My Upgrade Experience from Sitecore 7.5 to 8.0 Update-1

I was assigned the task of upgrading an existing client's large, multisite Sitecore 7.5 rev. 141003 instance to the shiny new Sitecore 8 rev.150121 (Update-1).  Having performed several version upgrades in the past, I estimated that it would take me about half a day to complete this process.

It took me a little longer than this to get them up and running, only because I ran into some issues with some legacy modules and because rebuilding the search indexes simply took forever!

I am still having a couple of issues after the upgrade that I noted in my Outstanding Issues section. I plan to keep this section updated as I receive feedback from the ticket I currently have open with Sitecore.

Solution for publishing error.
Solution for error when rebuilding links database.

Getting Ready

To get started, I navigated over to the new and improved dev.sitecore.net site to arm myself with the files needed to perform the upgrade. The files that I downloaded from the site included:

1. 8.0 and 8.0 Update-1 upgrade packages
2. 8.0 and 8.0 Update-1 config files for upgrade
3. Upgrade guides for 8.0 and 8.0 Update-1
4. Configuration file changes document for 8.0 and 8.0 Update-1

Note: You need to be logged into dev.sitecore.net for these links to work.

I must say, the Sitecore team did a fantastic job on the documentation for the upgrade!

The road to 8.0 initial release

The short version

These are the steps necessary to perform the upgrade:

1. Run SQL Server update scripts on Core, Master and Web databases
2. Run SQL Server script on Analytics database
3. Remove PageEditorHanldeNoLayout Processor from web.config
4. Remove PageLevelTestItemResolver from Analytics.config
5. Turn Analytics off: Set Analytics.Enabled to false in Analytics.config
6. Make sure any A/B or MV tests are disabled
7. Disable WFFM and ECM config files if you have the modules installed
8. Install the upgrade package using the Update Installation Wizard
9. Apply the configuration file changes described in Sitecore Configuration File Changes document
10. Revert the changes from step 5-7

Web.Config

The configuration file changes document for 8.0 scared me at first, because it was 30 pages! But, I quickly realized that in most cases, I could simple do a copy and replace on most of the files.

The document notes; "Most customers have only applied a small number of changes (if any) to the Web.config file. In that case, we recommend that you simply download the clean config file using the link above and re-apply any changes that you've made to save time and to reduce the risk of making mistakes when adding the new settings, pipelines, etc. to the file."

We inherited this site from another vendor who made their updates directly to the web.config, instead of using separate patch files. So unfortunately, the small number of changes didn't apply to our case. I was forced to manually update the web.config in 36 different locations!

Bump in the road

While installing the upgrade package, I received the following error:
Installation resulted in "The following errors occured during file installation: Access to the path '{instancepath}\Website\bin\System.Web.Http.dll' is denied."

For some reason, the assembly in question was marked as "read-only". I simply unchecked the "read-only" checkbox in the file's properties, ran the upgrade package again, and it worked like a champ.

Testing 8.0 initial release

After updating the databases via scripts, installing the update package, and making the necessary config changes, I was ready to boot up the new version.

At first, things looked good. The new login page came up and I was able to successfully get to the new SPEAK dashboard.

However, when I clicked on any the buttons on the dashboard, I received the following error:
Could not load type 'Sitecore.Shell.Applications.WebEdit.Commands.WebEditCommand' from assembly 'Sitecore.Client, Version=7.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'.

Experience told me that there had to be some custom module causing the issue. Knowing that this particular site was using a "patched" version of the old 6.5 calendar module, I disabled the config file straight away, tried again, but still didn't have any luck. Other modules that the site used that I tried to disable without success included:

1. Sitemap XML
2. Page Rate

I decided to make a backup of everything in my instance's include folder, and then I went back over to dev.sitecore.net and downloaded the zipped web root of the 8.0 initial release. I went ahead and removed everything that was in my instance's include folder, and then copied over all the files from the 8.0 zipped download's include folder.

This fixed my problem, and I was able to access all the areas of the platform. I also did a quick check in my log file, and it was error free.

Next, I loaded in the above-mentioned module's config files into my include folder. I kept my fingers and toes crossed, and to my delight, everything continued to work.

To 8.0 Update-1 and beyond

After getting the initial release up and running, I figured that upgrading to Update-1 would be a "walk in the park". It certainly was.

The short version

These are the steps necessary to perform the upgrade:

1. Turn Analytics off: Set Analytics.Enabled to false in Analytics.config
2. Disable WFFM and ECM config files if you have the modules installed
3. Comment out the Sitecore.ContentTesting.Events.GenerateScreenshot,Sitecore.ContentTesting
   event handler in /App_Config/Include/ContentTesting/Sitecore.ContentTesting.config
4. Install the upgrade package using the Update Installation Wizard
5. Apply the configuration file changes described in Sitecore Configuration File Changes document
6. Revert the changes from step 1-3

I was presently surprised to see that there was only 1 change to the web.config this time. As for the rest of the configuration files; I was able to simply do a copy and replace from the config files zip that I had previously downloaded.

Outstanding Issues

After doing some extensive testing, these are the following issues that are outstanding in our upgraded 8.0 Update-1 instance. 

I plan to keep this section updated with feedback from the ticket I currently have open with Sitecore.

Error when rebuilding the links database for Master and Web:

Job started: RebuildLinkDatabasesIndex|System.FormatException: Unrecognized Guid format.

   at System.Guid.GuidResult.SetFailure(ParseFailureKind failure, String failureMessageID, Object failureMessageFormatArgument, String failureArgumentName, Exception innerException)

   at System.Guid.TryParseGuid(String g, GuidStyles flags, GuidResult& result)

   at System.Guid..ctor(String g)

   at Sitecore.Analytics.Data.TrackingField.<>c__DisplayClass21.<get_Events>b__20(XElement e)

   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectEnumerableIterator`2.MoveNext()

   at Sitecore.Analytics.Data.TrackingField.ValidateLinks(LinksValidationResult result)

   at Sitecore.Links.ItemLinks.AddLinks(Field field, List`1 links, ItemLinkState linkState)

   at Sitecore.Links.ItemLinks.GetLinks(ItemLinkState linkState, Boolean allVersions, Boolean includeStandardValuesLinks)

   at Sitecore.Links.LinkDatabase.UpdateReferences(Item item)

   at Sitecore.Links.LinkDatabase.RebuildItem(Item item)

   at Sitecore.Links.LinkDatabase.RebuildItem(Item item)

   at Sitecore.Links.LinkDatabase.RebuildItem(Item item)

   at Sitecore.Links.LinkDatabase.RebuildItem(Item item)

   at Sitecore.Links.LinkDatabase.RebuildItem(Item item)

   at Sitecore.Links.LinkDatabase.RebuildItem(Item item)

   at Sitecore.Links.LinkDatabase.RebuildItem(Item item)

   at Sitecore.Links.LinkDatabase.Rebuild(Database database)

   at Sitecore.Shell.Applications.Dialogs.RebuildLinkDatabase.RebuildLinkDatabaseForm.Builder.Build()|Job ended: RebuildLinkDatabasesIndex (units processed: )

Resolution:

WFFM problem items were causing the errors.

Using SQL Profiler, we identified the problem items:

/sitecore/system/Modules/Web Forms for Marketers/Sample form
/sitecore/system/Modules/Web Forms for Marketers/Website
/sitecore/templates/Web Forms for Marketers/Form/_Standard Values

The site had the module installed but wasn't using it for anything. I think our client had intentions to start building some custom forms, but just never got around to doing it.

Knowing that we will be using it in the near future for a Dynamics CRM integration project, I went ahead and installed the latest version of the module, overwriting the problem items in the tree.

After doing this, I was able to successfully rebuild my links databases. Yay!

Error when publishing some items:

Job started: Publish to 'web'|#Exception: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.Exception: Could not resolve type name: Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.PublishVersion.Processors.Re

                                moveOtherVersions, Sitecore.Kernel (method: Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.CreateType(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert)).

   at Sitecore.Diagnostics.Error.Raise(String error, String method)

   at Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.CreateType(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert)

   at Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.CreateFromTypeName(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert)

   at Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert, IFactoryHelper helper)

   at Sitecore.Pipelines.CorePipelineFactory.GetObjectFromType(String type, XmlNode processorNode)

   at Sitecore.Pipelines.CoreProcessor.GetMethod(Object[] parameters)

   at Sitecore.Pipelines.CorePipeline.Run(PipelineArgs args)

   at Sitecore.Publishing.PublishHelper.PublishVersionToTarget(Item sourceVersion, Item targetItem, Boolean targetCreated)

   at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.PublishItem.PerformAction.ExecuteAction(PublishItemContext context)

   at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.PublishItem.PerformAction.Process(PublishItemContext context)

   at (Object , Object[] )

   at Sitecore.Pipelines.CorePipeline.Run(PipelineArgs args)

   at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.PublishItem.PublishItemPipeline.Run(PublishItemContext context)

   at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessEntries(IEnumerable`1 entries, PublishContext context)

   at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.Process(PublishContext context)

   at (Object , Object[] )

   at Sitecore.Pipelines.CorePipeline.Run(PipelineArgs args)

   at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.PublishPipeline.Run(PublishContext context)

   at Sitecore.Publishing.Publisher.PublishWithResult()

   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---

   at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor)

   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeInternal(Object obj, Object[] parameters, Object[] arguments)

   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)

   at System.Reflection.MethodBase.Invoke(Object obj, Object[] parameters)

   at (Object , Object[] )

   at Sitecore.Pipelines.CorePipeline.Run(PipelineArgs args)

   at Sitecore.Jobs.Job.ThreadEntry(Object state)

Resolution:

Error in the web.config file:

       <publishVersion help="Processors should derive from Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.PublishItem.PublishVersionProcessor">
<processor
type="Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.PublishVersion.Processors.Re
moveOtherVersions, Sitecore.Kernel" />
</publishVersion>

You should concatenate the rows with the type name:

       <publishVersion help="Processors should derive from Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.PublishItem.PublishVersionProcessor">
<processor
type="Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.PublishVersion.Processors.RemoveOtherVersions, Sitecore.Kernel" />
</publishVersion>