1

My client has an existing Domino setup, started at version 2.0 upgraded over the years to 6.5.4. We are about to install a new Domino 9 server. Customisations have be applied to; mailboxes(custom template mailtmp5.ntf), Names.nsf, catalog.nsf, mail.box.

As a precaution we have already taken separate backups of all of the above. This is part of a planned migration for all servers to version 9, but we will be running a mixed setup for a few weeks.

If we install the new Domino 9 server as an 'additional' server within the directory will it overwrite the existing templates and Names.nsf?

Would it be best to extract all the customised docs/views/code into a separate template and add the functionality back into the Domino 9 template versions?

IBM recommend that an upgrade to 9 should start with a minimum 8.5, any issues to look out for going from 6.5.4 to 9?

If this all looks like a bad idea we can virtualise an existing 6.5.4 and upgrade to 8.5 then 9 on a test server and see what transpires!

Steven Elwell
  • 13
  • 2
  • `IBM recommend that an upgrade to 9 should start with a minimum 8.5, any issues to look out for going from 6.5.4 to 9?` - People seem to want to intentionally cause themselves pain. If IBM says the minimum version to go to 9 is 8.5 then why are you trying to go from 6.5.4 to 9? Do they support an upgrade from version 6.5.4 to 9? As for testing this in a virtual environment is concerned, yes you should do that. – joeqwerty Dec 09 '16 at 03:03

1 Answers1

0

I can only recommend: Go and get someone who has done this kind of migrations before.

Just technically there is NO problem in running a Domino 9 Server in a 6.5.4 environment... If you know what to do to don't mix the different versions. There are a LOT of things to consider, here are just a few of them:

  • create a new set of templates with NEW replica IDs, as otherwise they will replicate with their 6.5 pendants and you will end with totally unusable templates.
  • implement all the custom features of templates in 9- versions (if they don't have that feature by default
  • don't update in place, but create a new server and move users and databases one by one - this is usually not necessary, but in such a great version step I would strongly recommend so
  • take care, that the key of the new domino- server is not to strong as otherwise the 6.5 clients will not be able to connect.
  • There is a RnRMgr Task since version 7 -> need to separately take care of rooms and resources
  • users will need education (a version 5 template is stone age....) ...

These are just the points that come out of my mind without thinking about it very long, there are a LOT more to consider, but a good consultant will know them all and guide you through the process without big interferences.

Doing it alone you will probably get 90% right just without bigger problems... But the 10% might break your neck... And it might even be, that these 10% occur some time after the migration itself...

Tode
  • 1,013
  • 9
  • 13