Backing Up Your Existing Site

For obvious reasons, the most important task to do when upgrading your site is to back up your existing implementation. There are three parts to your site: file-based assets, customizations, and the repository. Each part needs to be handled separately as you upgrade.

• File assets: The file assets are files that aren't included in the repository. These file assets include everything from your include files to the images that make up your site design. If you have created a special directory for all these assets, the process of backing them up is probably trivial.

• Customizations: Customizations are a little harder to track down, especially if you did not implement the site you are upgrading. When we talk about customizations, we are talking about any additional code added to CMS-supplied files. For example, a common customization is to send e-mail when someone submits content for approval. This code can usually be found in the Workflowhooks.inc file. When you upgrade, you should capture all of these kinds of files, because when you uninstall CMS 2001 in the next step, you'll lose those files. Since there are other "hook" files in CMS 2001, you should perform a thorough review of your current CMS implementation to ensure that nothing is missed.

• Your repository: Your repository is the SQL database to which your CMS server(s) connects. If you are not sure what database or database server you are using, you can look at the Server Configuration Application (SCA); it is located under Programs > Content Management Server > Server Configuration Application. The SCA lists the database server and database at the top of its main interface. Since the upgrade process makes changes to the database structure and contents, it is a good idea (no, it is a great idea) to have a backup before you run the installation process.