Migrating from 6.3.13 to 7.0
Overview
This guide describes the migration process from OpenKM CE 6.3 to OpenKM CE 7.0. This is a major migration — not a direct upgrade — due to deep structural changes in the underlying database schema.
Why This Is a Major Migration
OpenKM 7.0 introduces significant architectural changes to how data is stored and versioned:
- Node versioning now tracks changes at the metadata level, not only at the document content level. Any modification to a node's metadata generates a new version entry.
- Each metadata group is now backed by two related tables (instead of one), which fundamentally changes the database structure compared to version 6.3.
- As a result of these schema changes, there is no in-place upgrade path from 6.3 to 7.0. Data must be exported from the source system and imported into the target system.
Important: Before starting the migration, ensure you have a full backup of both your 6.3 repository data and database. The export/import process is non-destructive to the source system, but no rollback is possible on the target system once data has been imported.
Prerequisites
- A running OpenKM 6.3 CE instance with administrative access.
- A running OpenKM 7.0 CE instance, freshly installed and configured.
- Sufficient disk space on the export destination: the entire folder structure, documents, metadata and version history will be written to disk.
- Network or filesystem access to transfer exported data from the 6.3 server to the 7.0 server.
- Knowledge of any custom metadata groups defined in 6.3, as these must be manually re-registered in 7.0 before importing.
Migration Steps
Step 1 — Export the Repository from OpenKM 6.3
Log in to the OpenKM 6.3 administration panel and navigate to Repository Export. Repeat the export procedure for each of the repository nodes listed below:
| Repository node | Description |
|---|---|
|
okm:root |
Main document repository — all folders and documents. |
|
okm:categories |
Category taxonomy applied to documents. |
|
okm:templates |
Document templates. |
|
okm:personal |
Personal workspaces of each user. |
|
okm:mail |
Mail archive. |
|
okm:trash |
Deleted items (include if recovery is needed). |
For each node, follow these steps inside the Repository Export interface:
- Source path: Enter the repository node path to export (e.g. okm:root).
- Destination folder: Select a filesystem path on the 6.3 server with enough free space to hold all exported content.
- Enable the Metadata checkbox.
- Enable the History checkbox.
- Click the Export button and wait for the process to complete.
Note: Make sure to use a separate destination folder for each node. Mixing nodes in the same folder will cause import errors.
Step 2 — Transfer the Exported Data to the 7.0 Server
Once all exports have completed, copy the exported folders to the OpenKM 7.0 server. Use any secure transfer method appropriate for your infrastructure (e.g. SCP, SFTP, a shared network mount, or a portable drive). The folder structure must be preserved exactly as exported.
Take note of the absolute filesystem paths where the exported folders are placed on the 7.0 server, as these will be needed in Step 4.
Step 3 — Register Metadata Groups in OpenKM 7.0
If your 6.3 installation used custom metadata groups, these must be manually re-created in 7.0 before importing any data. Importing documents that reference metadata groups which do not yet exist in 7.0 may result in data loss or import errors.
- Log in to the OpenKM 7.0 administration panel.
- Recreate each metadata group that was present in 6.3, using the same field names, types, and structure.
- Activate each group in the corresponding Profile so that it is available in the system.
Step 4 — Import the Repository into OpenKM 7.0
In the OpenKM 7.0 administration panel, navigate to Administration > Tools > Repository Import. Repeat the import procedure for each exported node:
- Source folder: Select the filesystem folder containing the exported data for this node.
- Repository path: Enter the target path in the 7.0 repository where data should be imported (e.g. /okm:root).
- Type: Select Full from the Type dropdown.
- Click the Import button and wait for the process to complete before importing the next node.
Important: Import nodes one at a time. Do not start a new import until the previous one has fully completed. Concurrent imports may cause repository inconsistencies.
Post-Migration Verification
After all nodes have been imported, verify the following:
- The folder and document structure in 7.0 matches the source 6.3 repository.
- Document metadata is correctly populated on a representative sample of documents.
- Document version history is present where applicable.
- Categories and metadata groups are correctly associated with documents.
- User permissions and access rights are correctly assigned (note: user accounts may need to be recreated or synchronized separately).
