Hello, howdy? Today tutorial will explain how to upgrade SharePoint 2007 to SharePoint 2010.

Upgrade Steps


Run the Pre-Upgrade Check on the SharePoint 2007 Server

Execute the following command from the command line on the SharePoint 2007 server hosting the database to be upgraded:

stsadm –o preupgradecheck

This will scan the server for potential problems that may cause errors during the upgrade process.



Review the log file to get specifics on any issues.  The most likely cause will be features or customizations, so make sure that you uninstall any features or customizations that aren’t necessary on the new server.

Back Up Your 2007 Content Database


Back up your 2007 content database from SQL Management Studio on the SharePoint 2007 server, and put the backup file somewhere it is accessible from the new SharePoint 2010 Server instance.



Restore the 2007 Content Database to the SharePoint 2010 Database Instance


Connect to the SQL Server Instance hosting your SharePoint 2010 installation’s databases.  Restore the legacy content database from the backup file created in the step above.



Create a New SharePoint Web Application


Note:  If you have a Web Application created that you plan on using, skip this step and move onto the next step, “Detatch Any Content Databases from the Target Web Application”.

In Central Administration, select “Application Management” from the left navigation pane, and Manage Web Applications under the Web Applications heading.

Click the “New” button on the ribbon toolbar.



Under the “Database Name and Authentication” section, add “DELETETHIS” or something similar to the end of the database name to differentiate it.  We will be removing and deleting the generated content database.



Once completed, you should see the following success dialog:



Detach Any Content Databases from the Target Web Application


In Central Administration –> Application Management, select “Manage Content Databases” under the Database heading.

Select the target web application in the “Web Application” drop-down box at the top left, if it is not already selected.



Ensure there are no content databases for the target web application.  If the list contains any content databases, click on each content database name.  On the “Manage Content Database Settings” screen, select the “remove content database” checkbox and click OK.



Note: Make sure to log into your SharePoint 2010 SQL Server Instance at your convenience and delete any orphaned content databases that were removed from the web application in the step above.

Run The Powershell Test-SPContentDatabase Cmdlet

Launch the SharePoint 2010 Management Shell available under Start->Programs –> Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products.  (Note: If running on a development/client instance on Windows 7 x64, ensure you launch the management console with administrative privileges by right clicking the icon and selecting “Run as administrator”).

Run the Test-SPContentDatabase command from the SharePoint 2010 Management Shell PowerShell window with the following syntax:

Test-SPContentDatabase –Name [DBName] –WebApplication [URL]



This tool will scan your Content DB and search for any references to Web Parts or Features that are missing on your SharePoint 2010 installation.  Each error will indicate whether or not it will block the upgrade, and gives a useful remedy for each issue.

Any issues not marked as Upgrade Blocking can be resolve post-upgrade. 

Restore the Content Database Using STSADM.EXE

Using the stsadm.exe tool, run the addcontentdb command using the syntax below:

stsadm –o addcontentdb –url [URL] –databasename [DBName]



Once executed, the command window will update with a progress indicator as seen in the screenshot above.  Once it is complete, you will either receive one of two messages:

Operation Completed Successfully

or

Upgrade completed with errors.  Review the upgrade log file located in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\LOGS\Upgrade-[DateStamp]-[ids].log.  The number of errors and warnings is listed at the end of the upgrade log file.

You can also review the upgrade status in the Central Administration web application under Upgrade and Migration –> Check Upgrade Status.



This report contains the location of the log file for the upgrade process for future reference.

Review any upgrade errors and resolve before moving forward.

Accessing the Upgraded Site and Visual Upgrade


Accessing the Upgraded Site

Open a new web browser instance and navigate to the URL for the web application you upgraded.



You will notice the site retains the same SharePoint 2007 look and feel.  This was done deliberately to allow upgrading to SharePoint 2010 without introducing drastic interface changes to the client base. 

Optional: Visual Upgrade

SharePoint 2010 offers a simple method for upgrading the existing site to the new SharePoint 2010 look-and-feel. 


From the Site Actions menu at the top left, click “Visual Upgrade”.



From the “Site Settings –> Title Description and Icon” page, enter any site metadata you want to upgrade, and click the “Update the User Interface” radio button under the “Visual Upgrade” section as seen below.  Click “OK”.



You will now be returned back to your site’s main page with the updated SharePoint 2010 look-and-feel.