Upgrading moodle 2.3 to 2.4

I have a moodle 2.3 instance that gets very little traffic, I would like to test an update to 2.4. Plus the 2.3 instance is slated to get more content/users/traffic later this year. I am going to update the instance from 2.3 to 2.4. Details:

Step 1: view the site logs: Site Admin | Reports | Logs

The logs, with the right options, provide a good history of actions on the site, including who has been there and what did they do.

Step 2: ensure the current version: Site Admin | Notifications

Version 2.3.1, including the build.  Moodle is good at alerting me that a newer version is avail.  A newer version of 2.3 is avail. (2.3.4) AND 2.4.1.

Step 3: Download the file: I downloaded the 37 MG 2.4 zip file and moved it into the server downloads folder on the moodle server.

Step 4: Backup the DB instance prior to starting the upgrade. Using phpmyadmin, I created a copy of the db for the instance about to be upgraded.

• launched phpMyAdmin
• clicked on the databases tab
• selected the db to copy
• clicked on the Operations tab
• typed in a name for the backed up db in the Copy database to: text area
• (leaving structure and data selected) - created in about 20 seconds.

Step 5: Checked the Live logs (to ensure no one was on the server at the moment)

Step 6: Put the site in Maintenance mode.  Site Admin | Server | Maintenance mode

Step 7: unzip the update file from step 3 - extracting the files into the server downloads\moodle-lastest-24 folder (the unzip size is 110 MB, 13,989 files) - took about 45 seconds to complete.

Step 8: Rename the current root folder about to be upgraded, mine is called gvboces, from gvboces to gvbocesOLD (this is a just in case I have a problem during the upgrade move)

Step 9: create a new empty gvboces folder (you use your own name)

Step 10: Browse into the newly extracted moodle folder (this is the root folder)

Step 11: Copy the entire contents of the new moodle folder (Ctrl C)

Step 12: Browse to the new empty gvboces folder

Step 13: Paste the content into the new folder (i am watching this, took about 45 seconds)

Step 14: Using your favorite browser, browse to the root of the moodle site

Good signs of progress...

The first thing you should see upon browsing the root of your site is the choose a language form.

Then the paths...

I keep my moodledata folders on a different drive, hence the F:\path...

Then the database drivers (type) - mine in mysql

Then the database and connection parameters (better know the dbname, user specified to connect with and their password!).  I keep mine in an .xls file offline.  I had to look at it to find the credentials needed.

Then, this message, indicating everything is ready to go.

Then a message indicating my server environment is ok (at the bottom of the form is a message indicating that the server passed all checks and displays a Continue button).  No new requirements in moodle 2.4 for the server!

Then a daunting form that lists 307 plugins that will be upgraded and 6 new plugins to be installed (mainly dealing with the mce editor).  There upgrades will be made in the db.  There is a button at the bottom of the form that says Upgrade Moodle database now.

Next, all the tables in the db scroll by as they are being upgraded, the final two look like this with a Continue button.  This step took about 30 seconds.

Next is a form with settings updates that were made, where you can change or accept them.  At the bottom of the form is a Continue button. Lots of new interesting options that I need to explore a bit....

And finally, back to the home notifications page, all rebuilt and upgraded with all my existing data in place!

After the upgrade is complete, I check the following

1 - users in place
2 - courses in place
3 - take server out of maintenance mode

Once I am convinced that my upgrade was seamless, I will remove the gvbocesOLD folder (that contains the entire 2.3 code base) and the copy of the db.

Opps # 1:

I had two png files in the root/local folder that got sacked by the upgrade.  I browsed to my gvbocesOLD/local folder and copied then from there.  I thought files in the local folder were safe from the sack monster...good to know!

Opps # 2:

One of the sites had a course that allows guest access.  Updating reset the site wide guest access to off.  I had to go to Site Admin | Users | Permissions | User Policies and select the Auto-login guests.

This coupled with the course having guest access turned on with an enrollment key worked fine.