1 Introduction to WebCenter Content Migration Scenarios
Do you wish to move your WebCenter Content Release 11g or 12c to
another on-premise infrastructure or Oracle Cloud infrastructure? With the new
methods (chghost tool and Template Builder functionality), you can
relocate or clone WebCenter Content instances in a much less time. You just copy
data on the file system, potentially copy database schemas, and then make a few
edits to the configuration files. You can use the chghost tool in
WebCenter Content releases 12.2.1.3.0 and 12.2.1.4.0 if the new infrastructure is
going to be exactly the same as the old one. The Template Builder method can be used
in a wider variety of use cases for both WebCenter Content 11g and 12c releases.
1.1 About Migrating WebCenter Content Release 11g to Another On-Premise Infrastructure
Do you wish to move your WebCenter Content Release 11g to another on-premise infrastructure or Oracle Cloud infrastructure? Read on to find out the best approach to suit your setup and requirements.
You may want to move your clustered or non-clustered WebCenter Content 11g instances to new on-premise hosts where Operating System may or may not be the same. You may also to want to create a different directory structure on the new host. See Migrate Clustered WebCenter Content 11g to New Hosts on an Identical or Dissimilar Infrastructure and Migrate Non-Clustered WebCenter Content Release 11g to a New Host on an Identical or Dissimilar Infrastructure. Keep in mind that step-by-step scenarios covered in these topics do not apply to situations where versions of WebLogic Server or WebCenter Content should upgrade or change from those on the existing infrastructure.
There are a few scenarios in which the database will be moving as well. One such
scenario is when WebCenter Content is moving to the Oracle Cloud. A second
scenario is when the database is moving to new infrastructure for an on
premise migration. A third scenario could be that WebCenter Content is being
cloned. In any of these cases, the database schemas are assumed to be
available in their new database instance and reachable from the new hosts on
which WebCenter Content will reside. When the Configuration Wizard
(config.sh) is run, additional steps will need to
be taken to ensure connectivity to the database schemas in their new
location.
1.2 About Migrating WebCenter Content Release 12c to Another On-Premise Infrastructure
You can migrate WebCenter Content 12c using chghost script
or WebLogic Template Builder. The components of the new
infrastructure to which you plan to migrate are key factors in
determining the method you should consider.
Whether it's a non-clustered WebCenter Content 12c or clustered, if the new
infrastructure to which you plan to migrate
WebCenter Content is going to be the same, then
consider using the chghost script
for migration. Identical infrastructure on the new
host means using the same Operating System, the same
version of JDK in the same directory structure. The
WebCenter Content directory structure must remain
the same, too. The similarities between old and new
infrastructure extend beyond using the same
topology, same versions of Fusion Middleware and
WebCenter Content. See Migrate Non-Clustered WebCenter Content 12c to a New Host on an Identical Infrastructure and Migrate Clustered WebCenter Content 12c to New Hosts on an Identical Infrastructure.
For migrating clustered or non-clustered WebCenter
Content 12c to an infrastructure where Operating System and WebCenter Content directory
structure would change, consider using information provided in Migrate Non-Clustered WebCenter Content 12c to a Dissimilar Infrastructure and Migrate Clustered WebCenter Content 12c to New Hosts on a Dissimilar Infrastructure. For detailed information on the cghost utility, see Changing Network Configurations in Administering Oracle Fusion
Middleware.
1.3 About Migrating WebCenter Content Release 11g and 12c to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
You can move WebCenter Content 11g and 12c, clustered or non-clustered, to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure using the same approach that applies if WebCenter Content is moved to another identical or dissimilar infrastructure. You can migrate to a different Operating System and create a different directory structure.
Migrating the database or upgrading WebLogic Server or WebCenter Content are not included in the approach covered here. If you are planning to migrate your WebCenter Content to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, consider these points:
Size of Data and Available Connection Bandwidth
How much data is to be moved? This is primarily impacted by
what is contained in the vault and weblayout directories of
WebCenter Content, but may also include any archives that are
present on the system. There are also the database schemas to
consider, such as content server's _OCS schema and
the _MDS schema. If it's a small amount of content,
then typical file system tools like rsync are
sufficient for copying the data. If it's a case where moving data
over the public Internet is not feasible because of high network
costs, unreliable network connectivity, long transfer times, or
security concerns, you can consider using our Data Transfer Service
to undertake an offline transfer of the data. For more information,
see Overview of Data
Transfer Service.
Availability / Downtime
How much downtime can be afforded? If it's a development system, then the uptime requirements may not be as stringent as a production system. So, you might be able to bring down the system and not bring it up again until it's moved to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. Downtime also depends on the amount of content stored in WebCenter Content, and how long that would take to copy to the Cloud infrastructure. To keep the downtime minimum possible, you can take some steps ahead of time and synchronize the current system-- until the cutover happens---with the location to which the content will be moving.
Integrations
Do you have other applications or systems, such as on-premise applications, Cloud applications, third-party applications, and authentication and authorization providers that are connected to the Webcenter Content instance that you're planning to move to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure?
Database and Data Sources
The database can be copied to an Oracle Clound Infrastructure-based database using any of the supported methods for copying databases. All you will need to do is update the JDBC connection strings in each of the data sources' XML files to reach the database in its new location. These updates must be done before starting WebLogic server, managed servers, and WebCenter Content on the new hosts. The database on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure can be configured ahead of time and then tools such as DataGuard could be used to keep the new Cloud-based database in sync with the on-going changes on the live system in the old location. The Disaster Recovery Guide includes the necessary guidance.
File System
It's possible for the file system, particularly the shared file system in the case of clusters, to be copied over early, before any cutover happens. If this is the case, then you will need some file system tools to ensure that the file system level changes are synchronized between the existing system and the new Cloud-based system. See Disaster Recovery Guide.