performing side-by-side ugrade from BPM to BAW

Question

If there are any steps/procedures on how to perform a side-by-side upgrade from BPM to BAW, it would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Side-by-side means a new BAW cell next to the old BPM cell; the applications and (optionally) the running instances move across, then the old cell is retired. Procedure that works in practice:

1. Build the target: install WebSphere ND + BAW (traditional) or provision Workflow in CP4BA; create the profiles with BPMConfig -create -de using a new set of databases. Keep the same LDAP so that user ids match.
2. Move the repository (Process Center): export every process app / toolkit snapshot as .twx from the old Process Center and import into the new one (or use the BPMImport / BPMExport commands). Import toolkits first, then apps; verify dependencies and validation errors.
3. Move configuration: environment variables and EPV values per environment (Process Admin), servers / authentication settings, 100Custom.xml customizations, custom Process Portal themes, managed assets that were deployed manually, WebSphere resources (JDBC, JMS, mail sessions, SSL signers).
4. Move the Process Servers: register the new servers with the new Process Center, install the same snapshots, point the load balancer at the new cell after testing.
5. In-flight instances - two choices: (a) drain: let the old environment finish its instances while new instances start on the new one (route by start URL / portal), or (b) migrate data with the IBM BPM instance migration tooling BPMMigrate / database-level copy of the BPMDB, PDWDB and CMNDB followed by BPMUpdateSystem on the copy - this is effectively an in-place upgrade of a database copy and needs a same-version intermediate step (BPM 8.5.7 → BAW same fix level). Case Manager data (CPE object stores) moves with FileNet tooling.
6. Cut over: freeze changes in the old Process Center, final export / import, switch DNS or the load balancer, keep the old cell read-only for a few weeks.

Compared with in-place upgrade (question 3136) side by side gives you a rollback that is a DNS switch, lets you change OS / hardware / database, and avoids WebSphere fix pack constraints - at the price of the instance migration effort.

References

• BAW documentation - migrating and upgrading (side by side)
• BAW documentation - BPMConfig, BPMExport / BPMImport commands