Summary

This chapter detailed how you might plan and implement an upgrade from Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. Both of these products have similar functionality, as well as a similar look and feel and, therefore, you may find that you and your users may need little or no training to use the new version, however they will need to be involved in the upgrade process. There are differences, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is based on ASP.NET 2.0, branding and customization is different; there is no longer an ISAPI filter; search uses SharePoint search and not SQL Server Full Text Search. You can upgrade your Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 Web sites to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Web sites using one of three upgrade approaches: in-place, gradual, or content database migration. Before you upgrade your environment, you must select the upgrade approach that best meets the needs of your organization and create a recovery plan for use if the upgrade process does not go as planned. For best results, follow these best practices:

• Back up your data before, during, and after the upgrade process.

• Determine the upgrade approach and how you will manage customizations.

• Design you Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 installation.

• Plan for additional storage, particularly on your SQL server.

• Test the upgrade in a non-production environment.

• Estimate the length of time the upgrade will take, and ensure you have a tested backout plan.

• Communicate your plan to managers, users, site owners, Web designers, and developers.