update jira 5.1 to jira 6.3

[Deleted user]

I am going to migrate from jira jira 5.1 to 6.3 and I'm wondering what is the best strategy. I would like to create a new server, with jira 6.3 and then attach the existing database of my actually jira installation of 5.1. Should I? or is it better to upgrade to jira 5.1 to later versions, version after version, until you get to jira 6.3?

I'm reading this two pages: https://developer.atlassian.com/display/JIRADEV/Plugin+Guide+to+JIRA+High+Availability+and+Clustering and  https://developer.atlassian.com/display/JIRADEV/Preparing+for+JIRA+5.1

some one can help me about this ?

[Stephen Gurnick]

I recently performed this exact upgrade (from 5.1 to 6.3.7). It took a few trial runs within our test environment to verify everything worked as expected; we have some particular integrations with Confluence that needed to be addressed.  The end result was success and we're happily on our new version.

I suggest the following steps for testing:

NOTE: this is a rough high-level outline - more steps may be necessary but this should get you going in the right direction.

1. Create a back-up of your production JIRA 5.1 instance
   1. Archive copy (tar.gz) of the JIRA installation directory
   2. Archive copy (tar.gz) of the JIRA home directory
   3. SQL dump of your database using database back-up tools
2. Create a test server
   1. Perform a base install of JIRA 5.1
   2. Replace the base install's installation and home directories with your back-up copies
3. Create a test database
   1. Restore the SQL dump from production to this test database
      1. If you want this server to use a different URL (e.g. http://confluence-test.yourdomain.com) you can use command line tools (e.g. sed) to change the base URL in the SQL dump file prior to restoring to the test database

This should get you going on a test system where you can perform the install as many times as necessary to get it working just the way you want. When you are satisfied with the procedure you've developed, you can then perform an in-place upgrade on your production server.

Hope all goes well for you.

[Deleted user]

thanks for your suggestion. I have performed with care. but I did not work. - I recorded several errors restarted jira after replacing the directory as thou hast suggested. I think because my installation jira was badly configured by sysadmin who preceded me (and did not even let such documentation). then I went back to the starting point, I have a server A (in production) with jira 5.1.8, and a server B which is always a JIRA 5.1.8 (in staging) but without being configured yet (I have to create the external database, so to speak ). My users are also Active Directory, do not know if this will affect.

[Luciano Fagundes]

Just to add my 2 cents to Teilor's response, you can upgrade directly from JIRA 5.1 to 6.3 without any problems, there is no need to upgrade to an interim version. Just make a copy of the database used by JIRA 5.1, install JIRA 6.3 and configure to use the copied database. Once 6.3 is started it will start to upgrade automatically.

[teilor_soares]

You should not. The process you are describing is recommended when upgrading JIRA with a Fallback Method, but you should always make a backup of you database and use then instead of connect the new version of JIRA direct to your production database. 

When talking about migration to 6.x version from a 5.x version, I specially like to recommend people to read this blog post that Dan Radigan wrote: 6 steps to prepare to JIRA 6.

Cheers!