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Method 2: Solr-to-Solr Migration

Method 2: Solr-to-Solr Migration

Overview

The Solr-to-Solr migration method is a side-by-side approach that enables customers to transition indexed data from a previous Voyager instance to the new deployment. Using Voyager Server and HQ Solr connectors, administrators can connect directly to the existing Solr index as a data source, allowing Voyager to read and migrate the index without manual export or re-ingestion.

When to Use This Method

Choose Solr-to-Solr Migration when you want to move large volumes of indexed data quickly without performing a full re-index. This method is ideal for environments where the existing index is stable and up-to-date, and minimizing downtime is a priority. It preserves most indexed content but may require post-migration validation to ensure all configurations and settings align correctly in the new environment.

Preparing for Migration

Step 1: Install Voyager Server 3.0

Go to the Voyager download page and run the installer for Voyager Server 3.0 into a new directory on your machine. A new voyager/server_3.0 directory will be created when the installation is complete.

 

Step 2: Install HQ 2.0

Go to the Voyager download page and run the installer for HQ 2.0 into a new directory on your machine. A new Voyager/HQ directory will be created when the installation is complete.

 

Step 3: Copy Configurations for Voyager HQ and Server

HQ

  1. Go to your HQ 1.X home directory, copy the /config folder — and optionally the /py and /logs folder. Transfer these folders into your HQ 2.0 home directory.

  2. Make a copy of the hq VMOPTIONS File in the HQ folder within your HQ 1.X directory. Open the copied file and under the DIRECTORIES section, add the VM option similar to the one below:

-Dhome.dir=D:\voyager\hq-home-2.0

IMPORTANT: Ensure that the VM option above corresponds to the correct file path in your HQ 2.0 install directory.

  1. Then, move this hq VMOPTIONS File to the HQ installation directory.

Server

  1. Go to the Server 2.X data directory, copy the /config folder — and optionally the /logs and /meta folders. Transfer these folders into your Server 3.0 data directory.

  2. Make a copy of the Voyager VMOPTIONS File in the app folder within your Server 2.X directory. Open the copied file and under the #Directory section, add the VM option similar to the one below:

-Ddata.dir=D:\voyager\server-data-3.0

IMPORTANT: Ensure that the VM option above corresponds to the correct file path in your Voyager Server 3.0 install directory.

  1. Then, move this Voyager VMOPTIONS File to the Server-3.0 app directory.

NOTE: The /meta folder can take a significant amount of time to copy over to the new directory. If you would like to migrate this file then it is recommended to move the file instead of copying it over.

 

Step 4: Temporarily Redirect Ports for Voyager Server 3.0

For this migration method, both instances of Voyager Server have to be running in parallel to successfully migrate one version to another. Both instances will have the same ports by default which will cause conflicts if a new port isn’t set in the site.dex file in your Server 3.0 install directory.

  1. Using the table below, copy the specified files from the Voyager 2.X install directory and place them in the corresponding file paths within your Server 3.0 installation directory.

  2. After transferring the files, update the configuration settings for the Server 3.0 files listed in the table below. Ensure that the port values have been modified so they no longer match those used by Server 2.X. This step prevents conflicts between the old and new instances and ensures proper communication between Server 2.X and 3.0.

File

Path

Setting

Old Instance (Server 2.X)

New Instance (Server 3.0)

File

Path

Setting

Old Instance (Server 2.X)

New Instance (Server 3.0)

site.dex

voyager/server_X.X/data/config

Base URL

BaseURL=http\://YOURBASEURL\:8888/

BaseURL=http\://YOURBASEURL\:7777/

Voyager (VMOPTIONS File)

voyager/server_X.X/app

-Dport

-Dport=8888

-Dport=7777

Voyager (VMOPTIONS File)

voyager/server_X.X/app

-Dport.discovery

-Dport.discovery=8900

-Dport.discovery=7900

 

Step 5: Start Server 3.0

  1. Launch Server 3.0; it will auto-upgrade the configuration files and rebuild a new index. The locally stored index file within your /data directory will be located in the indexV3 folder.

  2. If needed, activate the new Server 3.0 instance using the license key that was issued to you.

 

Step 6: Start HQ 2.0

  1. Launch HQ 2.0; it will auto-upgrade the configuration files and rebuild a new index.

  2. If needed, activate the new Voyager HQ 2.0 instance using the license key that was issued to you.

IMPORTANT: Ensure that HQ 1.X and Server 2.X are fully shut down before proceeding. If these services remain active when launching Server 3.0 and HQ 2.0, then the applications will fail to start properly.

 

Step 7: Validate Functionality

In the new HQ 2.0 instance, confirm that the repositories, pipelines, data sources and other configurations are loaded correctly from HQ 1.X. 

 

Initial Step: Migrating Saved Searches Using Snapshots

For migrating the Saved Searches from HQ 1.X and Server 2.X to HQ 2.0 and Server 3.0, you will need to use the Snapshot option in Manage UI. Please go through the following steps:

Steps:

  1. For Server 2.X, navigate to Manage UI and select Manage → Index → Snapshots.

  2. Select Snapshots and then click Create Snapshot.

  1. Name your Snapshot and check the following options shown in the image below. When complete, then select Create New Snapshot. These items in the Snapshot, including your configurations, can then be migrated from your previous version to HQ 2.0 and Server 3.0.

  1. Once the Snapshot has been created, then go to Manage UI for Server 3.0 and select Import Snapshot.

  2. Select the My Computer option and click Browse.

  1. Locate and select the generated snapshot file from your previous Voyager Server installation directory. The snapshot file can be found at the following path:
    voyager/server_X.X/data/snapshot

  2. Once located, select Open to proceed with loading the snapshot into your Server 3.0 environment.

  3. Select Import Snapshot and the importing status will appear. A pop-up message in Server 3.0 will indicate when the importing process is completed.

  4. Navigate back to the Snapshots page with the list of your snapshots and under the Actions column, select the Apply icon.

  1. Ensure the desired settingss are selected and under Select An Action, switch Merge to Replace.

  1. Select Apply to proceed. You will be redirected to the Snapshot Status page, where you can monitor the progress of your snapshot as it is loaded into your Server 3.0 instance. Once the process is complete, then your snapshot settings will be successfully migrated.

 

Quality check

In Navigo, preview the saved searches:

  • Select the Saved button located next to your Cart.

  • Check through the My Saved Searches, Suggested Searches and Recent Searches to ensure they have been properly migrated from the previous version.

  • Select from a few saved searches to confirm that the correct search parameters and results are showing.

 

Step-by-Step Migration Guide:

For customers migrating a Solr instance from Server 2.X to a new Solr instance in Server 3.0, the process is managed through either Voyager Server or HQ. Choose one of the following migration options and go through the provided steps:

Method 2: Solr-to-Solr Migration | Option 1: Solr to Solr Migration in Voyager Server

Method 2: Solr-to-Solr Migration | Option 2: Solr to Solr Migration in HQ

 

NOTE: Migrating using Voyager Server is a significantly faster process than using HQ. It is the recommended option for completing the migration efficiently.

 

Option 1: Solr-to-Solr Migration in Voyager Server

  1. Open Manage UI and go to Discovery > Locations.

  1. Click New Location and then select Solr.

  1. Add the following information for the Solr location:

    1. Enter the Solr URL for the source index (i.e. https://company.voyagersearch.com/solr).

      1. To locate this URL, navigate to the address bar in HQ, and copy the URL up to the .com domain. Then, paste the copied URL into the Solr URL field and add /solr to the end of the address.

    2. Check Index Directly and Apply Pipeline and be sure to uncheck Remap Location.

  2. Keep the remaining fields as is and then select Add.

  3. Navigate back to the Locations page and under the More dropdown, select Scan.

  1. The Solr instance from Server 2.X will begin migrating to Server 3.0. You can monitor the scanning process of the Solr instance by going to Discovery > Status.

 

Option 2: Solr-to-Solr Migration in HQ

Steps:

  1. Open HQ and go to Repositories.

  1. Click the Database dropdown and select Solr Search Index.

    1. Provide a name (i.e. Voyager 2.0/3.0 Migration)

    2. Enter the Solr URL for the source index (i.e. https://company.voyagersearch.com/solr).

      1. To locate this URL, navigate to the address bar in HQ, and copy the URL up to the .com domain. Then, paste the copied URL into the Solr URL field and add /solr to the end of the address.

    3. Check Index Directly and Apply Pipeline and be sure to uncheck Remap Repository.

  1. Proceed to the final step (Finish) and select Index to begin migrating the Solr instance from the HQ 1.X to HQ 2.0.

This allows the existing Solr index to be re-ingested and aligned with HQ 2.0 configurations.

IMPORTANT: When re-indexing from an older version of HQ, it is important to know whether text from the source content is stored in the search index as well. For configurations from older versions of HQ that did not store the text field, re-indexing with the Solr connector will not preserve the text index, and hence, certain documents may not be searchable by their text. In this case, the best option is to re-index from the original source content.

 

Quality check

In Navigo or HQ, preview the indexed content items/results:

  • Run representative queries, verify result counts.

  • Check key facets/metadata and permissions behave as expected.

  • Compare sample doc counts vs. the old environment.

 

Need Help?

If you have any questions about the migration process or regarding the HQ 2.0 and Voyager Server 3.0 release, please contact us at support@voyagersearch.com.