Migrating and upgrading your IBM Business Process Manager environment

Migrating refers to the process of moving applications and configuration information from an earlier version of a product to a later version of the product, or from one product to a different product. Upgrading refers to the process of installing a new release of the product on top of the previous release and updating the existing installation, configuration, and database in place.

Migrating

Migration is the movement of profiles, applications, and data associated with an earlier version of WebSphere® Process Server or IBM® Business Process Manager to a newly installed version of IBM Business Process Manager. With version-to-version migration (also referred to as side-by-side migration), you create a new (target) installation parallel to an existing (source) installation. You use an existing database configured in the source version, or a new database instance configured in the target version. The database type (Oracle, Microsoft SQL, DB2, DB2 for z/OS®) of the new database instance must be the same as that of the source.

Depending on the migration pattern, existing applications:

Are migrated to the new version, where they can exploit new capabilities.
Have binary compatibility, in which they run in the new environment but do not use any of its new features.
Have version compatibility, in which the old binary files or artifacts are updated to the new version, but their behavior is the same as in the source environment and they do not use any new features.

Upgrading

Upgrading refers to either:

Upgrading from one release of IBM Business Process Manager to a refresh pack or fix pack. For example, you might upgrade from IBM Business Process Manager V8.0 to IBM Business Process Manager V8.0.1.
Upgrading a configuration of IBM Business Process Manager by using IBM Installation Manager to install a new configuration over a previously installed configuration in the same package group. You can upgrade from:
- IBM Business Process Manager Express to IBM Business Process Manager Standard
- IBM Business Process Manager Express to IBM Business Process Manager Advanced
- IBM Business Process Manager Standard to IBM Business Process Manager Advanced
When you upgrade, you update the existing installation, configuration, and database in the source environment.