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Your Roadmap to Confluence Data Center Migration

Reade Taylor

The Importance of Confluence Data Center Migration

Confluence Data Center migration is a critical step for businesses looking to scale, improve performance, and improve security. Confluence Data Center provides a robust solution for enterprises needing continuous uptime and superior administrative flexibility.

Here’s a quick answer if you’re searching for how to start your migration:

  1. Assess your current setup: Identify your Confluence products, user roles, and active projects.
  2. Prepare your infrastructure: Ensure your system meets Data Center requirements.
  3. Backup and export data: Secure all your valuable data before migration.
  4. Install Confluence Data Center: Follow the installation guide to set up your new environment.
  5. Migrate your data: Import your data into the new Confluence Data Center setup.
  6. Review and upgrade apps: Check compatibility and reinstall necessary apps.
  7. Troubleshoot common issues: Address any problems that arise during the migration.

Migrating to Confluence Data Center is not just a migration—it’s an upgrade. The end of support for Atlassian Server makes this move essential. Benefits include improved performance, better scalability, and improved security. For instance, as an Atlassian official stated, customers migrating from Jira Data Center to Jira Software Cloud saw a 358% return on investment, demonstrating the compelling benefits of moving to a Data Center environment.

I’m Reade Taylor, an ex-IBM Internet Security Systems engineer and the founder of Cyber Command, LLC. With years of experience in confluence data center migration, I’ve helped businesses transform their IT infrastructure into pivotal assets. Let’s explore your roadmap to a seamless Confluence Data Center migration in the next section.

Understanding Confluence Data Center

Confluence Data Center is designed to meet the needs of large enterprises that require high availability, scalability, and robust performance. Here’s a closer look at what makes it a compelling choice for organizations:

Key Features

1. High Availability and Performance:
Confluence Data Center ensures that your critical workspaces are always available. It supports active-active clustering, meaning multiple nodes can run concurrently, distributing the load and ensuring continuous uptime. This setup significantly reduces the risk of downtime and improves performance during peak usage.

2. Scalability:
Scalability is a core strength of Confluence Data Center. You can add nodes to your cluster as your organization grows. This allows you to handle increasing loads without compromising performance. Whether you’re adding new users, spaces, or content, Confluence Data Center scales seamlessly to meet your needs.

3. Performance Optimization:
Confluence Data Center is optimized for performance with features like read-only mode during maintenance and content delivery network (CDN) support. These improvements ensure faster load times and a smoother user experience, even for geographically dispersed teams.

4. Security and Compliance:
With built-in features like SAML single sign-on (SSO) and advanced auditing, Confluence Data Center helps you meet stringent security and compliance requirements. You can manage user access and monitor activities to protect sensitive information.

Continuous Uptime

1. Load Balancing:
Confluence Data Center uses load balancing to distribute user requests across multiple nodes. This prevents any single node from becoming a bottleneck and ensures that your system can handle high traffic volumes efficiently.

2. Disaster Recovery:
The platform offers robust disaster recovery options. By replicating data across multiple nodes and data centers, Confluence Data Center ensures that your information is safe and recoverable in case of hardware failures or other disruptions.

3. Automated Failover:
In the event of a node failure, Confluence Data Center automatically redirects traffic to the remaining nodes. This failover mechanism minimizes downtime and keeps your team productive.

Real-World Impact

Case Study: United Airlines
United Airlines experienced significant benefits after migrating to Confluence Data Center. Oxana Trotsenko, former head of Agile change at United Airlines, noted that teams “have free time now” to focus on tasks that matter to their customers. This shift was possible due to the improved performance and reduced maintenance time provided by Confluence Data Center.

Conclusion

Understanding the core features and benefits of Confluence Data Center helps you appreciate why it’s a strategic choice for large organizations. From high availability to robust performance and scalability, Confluence Data Center is built to support your business’s growth and resilience.

Next, we’ll dive into the steps you need to take to prepare for a seamless Confluence Data Center migration. Ready to get started? Let’s move on to the preparation phase.

Preparing for Confluence Data Center Migration

Before you start on your Confluence Data Center migration journey, it’s vital to get everything in order. Proper preparation ensures a smooth transition. Let’s dive into the essential steps.

Review and Upgrade Your Apps

App Compatibility: Not all apps available on Confluence Cloud are compatible with Confluence Data Center. You need to check the Atlassian Marketplace to see if your essential apps have Data Center versions.

Marketplace Apps: Marketplace apps won’t migrate automatically. You’ll need to reinstall each app on your new Data Center site.

Reinstall Apps: Once you’ve set up your Confluence Data Center, reinstall your necessary apps. Check that you have the correct licenses for these apps to avoid any hiccups during the migration process.

Backup and Export Data

Full Site Export: You can choose to migrate your entire site in one go. This involves a full site export (backup) and importing this file into Confluence Data Center. Users and groups are included in this export.

Space by Space Migration: Alternatively, you can migrate spaces one by one. This method allows for a staged migration, which can be helpful for larger sites or phased rollouts. Users and groups are not automatically migrated in this approach.

User and Group Export: If you’ve connected Confluence Data Center to an external user directory, or have already populated your new site with user accounts, the system will attempt to attribute content to the correct users upon import.

Minimum Version

You can migrate from Confluence Cloud to Confluence Data Center 6.0 or later only. Earlier versions won’t support Cloud data import.

Recommendation: Install either the latest version of Confluence or the latest Enterprise Release to ensure compatibility and access to the latest features.

Infrastructure Requirements

Operating Systems: Check the Supported Platforms page for a list of compatible operating systems.

Database Compatibility: You can use any database listed on the Supported Platforms page. If you don’t already have a database server, PostgreSQL is recommended since it’s what Confluence Cloud runs on.

License Requirements

New License: You’ll need a new license for Confluence Data Center. Your existing Confluence Cloud license won’t work. You can obtain a new license at Atlassian’s website.

Trial License: A free 30-day trial license is available for Confluence Data Center, allowing you to test the waters before committing.

Now that you’ve reviewed and upgraded your apps, and backed up and exported your data, you’re ready to proceed with the actual migration steps. Let’s move on to the detailed migration process.

Migration Steps for Confluence Data Center

Step 1: Check Your Apps

Before diving into the migration, ensure all your apps are compatible with Confluence Data Center.

  1. Go to Settings > Manage Apps in Confluence Cloud.
  2. Make a note of all user-installed apps.
  3. Visit Atlassian Marketplace to verify if a Server or Data Center edition is available for each app.

Tip: Apps fall into two stages for migration:
– Stage 1: Apps with low migration success rates. You may need vendor support.
– Stage 2: Apps with high migration success rates.

Step 2: Install Confluence Data Center

Depending on your hosting preference, follow the installation guide here.

  1. Choose your hosting option (self-hosted, AWS, etc.).
  2. Install Confluence Data Center following the provided steps.
  3. Complete the setup to ensure the environment is ready for data import.

Step 3: Export Your Confluence Cloud Site

  1. Log in to Confluence Cloud as a Site Admin.
  2. Steer to Settings > Backup Manager.
  3. Follow the prompts to back up the site and download the XML file.

Note: The file includes all spaces, pages, users, and groups.

Step 4: Import Your Confluence Cloud Site Export File

For large files (over 25MB), use the home directory method.

  1. Backup your database, home directory, and installation directory.
  2. Copy your export file to <confluence-home>/restore/site.
  3. Go to Administration > General Configuration > Backup and Restore.
  4. Select your site export file under Import from home directory.
  5. Ensure Build Index is checked and choose Import.

Step 5: Recover System Admin Permissions

After import, your existing Cloud Site Admin account won’t have system admin permissions.

  1. Stop Confluence.
  2. Edit <installation-directory>/bin/setenv.sh or setenv.bat to add the system property: -Datlassian.recovery.password=<your-password>.
  3. Start Confluence manually.
  4. Log in with the username recovery_admin and the temporary password.
  5. Go to Administration > User Management > Add Users.
  6. Create a new system administrator account and add it to the confluence-administrators group.
  7. Log out and confirm the new account works.
  8. Remove the system property from setenv.sh or setenv.bat and restart Confluence.

Step 6: Install Any Apps

  1. Log in to Confluence Data Center as an administrator.
  2. Go to Administration > Manage apps.
  3. Search for or upload the apps you identified in Step 1.
  4. Purchase new licenses for these apps.

Note: Team Calendars and Questions data are not included in your export and cannot be migrated from Cloud.

Step 7: Check Your Application Links

If you had multiple Cloud products, update your application links.

  1. Go to Administration > General Configuration > Application Links.
  2. Check and update any links pointing to the wrong place.

If you can’t remove the Jira Cloud application link, you may need to remove references directly from the Confluence database. Learn more.

With these steps, you’re well on your way to a successful Confluence Data Center migration. Next, we’ll tackle common issues you might encounter during the migration process.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with the best planning, issues can arise during your Confluence Data Center migration. Here are some common problems and how to fix them:

Loading Issues

Problem: Can’t load pages in your new site.
Solution: Check your base URL. Go to Administration > General Configuration and verify that the port hasn’t changed.

User Management Screens are Missing

Problem: User management admin screens are missing.
Solution: This might be due to a dark feature flag from your Cloud export. Follow the workaround in CONFSERVER-35177.

Broken Macros

Problem: Jira issues macros are broken.
Solution: Update the references if you’re migrating Jira too. You can bulk edit those references in the Confluence database. Follow the steps in How to bulk update JIRA Issue Macro.

User Mentions are Broken

Problem: User mentions display as “broken link” or “@unlicensed user”.
Solution: This is a known issue when migrating. Follow the workaround in CONFSERVER-79583.

Broken Anchor Links

Problem: Anchor links don’t work.
Solution: Confluence Cloud replaces anchor macros with web links incompatible with Data Center. Check CONFSERVER-79006 for a workaround.

Missing Favorites

Problem: Users’ favorites (starred pages or saved for later) are missing.
Solution: This can happen due to CONF-36348. Learn how to restore missing favorites here.

Failed Imports

Problem: Full-width space templates cause failed or incomplete imports.
Solution: If the import fails, check for space templates with the full-width property. Follow the workaround in CONFSERVER-80146.

Missing User Accounts

Problem: Some user accounts are missing or created without details.
Solution: Users in Confluence Cloud can change their profile visibility settings. Ensure all user data is included in the export by having a site admin perform the export.

By addressing these issues, you can ensure a smoother Confluence Data Center migration.

Next, we’ll answer some frequently asked questions about the migration process.

Frequently Asked Questions about Confluence Data Center Migration

What is the minimum Confluence version required for migration?

To migrate from Confluence Cloud to Confluence Data Center, you need Confluence Data Center 6.0 or later. Earlier versions don’t support importing Cloud data. For the best experience, we recommend using either the latest version or the latest Enterprise Release.

Check the Confluence Upgrade Matrix for more details on choosing the right version for your organization.

Can I migrate custom templates from Confluence Cloud to Data Center?

No, custom templates created in Confluence Cloud won’t be migrated to Confluence Data Center. You’ll need to re-create these templates after the migration.

Additionally, the built-in templates (blueprints) in Data Center are fewer than those in Cloud. Review the full list of blueprints to ensure you know what’s available.

How do I handle missing user accounts after migration?

Missing user accounts can occur if users in Confluence Cloud have adjusted their profile visibility settings. To ensure all user data is included:

  1. Ask a site admin to perform the export.
  2. Verify that all user data is visible and included in the export file.

If user accounts are still missing or created without details, refer to the workaround in CONFSERVER-79583.

By addressing these frequently asked questions, you can better understand and steer the Confluence Data Center migration process.

Next, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide to help you through the migration.

Conclusion

Migrating to Confluence Data Center is a strategic move that ensures your organization’s performance, scalability, and security. With the end of support for Confluence Server approaching, it’s essential to transition to a supported environment to avoid security vulnerabilities and benefit from new features.

Cyber Command is here to guide you through every step of your Confluence Data Center migration. Our expertise ensures a smooth, efficient transition, minimizing downtime and disruption.

Final Tips for a Successful Migration

  1. Plan Ahead: Ensure your infrastructure meets all requirements and review app compatibility before starting the migration.
  2. Backup Data: Always perform a full backup of your Confluence Cloud site to avoid data loss.
  3. Test Environment: Set up a test environment to identify and resolve any potential issues before the final migration.
  4. User Training: Prepare your team with training sessions to ease the transition and reduce resistance.
  5. Monitor and Optimize: Continuously monitor your new setup and optimize for performance and security.

By following these tips and leveraging our expertise, you can steer your migration journey confidently and efficiently.

Ready to start on your Confluence Data Center migration journey? Get in touch with Cyber Command to ensure a seamless transition and open up the full potential of your cloud infrastructure.

Welcome aboard!

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