On a general note, DNN Development is quite similar to ASP.NET development. But there are possibilities that you may experience errors frequently while upgrading DNN sites. For this reason, most of the users find this process quite intricate.
But I can make things easier for you. Here, in this post, I list some amazing tips for upgrading DNN websites without experiencing any issues or errors. Hope these tips help you and you are able to get an awesome experience with DNN.
1. Scan The Entire Website And System
Around 30% of website backups are either hacked or infected with a virus. However, you can prevent it easily.Before you instigate the upgrade process, you first have to scan the file system with antivirus software. Make sure you rectify all the issues as per the advice of antivirus software.
Further, you need to scan the site for .PHP and .ASP files. Using a file locator can be of great help in this context. Finally, it is best to compare the core .ASCX,ASPX, and .JS files to the similar files in a clean platform of the same version of DNN. Make sure that these files are not altered. For this, using a tool can be of great help.
If you identify any altered files then this is a proof of changes in the core files or that it has been hacked. Make sure you only have the correct files before you proceed with the upgrade process. Most importantly, don’t make any sort of core changes to the code.
2. Uninstall The Unused Extensions
Most of the times, every site have third-party extensions installed with numerous extensions that are not being used anywhere. Might be they have been once installed when they were used. But if there is no potential use of these extensions then it is best to remove them.The number of extensions you have, the higher is the risk of failure of an upgrade, performance issues, and issues of usability, vulnerabilities in potential security, and more. Hence, it is essential that your site is lean and this is possible by uninstalling all the extensions.
Just use a single theme package and remove all the other things. If you keep them installed then your upgrade process will become more complex over time.
3. Upgrade The Extensions
If you have followed the above two tips correctly, then you will now have a website that is fairly clean. It is now time to move up to the next level.The first step to do is by upgrading the third-party extensions. Make sure, you have the latest version installed in your site. In addition to checking the release notes from vendors, you will also find that a third-party extension will not be upgraded for a DNN version.
There can also be some third-party extensions, which are commercial extensions that need to be upgraded. You may have to incur an upgrade fee for it. If possible then consider commercial extensions supported with license fees. This will ensure that your extensions are updated over time, which will be of great help for future years.
4. Upgrade Each Version And Test
In most of the cases, it would seem that you could upgrade easily from one version to the latest version of DNN. For instance, you try to upgrade to version 09.01.01 from 06.02.04. Even, this may work on an initial basis. In general, I recommend upgrading to the highest version of DNN for each major version. For instance, the highest version of 6.0 is 06.02.09, for 7.0 is 07.04.02, and more.It is important to upgrade to the latest version and then support your system with backup. After this, test incrementally. This may seem time-intensive on the initial basis, but it is a critical step towards achieving long-term convenience and stability.
Bonus Tip!
Mostly, the reasons for issues in DNN development are related to third-party extensions. It is therefore important to use extensions, which are developed by a reputed vendor who is known for offering compatible extensions without hindering the latest version of DNN. Moreover, if there are custom extensions then you need to rebuild it on a regular basis against novel versions of DNN. This is important to ensure that they are in line with recent changes in API.To Sum Up
You must upgrade your DNN site as fast as possible. It is best to never fall behind. The more time you will wait for the more work you will be creating for yourself. This way, there are higher chances of more issues to occur.Just follow these tips, and definitely, you will find upgrading DNN websites pretty easy. If still, you experience any issues, then it is best to contact the experts and let them do the work for you. Hiring experts will ensure that your work is done efficiently and in the shortest time frame.
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