Upgrading your Sitecore platform is an essential part of keeping your website or application running smoothly. However, the process can be complicated—especially when you have custom code and integrations to manage. These customizations, while necessary for your unique business needs, can sometimes break or cause issues during an upgrade if not properly handled.
In this post, we’ll walk you through best practices and strategies for managing custom code during a Sitecore upgrade. By following these steps, you can ensure a smooth transition and maintain your custom features without any headaches.
- Understand the Sitecore Upgrade Process
Before diving into the specifics of custom code, it’s important to understand the overall Sitecore upgrade process. Sitecore upgrades typically involve:
• Updating the Sitecore instance to a newer version.
• Replacing core files, libraries, and modules.
• Ensuring that database schemas, configurations, and components remain compatible.
Sitecore’s documentation offers a clear guide to the process. Familiarize yourself with these details, as they will help you pinpoint where custom code may require adjustments. Sitecore also provides tools like the Sitecore Upgrade Compatibility Checker to assess the compatibility of your environment with the new version. - Audit and Inventory Your Custom Code
Before starting the upgrade, you need to take stock of all customizations in your Sitecore solution. This includes:
• Custom modules and features: Any custom components, workflows, or modules built for your Sitecore instance.
• Custom Sitecore pipelines: If you’ve modified Sitecore’s out-of-the-box pipelines, you’ll need to review these changes for compatibility.
• Third-party integrations: Any integrations with external systems, whether through APIs or connectors.
• Custom templates, fields, or layouts: Changes to Sitecore’s default templates or content types that could conflict with the new version.
Take time to review all these areas and document the customizations. This will be invaluable when you encounter issues later in the upgrade process. - Evaluate Sitecore’s Breaking Changes
Each new version of Sitecore comes with its own set of breaking changes, deprecated features, and new best practices. These changes can impact your custom code, so it’s essential to:
• Review Sitecore’s release notes: Sitecore publishes detailed release notes for each version, highlighting the breaking changes that could affect your custom code. Pay particular attention to changes in APIs, database schema, and configurations.
• Check Sitecore’s documentation: Sitecore also offers documentation on migration guidelines, which provide solutions for dealing with deprecated or changed features.
• Run a compatibility check: Use tools like the Sitecore Upgrade Compatibility Checker to identify which parts of your custom code may need to be modified or replaced.
By proactively identifying breaking changes, you can minimize potential disruptions during the upgrade. - Separate Custom Code from Core Files
One of the most important best practices when upgrading Sitecore is to ensure that your custom code is separated from Sitecore’s core files. Here are some key tips:
• Use Sitecore’s Helix Architecture: Sitecore Helix provides a set of guidelines that promote modularity and separation of concerns. By adhering to Helix principles, your custom code will be more maintainable, and upgrades will be simpler.
• Avoid Direct Modifications to Core Files: If you’ve made customizations directly to Sitecore’s core files (like modifying Sitecore’s default templates or assemblies), you’ll need to address these changes during the upgrade process. Instead, aim to extend Sitecore using custom modules or configuration files, which can be more easily replaced during upgrades.
• Use Patch Files: Sitecore allows you to extend or modify the behavior of its core systems using patch files. These can be used to add custom configuration without modifying the Sitecore platform itself, making upgrades smoother. - Test Custom Code Against the New Version
Once you’ve reviewed your custom code and understood the breaking changes, it’s time to test everything against the new version of Sitecore. To do this effectively:
• Create a staging environment: Don’t attempt an upgrade on your production site first. Set up a separate testing environment that mirrors your production environment, and use it to test the upgrade process.
• Test individual components: Thoroughly test your custom modules, third-party integrations, and custom code in isolation. This ensures that each part is working as expected and that issues are identified early.
• Automated testing: If you have automated tests in place, now is the time to run them. Automated tests can quickly reveal regressions or issues that need attention.
• Sitecore Diagnostics Tools: Use Sitecore’s diagnostics tools like the Sitecore Log Analyzer or Sitecore Experience Platform (XP) Tools to identify any performance issues or errors that arise from custom code. - Plan for Configuration Changes
Upgrading Sitecore can also involve changes to configurations, so it’s essential to handle custom configurations carefully:
• Review configuration files: Sitecore uses a wide variety of configuration files. Make sure that any custom settings or modules are still compatible with the new version.
• Track custom patches: If you’ve applied patches or overrides, ensure that they are compatible with the new Sitecore version. This may involve migrating your custom patches to the new version or adjusting them as necessary.
Be mindful that configuration changes can have a significant impact on your custom code, so testing configurations in a staging environment is crucial. - Refactor and Update Custom Code
During the upgrade, you may find that your custom code needs to be refactored or updated. Here are some common steps you may need to take:
• Update APIs: If Sitecore has changed or deprecated certain APIs, you’ll need to modify your custom code to reflect the new API calls.
• Review obsolete libraries: Check whether any libraries you’re using are now obsolete or incompatible with the new version. Replace them with newer, supported versions.
• Adopt new features: Sitecore often introduces new features that may improve performance or simplify your custom code. Consider refactoring parts of your code to take advantage of these new capabilities. - Implement a Rollback Strategy
Even with careful planning, upgrades can sometimes encounter unexpected issues. It’s crucial to have a rollback strategy in place to revert to a previous working version of Sitecore if needed.
This strategy should include:
• Database backups: Always take backups of your Sitecore database before starting the upgrade.
• File backups: Ensure that all custom code and configuration files are backed up.
• Test rollbacks: Practice rolling back to the previous version in your staging environment to ensure that you can quickly resolve issues if the upgrade doesn’t go as planned. - Post-Upgrade Validation
Once the upgrade is complete, thoroughly validate your site:
• Check performance: Monitor the performance of your site and custom code to ensure there are no issues.
• User acceptance testing: Perform UAT with key stakeholders to confirm that all features are functioning as expected.
• Monitor logs: Keep a close eye on Sitecore logs for any issues that may arise post-upgrade.
——————————————————————————————
Conclusion
Upgrading Sitecore is a crucial task that ensures your platform is running on the latest features and security updates. However, managing custom code during an upgrade can be tricky. By taking the time to audit your customizations, testing thoroughly, and following Sitecore’s best practices, you can ensure that your custom code continues to work seamlessly after the upgrade.
Remember, the key to a successful Sitecore upgrade is preparation, testing, and a well-thought-out strategy. Keep these steps in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to a smooth upgrade with minimal disruptions.