Performing an in-place or hybrid upgrade

Upgrade to an HCL Connections 7.0 deployment by running the Installation Manager Update function on a Connections 6.5 CR1 deployment. This can be done either in-place (in your existing production environment) or using a hybrid approach of installing 6.5 in a new environment identical to production, updating that to 6.5 CR1, and then running the upgrade to 7.

Before you begin

Download Connections 7.0 Server and Component Pack 7.0.0.2 from the HCL License & Delivery Portal. Connections Server packages are as follows:
  • HCL_Connections_7.0 (download package for Connections 7.0 including system requirements)
  • HCL_Connections_7.0_Updates (download package for Connections 7.0 Updates)
  • Websphere Application Server 8.5.5 and Select Fix Packs (download package for IBM WebSphere including FixPacks)
For future reference, review the resources you'll need to apply the latest updates to Connections 7.0 after you upgrade:
  • Enhanced HCL Connections 7.0 Update Wizard -2104 (Available in the HCL Connections 7.0 download link above)
    Note: The Update Wizard for Connections has been extended to support “Feature Foundation” and the “Sharepoint Library widget.” The HCL Connections 7.0 Update Wizard (2104) is required to install the “HCL Connections v7.0 Cumulative Fix (CFix).”
  • Update Strategy for HCL Connections 7.0, which includes links to the latest fix lists for Connections and Component Pack.

About this task

Attention:
  • The HCL Connections 7.0 database wizard does not create the database for the Community Highlights / Connections Engagement Center (CEC) or Feature Foundation (enables PDF Export and provides support for Tailored Experience). The Community Highlights database scripts are located in the folder /Wizards/connections.sql/icec. The Feature Foundation database scripts are located in the folder /Wizards/connections.sql/ic360. See Creating databases for more information.
  • On the system where the Deployment Manager is installed, prepare the supporting software for the update:
Important: If you have previously installed ICXT, deselect the Feature Foundation check box when upgrading to Connections 7.0 and contact HCL Support to acquire the new ICXT upgrade package. After downloading the ICXT package follow the ICXT installation guidelines.
Note: In an in-place upgrade, previous configurations for IBM FileNet and Metrics deployments will be retained in Connections 7.0 going forward.

Procedure

  1. Stop all clusters and node agents in your deployment but leave the Deployment Manager running.
  2. Start Installation Manager.
  3. From the Installation Manager menu, click File > Preferences.
    Note: Be sure that the Search service repositories during installation and updates option is deselected.
  4. Click Repositories > Add Repository.
  5. Enter the full path to the Connections 7 install package that you downloaded and then click OK.
    Verify that Installation Manager can connect to the repository. For example: ..\HCL_Connections_Install\HCLConnections\repository.xml.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Click Update.
  8. Select HCL Connections and click Next.
  9. From the Update Packages screen select Version 7.0.0.0 and click Next.
  10. Review and accept the license agreement by clicking I accept terms in the license agreements and then click Next.
  11. Ensure that all the Connections applications are selected and click Next.
    Note: All of the installed applications are selected by default. All of the installed applications are typically selected by default. If you clear any of the selected applications, those applications will be uninstalled. If there are any non-selected applications, and you select those applications, they will be installed.
  12. Enter the administrative ID and password of the Deployment Manager and click Validate.
    Note: This ID is set to the connectionsAdmin J2C authentication alias, which is mapped to the following Java™ EE roles: dsx-admin, widget-admin, and search-admin. It is also used by the service integration bus. If you plan to use security management software such as Tivoli® Access Manager or SiteMinder, the ID that you specify here must exist in the LDAP directory. For more information, see the Switching to unique administrator IDs for system level communication topic.
  13. In the Topology panel, select the topology that matches the deployment
    Note:

    By default, the IC360 application will be selected to be deployed as a new application. In medium and large deployments, it will deploy to a new WebSphere cluster called IC360Cluster. If you prefer to deploy the application to an existing WebSphere cluster, use the topology panel to override this option and select an existing cluster for deployment.

  14. Validate the Feature Foundation database
  15. Click OK > Next > Update > Finish.
  16. Close Installation Manager.
  17. When the installation is complete, start the node agent to deploy the updated Connections applications.
  18. Generate a new plug-in (to include the new Highlights app and refresh all app endpoint definitions) by completing the following steps:
    1. Still in the Integrated Solutions Console, click Servers > Server Types > Webservers.
    2. Select the Webserver, click Generate Plug-in, and wait for the plug-in to be generated.
    3. Select the Webserver again and click Propagate Plug-in.
  19. Stop the node agent so the temp directory can be cleaned out in the next step.
  20. Delete the contents of the cache under the App Server.
  21. Start the node agents, then perform a full synchronization to push the update to all nodes.

    Check the SystemOut.log of each node agent to ensure synchronization completed successfully.

  22. Start the Connections server.

What to do next

  • Required database update to Homepage: Deployments that upgrade from Connections 6.5 CR1 are required to manually run the Homepage database schema. See Updating databases.
  • A Connections 7.0 upgrade deployment updates a number of web services and other artifacts that require an end user to clear the browser cache to get the updates.
  • Alternatively, you can allow user's browsers to load new web services and artifacts by updating the <versionStamp value="####"/> in the LotusConnections-config.xml so users will see the changes the next time they log in, without having to clear their web browser cache. See Post-customization step after a Connections 7.0 upgrade is deployed so users will receive changes the next time they log in without having to clear their web browser cache. If the browser cache is not updated problems such as the Community Catalog not displaying correctly may occur.