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Planning a Migration from Site Server to Commerce Server

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There are several considerations to keep in mind when you plan the migration of your site from Site Server 3.0 Commerce Edition to Commerce Server 2000. These considerations are:

  • It is not possible to migrate to individual components of Commerce Server one at a time.

  • You must create a new site, which will be moved into production after the new site behavior, content, and data are migrated successfully.

  • Migration of site code is necessary to successfully move your SSCE site to Commerce Server.

While there are several strategies available for planning a successful migration, there are two primary strategies that you may want to consider: parallel Web farm and dual boot.

Parallel Web Farm

The parallel Web farm strategy involves running Commerce Server and Site Server side-by-side simultaneously from two different locations during the entire migration process. Building a parallel Web farm will replicate the functionality of the existing SSCE site using Commerce Server technologies. Even though migration using a parallel Web farm is resource intensive, it is the migration method that provides the best risk management for sites that are actively managing site stability risks.

Advantages of using a parallel Web farm

  • The SSCE site in production is not disturbed until the Commerce Server site is fully operational and supporting customers.

  • The new Commerce Server site can be fully tested for functionality and performance under stress of simulated user load generated by tools such as the Microsoft Web Application Stress tool.

  • Migration of site code and data can be fully tested prior to opening the site to users.

  • All operational procedures can be established and documented prior to going live on the new Commerce Server site.

Disadvantages of using a parallel Web farm

  • Resource intensive in terms of hardware, space, and network infrastructure.

Dual Boot

Using the dual boot strategy means that you will install a new instance of Microsoft Windows 2000 on your SSCE server, in a separate disk system. Once the new operating system in installed, you can install Commerce Server on the new partition. You must install Commerce Server databases on a separate server because SQL configuration for Commerce Server is different than for SSCE.

An example of a dual boot strategy

A server running SSCE might have a disk configuration as follows:

  • C drive: Operating system drive

  • D drive: IIS, SSCE, and site code drive

  • E drive: IIS and system logging drive

After implementing the dual boot strategy by adding additional disk drive(s), the disk configuration of your server may look like the following:

  • C drive: Operating system drive

  • D drive: IIS, SSCE and site code drive

  • E drive: IIS and system logging drive

  • F drive: Operating system drive (Windows 2000 installed for Commerce Server)

  • G drive: IIS, Commerce Server, and site code drive (Windows 2000 installed for Commerce Server)

  • H drive: IIS and system logging drive (Windows 2000 installed for Commerce Server)

In this example, when your server starts, it is configured to either boot on the C drive or the F drive, based on which site is to be operational.

Advantages of a dual boot strategy:

  • Reduced hardware requirements.

  • Use of existing network infrastructure.

  • Use of proven hardware that meets business needs.

Disadvantages of a dual boot strategy:

  • Only one site can be operational at a time. It can be either a SSCE site or a Commerce Server site, but not both.

  • The new Commerce Server site cannot be fully tested for functionality and performance as a whole platform unless the entire SSCE site is taken offline, and the server is booted up to the Commerce Server instance.

  • Databases will need to be migrated to a separate server prior to migration.


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