AEM Upgrade - Moving Workflow instances

[dee_pdsj]

We are doing an AEM upgrade from 6.4 to 6.5.

So the plan is to clone the existing and do an in-place upgrade, while this being done, there are chances of updates happening on the existing system with uploading assets and workflow updates. We want to make sure all the active workflows in the existing system is coped to the new instance.

What would be the best way to move all the delta workflow instances from one instance to other? Would packaging the entire /var/workflow/instances cause any issue? 

[arunpatidar]

Hi,
I am not sure if packaging will work, because instance contains workflow id(should be change to etc to var) and other meta info which will be used by workflow instance.

I would suggest to get all the incomplete workflow instance payload path and re run workflow again using bulk workflow manager or via script against those payloads.

[dee_pdsj]

Thanks Arun, utility for running workflows would work. But in cases for example, when the clone is created "WF Instance A" is running in both old and new instances. Assume, post cloning "WF Instance A" in existing instance is made "COMPLETE", but in the new 6.5 instance the would be still in RUNNING state right? And also there are chances of WF history getting missed.

[Kunal_Gaba_ · Accepted solution]

I would recommend you to do a content freeze while you are doing an upgrade in production. When you move content or workflows from 6.4 to upgraded instance then you basically bring in data which has not been in place upgraded. The in place upgrade utility will make sure to update any properties on the nodes which have changed in 6.5 version. So it will not be a good practice to bring content from 6.4 instance after you have done in place upgrade.