merge with our current web once we see a working 3.7-to-4 migration tool.

Is such a 4-to-4 feature by any chance already planned?

Thanks,
Olav

Never mind, we had to reach a decision. We'll be sticking with 3.7 for some time.
We have started adding some proper external forum software for starters. It's a pity, would love to have CMS and forum software from the same provider, with common user management and search across all items.

Hi Olav,

Thanks for the feedback, and sorry that we are not able to fulfill the requirements at this time. Needless to say, we are looking forward on implementing this missing stuff, and provide a complete solution for cases like this. 

Good luck with the project.