Upgrading 3.6.2

[sunrisepro]

I've been remiss in updating and want to upgrade Blesta so I can use php 7.2. I assume the normal upgrade process (unzip & overwrite existing files, go to ~/admin/upgrade, click the link) will be fine? Or do I need to upgrade to an intermediate version before the latest version?

Also, I am considering moving my Blesta install to a different cpanel on the same server (due to rebranding my business, the new domain is in a different cpanel on the same server). 2 questions:

1) I currently have Blesta installed in a subfolder. Will the domain change matter?
2) Since it's on the same server, will the new install maintain it's connections to WHM?

I'd like these to go as smoothly as possible so any advice on things to look out for would be appreciated.

[Paul]

2 hours ago, sunrisepro said:

I finally got around to doing the update and all seems well. Now I'd like to migrate to a different cPanel on the same server. Besides putting it into maintenance mode do I need to do anything else? Will the encryption key need to be updated? I'm assuming that I don't have to change the connection to WHM since it's the same server.

Follow the moving Blesta guide at https://docs.blesta.com/display/user/Moving+Blesta if you are moving Blesta. You do not change your system key, it must remain the same as generated on initial install or your installation will be irreversibly broken.

[Tyson]

39 minutes ago, sunrisepro said:

1) I currently have Blesta installed in a subfolder. Will the domain change matter?

Depending on the configuration, you will likely need to reissue your Blesta license to the new domain/location.

39 minutes ago, sunrisepro said:

2) Since it's on the same server, will the new install maintain it's connections to WHM?

If the credentials are all the same.

 

39 minutes ago, sunrisepro said:

I've been remiss in updating and want to upgrade Blesta so I can use php 7.2. I assume the normal upgrade process (unzip & overwrite existing files, go to ~/admin/upgrade, click the link) will be fine? Or do I need to upgrade to an intermediate version before the latest version?

There is a README file included with Blesta that describes how to upgrade. The upgrade documentation is also useful.

Here's what I would recommend in your case:

1. BACKUP YOUR BLESTA INSTALLATION AND DATABASE (especially /config/blesta.php)
2. Put Blesta in maintenance mode
3. Disable your Blesta cron job
4. Download and upgrade to v4.0.0 as an intermediate step. This is mainly due to there being a lot of changes between v3.6.2 and v4.4.2 to make in one big leap. I would recommend upgrading via CLI mode (instead of /admin/upgrade in your browser) so that the upgrade process cannot time out in the web browser.
   1. Upload the contents of the "blesta" directory
   2. The upgrade documentation will be helpful to review. There are files you should delete as well, mentioned in the note at the top of that page. Some people have problems if those files remain after upgrade while most others do not.
   3. Run the upgrade script (via CLI is preferred)
5. Check your Blesta installation to make sure it is working normally on v4.0.0
6. Backup your Blesta installation and database again, now for v4.0.0
7. (You can perform the server/cPanel migration here, or later at step #12-13)
8. Upgrade your server to use php 7.2 (php 7.2+ is only supported on v4.4.0+ of Blesta)
   1. Ensure php 7.2 is installed for both CLI and web
9. Download and upgrade to the latest version (currently v4.4.2) - via CLI mode is recommended over /admin/upgrade in your browser
   1. Since you are on php 7.2, you will need to overwrite a few files from the "blesta" directory with all the files in the "hotfix-php71" directory. You will receive ionCube errors if you do not do this
   2. Upload the contents of the "blesta" directory, which now contains the overwritten files from the "hotfix-php71" directory
   3. Run the upgrade script (via CLI is preferred)
10. Check your Blesta installation to make sure it is working normally on v4.4.2+
    1. Update configuration settings, like cron jobs and email templates, if necessary, since many changes were made since v3.6.2
11. Backup your Blesta installation and database again, now, v4.4.2+
12. Perform your server/cPanel migration as necessary
    1. Be aware that changes to your Blesta location (e.g. by domain or subdomain) may necessitate that you update any third-party configuration to point to the new location. e.g. PayPal IPN URL
13. Log in to your account with us, or your reseller, and reissue the license
    1. Click to "Manage" the service representing your Blesta license, check the "Reissue License" checkbox, and submit
    2. Visit your Blesta installation at your domain and log in. This will complete the license reissue at your new domain
14. Re-enable the Blesta cron job and observe that it runs tasks as shown on the Settings > Automation page
    1. You may need to reconfigure the cron job to run at the new location if it has changed
15. Disable maintenance mode

 

[sunrisepro]

I finally got around to doing the update and all seems well. Now I'd like to migrate to a different cPanel on the same server. Besides putting it into maintenance mode do I need to do anything else? Will the encryption key need to be updated? I'm assuming that I don't have to change the connection to WHM since it's the same server.

[Tyson]

If you move Blesta's installed location, you should update the paths under System > Settings > General. You may also need to re-issue your license so that it can be used in its new location.

 

[aosoft]

Similar to sunrisepro here, we fell off the horse keeping up with upgrades a ways back and are wanting to get caught up.  Is it generally safe to jump minor versions when upgrading?  For example, as with the suggestion of upgrading from 4.0.0 to 4.4.2, would it be advisable to upgrade from 4.4.2 (or 4.0.0, for that matter) all the way to 4.12.3, or might that be too big a jump?  Also, is it necessary to upgrade to 4.12.3 before upgrading to 5.0?  We're hoping to avoid having to incrementally upgrade to each minor version along the way.  That would take a while.  Thanks in advance.

[Paul]

1 minute ago, aosoft said:

Similar to sunrisepro here, we fell off the horse keeping up with upgrades a ways back and are wanting to get caught up.  Is it generally safe to jump minor versions when upgrading?  For example, as with the suggestion of upgrading from 4.0.0 to 4.4.2, would it be advisable to upgrade from 4.4.2 (or 4.0.0, for that matter) all the way to 4.12.3, or might that be too big a jump?  Also, is it necessary to upgrade to 4.12.3 before upgrading to 5.0?  We're hoping to avoid having to incrementally upgrade to each minor version along the way.  That would take a while.  Thanks in advance.

Yes, you can do that, however because there are far more database migrations that need to be performed over such a large jump, there is a higher risk of your web server timing out if you perform the upgrade via web (accessing /admin/upgrade and clicking the button). Upgrading via CLI command, would be less likely to encounter an issue.

If you are running version 3.x, there are steps needed if upgrading to 4.x. See https://docs.blesta.com/display/user/Upgrading+Blesta We would recommend in that case following these steps, and going to 4.0 then from 4.0 to a newer release.

Always make a backup of your FILES & DATABASE, and be prepared to restore them if anything goes wrong in the upgrade.

Also, if upgrading to 5.0.4, note that the System Requirements have increased. If your server doesn't meet the minimum requirements, the upgrade will fail.

[aosoft]

Thanks. Good to know we don't need to upgrade to each minor release. The only additional step I'm seeing in the upgrade doc with upgrading from 3.x to 4 is removing the unneeded files.  Is that correct?  Would it then be safe to expect that upgrading from 4.0 to 5.0.4 should go smoothly, provided system requirements are met and we use the command line method?  Also, if we want to test the upgrade in a dev environment, would we need an additional license?  Thanks, again.