In our last release of Community Central, we’ve added many exciting features. This blog post demonstrates how to use the Community Central Migration Tool.

1. Back up your content databases from your SharePoint 2010 server through SQL Server 2008.

• In SQL Server Management Studio, right-click the database of the SharePoint web application port containing Community Central, then select Tasks > Back Up

In the examples below, the database file for port 80 is “WSS_Content“:

• Click the Add button.

Note: Check the Copy-only Backup option and make sure you note the Destination path to get the WSS_Content.bak file for restore (to be covered in step 4):

2. Run the setup.exe for Community Central (R1.5 or higher) on your SharePoint 2013 server and install the “Community Central” core component.

3. Access Central Administration for SharePoint 2013 and remove the existing content databases in the web application to which you will be migrating.
Note: This action removes all existing content in that web application including sites stored in this content database. After removing the database, those sites will no longer be accessible to users.

To remove the content databases:

• In Central Administration, select ‘Manage content databases‘ under Application Management
• Select the appropriate Web Application (top right corner)
• Select the current databases and check the Remove content database checkbox (please note the name of the content database you are removing. You will need to reference this in step 4)

4. Restore the backed-up content database file from SharePoint 2010 to the SharePoint 2013 server

• Copy the backed-up content database file from SharePoint 2010 server (WSS_Content.bak) to your SharePoint 2013 Server.
• Open SQL Server Management Studio for SharePoint 2013
• Delete the Content Database for the designated web application (delete the same database file name as in step 3 above)
• Right-click the Database node, and select Restore Database
• Input the Database Name and select the From device radio button:
• Browse to the .bak file which you copied from SharePoint 2010 server in SharePoint 2013 server (in this example, we are using the file WSS_Content.bak):
• Click OK:
• Select the Options tab. Next, select the Overwrite the existing database checkbox. Click OK:

Note: Please make sure that the Original File Name (WSS_Content) and the Restore As File Names are the same in order to overwrite the existing file.

• A dialog box will appear that states that your restore was successful:

5. Verify the content database.

Launch PowerShell in the SharePoint 2013 server using the System Admin account (Shift+Right-Click > Run as Different User) and run the following command:

Test-SPContentDatabase -Name <database name> -WebApplication <URL>

For example: Test-SPContentDatabase -Name WSS_Content -WebApplication http://chauo15sql

6. Add the restored content database to the SharePoint 2013 Web Application using PowerShell

• Launch PowerShell in the SharePoint 2013 server using the System Admin account (Shift + Right-Click > Run as Different User) and run the stsadm command line as shown below:

stsadm.exe -o addcontentdb -url <URL> -databasename <database name>

For example: stsadm.exe -o addcontentdb -url http://chauo15 -databasename WSS_Content

• After the upgrade has been successfully completed, go back to Central Administration. Go to Application Management > Manage content databases, and under your content databases, you will now see the upgraded database listed under your designated Web Application:

7. If Community Central in SharePoint 2010 was deployed on a Subsite, please follow the FIRST set of directions.  If Community Central in SharePoint 2010 was deployed on a Root Site, please skip down below to the SECOND set of directions.

• SUBSITE DEPLOYMENT: Access the SharePoint 2013 Community Central Home site page
  Note: By default, your site will retain the SharePoint 2010 theme but Community Central will not be navigable. You will need to manually change this for 2013. This can be done following these steps:

Click on the Start now hyperlink at the top of the site (above the ribbon)

Select the Upgrade this Site Collection button and click I’m Ready.

Once the upgrade has been completed, a dialog box will appear to let you know that the upgrade was successfully completed. Click the Let’s see the new site button on the bottom right.

Select the Settings icon on the top of the site, and click on Community Central Control Panel.

Under Upgrade Manager, click on Manage Community Central Upgrades

Click the Select All checkbox for Optional Master Page Upgrades. Click the Upgrade button.

After the upgrade has been completed successfully, it should automatically redirect you to the SharePoint 2013 Community Central Home Site.

• IF ROOT SITE: When you try to access the SharePoint 2013 Community Central Homesite, the browser will display “The webpage cannot be found”. In order to upgrade, please follow these steps:

Access the SharePoint 2013 server, and launch PowerShell using the System Admin account (Shift + Right-Click > Run as Different User).

Run the cmdlet command as shown below:

upgrade-SPsite “<url>” -VersionUpgrade

For example: Upgrade-SPsite “http://chauo15:34192/Community Central” -VersionUpgrade

Access the SharePoint 2013 Community Central Homesite
Note: By default, your site will retain the SharePoint 2010 theme but Community Central will not be navigable. You will need to manually change this for 2013. This can be done following these steps:

Click on the Start now hyperlink at the top of the site (above the ribbon)

Select Upgrade this Site Collection button and click on I’m Ready.

Once the upgrade has been completed, a dialog box will appear to let you know that the upgrade was completed successfully. Click the Let’s see the new site button on the bottom right.

               Select the Settings icon on the top of the site, and click on Community Central Control Panel.

Under Upgrade Manager, click on Manage Community Central Upgrades

Click the select all checkbox for Optional Master Page Upgrades.  Click the Upgrade button.

After the upgrade is completed successfully, it should automatically redirect you to the SharePoint 2013 Community Central Home Site.

If Community Central already exists in SharePoint 2013, and you’ve upgraded a single site collection, the process to upgrade a single site collection will be different. Please use the PowerShell command as referenced in the Root Site directions to upgrade individual site collections. This will ensure that the existing data in your subsites will remain intact.