Hi Sandun,

And welcome :-) 

9.8 to 9.13 should be a smooth process. As with all platforms once in a while there are specific pitfalls when certain things are deprecated like an old .NET version. On top of my head, upgrading from 9.3 was one of those versions. 

When it comes to third party extensions, I always have a playbook:

• Create an excel for overview
• Inventory of third party extensions / themes, including version numbers
• Inventory of custom extensions / themes, including version numbers
• Write down the latest version number
• Verify if extensions or themes are actually used. If not, consider uninstalling them
• Verify if open source extensions are maintained. If not, consider replacing with something else. For instance, to prevent security issues
• Verify if commercial extensions or themes if the vendor is still active. If not, consider replacing with something else. For instance, to prevent security issues
• Verify if extensions depend on old libraries (Bootstrap, Fontawesome etc). If so, included this in the upgrade process
• If custom work, verify documentation and relevance. Sometimes, processes has been changed and extensions are not used anymore. Also, custom modules for simple things like a carousel, can easily be replaced with generic extensions like 2sxc or OpenContent that are actively maintaiined
• Backup, restore on another environment
• Upgrade extensions to the latest versions (consider extra backups once in a while in case things go sideways). In some cases third party A is not playing nicely with third party B.
• Upgrade DNN
• Do functional testing of all modules
• Verify the admin log for errors

The most common error that is thrown after an upgrade (at least in my experience) is when the web dot config refers to a version number of a file that does not correspond to the version number of the actual file. 

Hi Tycho,

Thank you so much for your detailed response and the warm welcome! Your advice about creating an inventory and verifying the relevance of extensions is incredibly helpful, especially since I'm still getting familiar with DNN.

I'll definitely follow your playbook and make sure to check for any outdated libraries or unused modules before proceeding with the upgrade. Your point about checking the web configuration file for version mismatches is also something I'll keep a close eye on during the process.

I really appreciate the insights and will take extra care with the backup and testing phases. Thanks again for your support!

Best regards, Sandun

In my opinion, there aren't any major risks in the more recent releases of DNN, as long as you are starting from a newer version as well. (Especially if you're already on 9.2 and newer.)

You should be fine.  Just be thorough with your notes and backups.  

Also, here's a presentation on our upgrade process that might be helpful for you. 

• Video: DNN Upgrades Made Simple
• Slides: DNN Upgrades Made Simple

Dont forget to mention DNN Platform Upgrades -- DNN Docs ;-)

Happy DNNing! Michael

I recently did it, and it was a smooth upgrade except for the SEO URL rewriting, after the upgrade the rewrite changed from humanfriendly to "Advance" which I update manually. But just as a safe side make sure you keep the backup.