Overview: Migrating Management Center

WebSphere Commerce Version 7 and WebSphere Commerce Version 7 feature packs deliver new Management Center functions and fixes to enhance your Management Center environment. Review this information to understand the process of migrating your existing customized Management Center environment to the Version 7 level or to a Version 7 feature pack.

The Management Center can be customized within the WebSphere Commerce Developer environment. Using the migration tool that is provided, you can migrate your customized Management Center files from a lower version of WebSphere Commerce Developer to the Version 7 level or to one of the Version 7 feature pack levels.

If you want to migrate from Management Center Version 6.0 Feature Pack x to a Management Center Version 7.0 Feature Pack y, you need to first migrate to Management Center Version 7.0, then migrate to the Management Center Version 7.0 Feature Pack y.

For an overview of enhancements to Management Center migration in WebSphere Commerce version 7 feature packs, see Migration enhancements.

Determining if you need to migrate

If you enabled the Management Center feature on a previous version and if you implemented any customization in the previous Feature Pack, you must migrate the Management Center. Examples of customizations that require you to migrate:

Supported Management Center migration paths

to Version 7 to Version 7 Feature Pack 1 to Version 7 Feature Pack 2 to Version 7 Feature Pack 3 to Version 7 Feature Pack 4 to Version 7 Feature Pack 5 to Version 7 Feature Pack 6 to Version 7 Feature Pack 7 to Version 7 Feature Pack 8
from Version 6 Feature Pack 3.0.1, Version 6 Feature Pack 4, or Version 6 Feature Pack 5 supported
from Version 7 supported supported supported supported supported supported supported supported
from Version 7 Feature Pack 1 supported supported supported supported supported supported supported
from Version 7 Feature Pack 2 supported supported supported supported supported supported
from Version 7 Feature Pack 3 supported supported supported supported supported
from Version 7 Feature Pack 4 supported supported supported supported
from Version 7 Feature Pack 5 supported supported supported
from Version 7 Feature Pack 6 supported supported
from Version 7 Feature Pack 7 supported
Notes:
  • If you want to migrate from Management Center Version 6.0 Feature Pack version to a Management Center Version 7.0 Feature Pack version, you must first migrate to Management Center Version 7.0, then migrate to the Management Center Version 7.0 Feature Pack version.
  • Do not customize the new feature pack version before you migrate the Management Center. Any customization that you do on the new feature pack might be undone after migration. After you migrate any customizations from the lower-level feature pack version to the new Feature pack version, you can do further customizations on the new feature pack.

For a high-level overview of the migration steps for the supported migration paths, see Overview of migration steps.

Migration outline for WebSphere Commerce Developer on the toolkit

Use the following outline to help you determine when to perform Management Center migration steps when you are migrating WebSphere Commerce Developer on the toolkit. These are the steps that are required:
  1. Optional: Before migrating, customize the Management Center in the lower-level version of WebSphere Commerce Developer.
  2. Install the new WebSphere Commerce Developer fix pack and feature pack in the toolkit environment where you made the Management Center customizations.
  3. Enable the Management Center feature in the same toolkit environment.
  4. Depending on whether you customize the Management Center in the lower-level version of WebSphere Commerce Developer in Step 1:
    • If you customized the Management Center:
      • Open WebSphere Commerce Developer.
      • Run the OpenLaszlo migration tool to compare differences between the customized Management Center and the Management Center in the lower-level version of WebSphere Commerce Developer.
      • Use the OpenLaszlo migration tool to merge customizations.
    • If you did not customize the Management Center, no further steps are required.
  5. Export the customization code.

Migration outline for WebSphere Commerce in the runtime environment

Use the following outline to help you determine when to perform Management Center migration steps when you are migrating WebSphere Commerce in the runtime environment. These are the steps that are required:
  1. Before migrating, back up your runtime environment, including the lower-level version of WebSphere Commerce.
  2. Install the new WebSphere Commerce fix pack and feature pack in the runtime environment where you deployed the Management Center customizations.
  3. Enable the Management Center feature in the same runtime environment.
  4. Deploy the Management Center customizations from Step 5 of the Migration outline for WebSphere Commerce Developer on the toolkit to the runtime environment.