Upgrading Bugzilla 3.6.1 to 5.0

[Shazain Ali]

I currently have Bugzilla version 3.6.1 (with a few customizations) and am
looking to upgrade to version 5.0 (while keeping the customizations). I am
wanting to know the most efficient route I can take in upgrading. Since the
server it is on is Windows Server 2003, that will need to be upgraded to
Windows Server 2008 R2 as part of the upgrade.

I have thought of a couple of options in terms of routes to take:

I can create a new server with Windows 2008 R2 on it and then install
Bugzilla 5.0 on there and then migrate over the data from the old server.
I can upgrade the OS on the current server and then upgrade Bugzilla to
version 5.0.

Which one of these routes is the most efficient to take with the least
problems? If there is an alternative route I can take, please let me know.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Shazain

[Thorsten Schöning]

Guten Tag Shazain Ali,
am Mittwoch, 8. Juli 2015 um 21:35 schrieben Sie:

> I currently have Bugzilla version 3.6.1 (with a few customizations) and am
> looking to upgrade to version 5.0 (while keeping the customizations).

What does customizations mean, extensions, properly/wrongly customized
templates, did you just hard code things into Bugzilla core logic? If
you wrongly customized things, I would start with looking at how to
properly customize those using extensions, customized templates and
such.

Additionally you should make yourself familiar with git and use that
to deploy your local Bugzilla installation, because it will make
updating customized installations easier. The older versions are
available as well, so you can change your old installation to use git
as well and apply your customizations afterwards.

https://github.com/bugzilla/bugzilla

> I can create a new server with Windows 2008 R2 on it and then install
> Bugzilla 5.0 on there and then migrate over the data from the old server.
> I can upgrade the OS on the current server and then upgrade Bugzilla to
> version 5.0.

That mainly depends on how important uptime is for you and how
difficult it is to get your new server in your network so that it
might get tested by users and such.

I would prefer creating a new server and installing the OLD bugzilla
using git on that. Afterwards you can apply your customizations and
get everything back running. Once done, you can upgrade to the new
bugzilla in place and deal with your customizations and such. If the
OLD bugzilla doesn't work properly with current versions of Perl, just
use the old one from your old server and replace that with a current
version if you upgrade to Bugzilla 5. MySQL should be less of a
problem I guess.

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Bugzilla:Move_Installation
http://bugzilla.readthedocs.org/en/latest/installing/moving.html

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Thorsten Schöning

--
Thorsten Schöning E-Mail: Thorsten....@AM-SoFT.de
AM-SoFT IT-Systeme http://www.AM-SoFT.de/

Telefon...........05151- 9468- 55
Fax...............05151- 9468- 88
Mobil..............0178-8 9468- 04

AM-SoFT GmbH IT-Systeme, Brandenburger Str. 7c, 31789 Hameln
AG Hannover HRB 207 694 - Geschäftsführer: Andreas Muchow

[Gervase Markham]

On 09/07/15 16:17, Thorsten Schöning wrote:
> I would prefer creating a new server and installing the OLD bugzilla
> using git on that. Afterwards you can apply your customizations and
> get everything back running. Once done, you can upgrade to the new
> bugzilla in place and deal with your customizations and such.

This is the correct path. First, upgrade your OS - either in-place or by
moving the installation lock, stock and barrel to a new server.
http://bugzilla.readthedocs.org/en/latest/installing/moving.html

Then, upgrade Bugzilla itself. Again, there are instructions on things
you need to consider:
http://bugzilla.readthedocs.org/en/latest/installing/upgrading.html
http://bugzilla.readthedocs.org/en/latest/installing/upgrading-customizations.html

It depends on the level and nature of your customizations as to whether
it's better to just try running Bugzilla's upgrade process and then
fixing any conflicts, or whether it's better to install a fresh copy of
5.0 and port the customizations over.

Either way, you need a dev environment :-)

Gerv