vBulletin 3.6.8 Migration to Version 5

[bcrdukes]

Hi vBulletin Team,

Hope you all are well.

I have a super old version of vBulletin 3.6.8 and my host is looking to discontinue support for the version of MySQL and PHP so I need to migrate off of this version. Can I easily migrate all my data to the latest supported versions of MySQL and PHP from my existing backend?

I understand that Version 3.x is no longer supported. I would consider purchasing a Version 5 license if it means I can easily migrate my existing forum without breaking anything. Any input and advice is very much appreciated. Thanks!

[Wayne Luke]

1. Make sure your server meets the minimum requirements for vBulletin 5.6.X. This will disable your 3.8.6 forums temporarily.
2. Run the upgrade scripts that come with vBulletin 5.6.X.

For best results, I recommend doing your first upgrade on a test server using a duplicate of your database. This will allow you to acclimitize yourself to how vBulletin 5 operates, restore any style customizations, and find any potential pitfalls specific to your current installation.

[bcrdukes]

Thank you, Wayne.

Given that I am simply upgrading from Version 3.6.8, can I just purchase an upgrade license or will I need to buy a brand new license? While this sounds counterintuitive, I want to purchase a brand new license as I cannot get a hold of the original license owner (this forum was passed over to me.) Is it still possible to upgrade with a brand new Version 5 license? Thanks in advance!

[Wayne Luke]

To purchase an upgrade license, you must have an existing license on a customer account. If you purchase a new license or a vB Cloud contract, then the database can be upgraded as described above.

[bcrdukes]

Thank you, Wayne.

I do not know the customer account, so unfortunately I'm stuck on that one. I was simply made administrator one day.

So just to confirm I understand:
1. Validate new servers/host meet and/or exceed the technical requirements as per above
2. Purchase new license (this is my preference so I can create my own customer account and leave all historic baggage behind)
3. Follow instructions above to migrate from Version 3.x to 5

Thanks in advance!

[bcrdukes]

Bump

[Trevor Hannant]

Yes, your points are correct.