Preparing for your upgrade
A number of preparatory steps are required before you can upgrade.
Procedure
- Check in all objects.
- Use the SDL Contenta Server Platform Requirements to verify the hardware and software system requirements.
- Use the SDL Contenta Server Platform Requirements to determine the version of Perl for the Contenta version to which you are upgrading. If this Contenta version requires a newer version of Perl than your current version, remove any older versions of Perl before you upgrade.
Note: Contenta 5.6 installs Strawberry Perl in its own install location and does not support ActiveState Perl. Before removing ActiveState Perl, make sure no other Software is dependent on it, for example, SDL XPP.
- Upgrade and configure your Oracle software and database to the required version and patch set level. Refer to these topics, as well as to your Oracle database vendor documentation for more information on how to upgrade.
- Perform the following backup operations:
- When not in use, back up the Contenta database using your database backup utility.
- Back up your site's custom Contenta tools and scripts.
- From the setup/ subdirectory of your Contenta home directory, back up your current customized pdm_setup.sql file.
- Check and note down the name of the ODBC DBS by opening your Windows Control Panel, then selecting Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC) > System DSN.
- If you are upgrading from a Contenta release older than 5.5, obtain a license file.
- Stop the PcmPortal service by opening your Windows Control Panel and selecting Administrative Tools > Services. Find the Windows service called XyEnterprise Contenta Server and stop it.
- If you are upgrading from Contenta 5.4 or earlier, uninstall the MKS Toolkit by opening your Windows Control Panel and selecting Add/Remove Programs > MKS Platform components 9.x.
- Check any remaining directories and files that were not deleted, and remove them.
- Using the Registry Editor, check the following registry entry to verify that the Nutcracker registry key is not present: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Data Focus. You should not find an entry called
NutCRACKER OEin this location. - If you want to configure your system for use in a Citrix environment, refer to the three files in the distr/citrix/ sbudirectory of your Contenta home directory, specifically the file CitrixX11Startup.pdf (titled Configuring Citrix server to run XPP/Contenta via a Citrix client using published applications). This document explains how to run SDL Contenta using a Citrix client workstation.
- Reboot your system and make sure there are no applications running. The upgrade may raise an error if files are in use by an application.
- Upgrading or installing Oracle
Perform a set of upgrade or installation steps if you do not have the Oracle release and patches listed in the SDL Contenta Platform Requirements installed on your database server, Contenta Server and/or Contenta Client workstation. - Troubleshooting Oracle patch set installation
If, after following the instructions in the Oracle README.html to install patches, you cannot start the listener or you cannot shut down or start up the database, a number of troubleshooting steps can help you get the listener and database up and running. - Requesting the Contenta license file
As of SDL Contenta 5.0, you require a license to use Contenta. Submit a request to SDL Dispatch to obtain a license. Special instructions apply if your are upgrading from a version of Contenta earlier than 4.2.