Migrating ThoughtFarmer to another server

This guide assumes that your intranet site is on version 9+ and that this is not an AD domain migration. If this is not the case, please contact the ThoughtFarmer Helpdesk.

Migration scenarios

The steps vary depending on what is migrating. Please click on the case that applies to you:

• Case 1: Both site and database are migrating
• Case 2: Only the site is migrating
• Case 3: Only the database is migrating

Case 1: Both site and database are migrating

Server prerequisites

Complete the server prerequisites and hardware requirements for the new web and database server(s). The "SQL server version support" and "Enable Filestream for ThoughtFarmer" sections on the page linked above are for the database server.

Service account requirements:

• Create the ThoughtFarmer database user in the new database server. Add it to SQL Security logins. Give it Allow logon locally rights on the new web server.
• For the user that will be used to run the ThoughtFarmer installer, add the user to the local Administrators group.

Download the installers

Download the latest installer (TFManager) onto the new web server. It is inside the version folder near the bottom. If you're integrating with AD, download the EDCManager too.

Install the search functionality

Please contact the ThoughtFarmer Helpdesk to install the search component (ElasticSearch) on the new web server.

Migration

If you have a staging site, it is best practice to test changes with staging before prod. Please review the migration steps below before migration day so you are familiar with the steps and can ask questions.

1. Turn off the ThoughtFarmer site and its app pools in IIS. This prevents users from making changes while you are migrating the database.
2. If you are integrating with AD, open Services on the web server. Find the ThoughtFarmer EDC Service. Stop it from running and change its startup type to Disabled.
3. Change the site's DNS entry so it points to the IP address of the new web server.
4. Take a full database backup.
5. Transfer and restore the database onto the new SQL server. Make sure the ThoughtFarmer database user has db_owner access.
6. On the new web server, run the TFManager installer. Follow the steps under Upgrade your site in this doc. That doc mentions to skip "Update Search+". In the case of a migration, you would click Enable Search+ instead.
7. On the new web server, run the EDCManager afterward if you're integrating with AD. Follow the steps under Upgrade your AD Sync Windows service in this doc.
8. Open up Services on the new web server. Find the ThoughtFarmer EDC Service. Make sure it is running and its startup type is Automatic (Delayed Start).
9. The ThoughtFarmer database references some folder paths on the web server. After the migration, you may need to update the paths, especially if the drive changed. One of the paths is the Extensions folder, which you'll need to copy from the old web server to the new if there are files inside. Please contact us to receive the SQL queries to do this.
10. Complete the post-migration checks.

Case 2: Only the site is migrating

Server prerequisites

Complete the server prerequisites and hardware requirements for the new web server. Skip the "SQL server version support" and "Enable Filestream for ThoughtFarmer" sections.

Service account requirements:

• For the user that will be used to run the ThoughtFarmer installer on the new web server, add the user to the local Administrators group.

Download the installers

Download the latest installer (TFManager) onto the new web server. It is inside the folder near the bottom. If you're integrating with AD, download the EDCManager too.

Install the search functionality

Please contact us to install the search component (ElasticSearch) on the new web server. 

Migration

If you have a staging site, it is best practice to test changes with staging before prod. Please review the migration steps below before migration day so you are familiar with the steps and can ask questions.

1. Turn off the ThoughtFarmer site and its app pools in IIS.
2. If you are integrating with AD, open Services on the web server. Find the ThoughtFarmer EDC Service. Stop it from running and change its startup type to Disabled.
3. Change the site's DNS entry so it points to the IP address of the new web server.
4. On the new web server, run the TFManager installer. Follow the steps under Upgrade your site in this doc. That doc mentions to skip "Update Search+". In the case of a migration, you would click Enable Search+ instead.
5. On the new web server, run the EDCManager afterward if you're integrating with AD. Follow the steps under Upgrade your AD Sync Windows service in this doc.
6. Open up Services on the new web server. Find the ThoughtFarmer EDC Service. Make sure it's running and its startup type is Automatic (Delayed Start).
7. The ThoughtFarmer database references some folder paths on the web server. After the migration, you may need to update the paths, especially if the drive changed. One of the paths is the Extensions folder, which you'll need to copy from the old web server to the new if there are files inside. Please contact us to receive the SQL queries to do this.
8. Complete the post-migration checks.

Case 3: Only the database is migrating

Download the installers

Download the latest installer (TFManager) onto the web server. It is inside the folder near the bottom.

Server prerequisites

Complete the server prerequisites and hardware requirements for the new database server. From that documentation, you'll only need these sections:

• Hardware specs
• SQL server version support
• Enable Filestream for ThoughtFarmer

Service account requirements:

• Create the ThoughtFarmer database user in the new database server. Add it to SQL Security logins. Give it Allow logon locally rights on the new web server.

Migration

If you have a staging site, it is best practice to test changes with staging before prod. The migration steps are as follows:

1. Turn off the ThoughtFarmer site and its app pools in IIS. This prevents users from making changes while you're migrating the database.
2. Take a full database backup.
3. Transfer and restore the database onto the new SQL server. Make sure the ThoughtFarmer database user has db_owner access.
4. On the web server, run the TFManager installer. Follow the steps under Upgrade your site in this doc. Update the database info in the installer so it is pointing at the new server. Remember to skip "Update Search+".
5. Turn on the ThoughtFarmer site and its app pools in IIS.
6. Complete the post-migration checks.

Post-migration checks

Test search is working

1. Click on the intranet Search button near the top right.
2. Search for something you know exists (eg. your name) and make sure it returns results.

Test performance

1. Navigate around your site (eg. your top level navigation) to check that pages are loading in a timely manner.

Test user sync (if syncing from AD/external source)

1. Go to the ThoughtFarmer Admin panel: Users & security section > Employee Directory Connector page > [name of your external user store].
2. Click the Synchronization Settings tab.
3. Click Validate credentials and refresh the page until you see it validate successfully.
4. Check off some sync tasks included in your daily schedule sync and click Synchronize now.
5. Click the Synchronization logs tab, and check if the sync completed successfully. You can refresh the page to see the status update. The duration of the previous syncs are indicators of approximately how long the sync should take.

Test customizations & theme

1. Test to confirm your custom cards and any custom code in your theme are working as expected. If your theme looks unusual after the upgrade, you can go to the Admin Panel: User interface section > Theme page > Your current theme > Colors. Resave your theme by copying and pasting one of the colors back to the site and Save.