Upgrading Subversion server from 1.5.5 to 1.6.5 - dump/upgrade/reload, exact steps?

Question

I'm about to upgrade a SVN server from version 1.5.5 to 1.6.5 - all is fine with the actual upgrade, but I'm a little confused about upgrading the actual repositories.

I've read in a few places (here, here), that it's better to dump and reload the repositories rather than using svnadmin upgrade. I assume that I should dump, upgrade the server and then load the dumps back in - however, should I clear the old files out of the repository before loading? If so, what's the best way to do this?

If, before I thoroughly screw up my version control system, someone could give me a quick step-by-step, it would be really helpful!

Cheers, Mark

Answer 1

there is a quick step-by-step in the Subversion FAQ:

1. Shut down svnserve, Apache, and anything else that might be accessing the repository.
2. svnadmin dump /path/to/repository > dumpfile.txt , using version X of svnadmin.
3. mv /path/to/repository /path/to/saved-old-repository
4. Now upgrade to Subversion Y (i.e., build and install Y, replacing X).
5. svnadmin create /path/to/repository, using version Y of svnadmin.
6. svnadmin load /path/to/repository < dumpfile.txt , again using version Y of svnadmin.
7. Copy over hook scripts, etc, from the old repository to the new one.
8. Restart svnserve, Apache, etc.

more details on dumping and loading in the Subversion book. i assume you studied the subversion 1.6 release notes.

Answer 2

No, you do not need to dump/load to upgrade, 1.6 was specifically designed to be an easy upgrade using just svnadmin upgrade. I've done it, it worked, I am happy.

The release notes explicitly say there is no need to dump/load the repo.

I would make a backup anyway (just in case), and then do the recommended upgrade. I'd then pack the repo files (svadmin pack) to make future backups quicker and SVN perform faster.

Answer 3

If you're going to do it that way then you probably want to dump, upgrade, delete and recreate the repo then load it back in again.

I can't say I've ever had any issues just using upgrade though, although you may end up with a less optimal repo structure.