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Stages in the staged upgrade

Perform a staged upgrade by upgrading your Content Manager server. Then upgrade your Content Delivery servers one by one. Throughout this process, your Web site remains operational, and publishing is only blocked while Content Manager is upgraded.

Stage 1: Before the upgrade starts

Initially, users use the old Content Manager to publish to the old Content Delivery servers. The old version can be SDL Tridion 2013 SP1 HR1 or SDL Web 8 with Cumulative Update 1 applied.

Stage 2: Copying and upgrading the Content Manager

To upgrade the Content Manager, create a copy of the Content Manager server and of the Content Manager database, and upgrade them. While this happens, a publish embargo must be in place, to prevent the introduction of changes that would be lost in the next stage.

Stage 3: Switching to use of the new Content Manager

After testing has confirmed that the new Content Manager is stable and publishes to the old Content Delivery servers successfully, users switch to the new Content Manager.

Stage 4: Retiring the old Content Manager

The old Content Manager server and Content Manager database are no longer needed and can be retired.

Stage 5: Copying and upgrading the Content Delivery databases and one Content Delivery server

First, create a copy of the Content Delivery databases and of at least one Content Delivery server, and upgrade them both. Then add the upgraded Content Delivery server(s) to your Topology Manager (if using a new publishing setup) or Publication Targets (if using a deprecated publishing framework). Users now publish their content both to the old Content Delivery server(s) and to the upgraded new Content Delivery server(s).

Stage 6: Copying and upgrading remaining Content Delivery servers

At your own pace, copy and upgrade each of the remaining Content Delivery servers, each time adding them to your Topology Manager (if using a new publishing setup) or Publication Targets (if using a deprecated publishing framework).

Stage 7: All Content Delivery servers have been upgraded

After the Content Data Store and all Content Delivery servers have been upgraded, users publish to these new Content Delivery servers from the new Content Manager, and all of their published content gets stored in the new Content Data Store. The entire platform has now been upgraded to the latest version.