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Preparing to move into 4.0.0 or later

For some customers, the transition into or past version v4.0.0 of ArchivesSpace will be no different than any other ArchivesSpace upgrade; but for others, it will be a highly disruptive event with failing plugins, uncertainty on the future of those plugins, and the (probable) need for changes for any plugins authored by your institution. This still applies if you are moving into v4.1.1, v4.2.0, or any later version from any version of ArchivesSpace before v4.0.0.

This article is meant to help you determine which of these scenarios applies to you, or to what degree you can expect disruptions.

How can I determine what this update means for me?​

This article will walk you through the steps to take, but first, a note about the resources available for this topic.

  1. Please consider watching the webinar Proactive Change Management for Plugins for critical advice related to managing and anticipating the risks associated with plugins. A major disruption such as this is a good time to understand the larger picture of plugins in the ArchivesSpace community. The advice in this webinar is universal and will continue to apply to any version.
  2. Watch the Plugin Supplement Video for Atlas Customers, recorded specifically for you, our customers. If you choose to skip the longer webinar, please do watch this supplement.
  3. If you watch those two resources, you will be in great shape. But you can also review the following articles relevant to plugins at Atlas:

1. Determine what plugins you have on your server(s)​

For how to do this, please refer to the Plugin Supplement Video for Atlas Customers or the help article Managing your ArchivesSpace Plugins.

2. Compare that list to the Baseline Plugins at Atlas​

These are the Baseline Plugins at Atlas, meaning the plugins that most customers have and that Atlas tests with every update:

  • lcnaf
  • atlas_hosting
  • custom_locales
  • local with only logo changes
  • aeon_fulfillment (Aeon customers)

Atlas tests our baseline plugins with every release (see Managing your ArchivesSpace Plugins and Plugin Responsibility and Troubleshooting). If you only have the plugins listed above, you are in a great position for moving into v4.2.0 (or any 4.x version) and you are unlikely to suffer any downtime or issues with your server. You can stop here and proceed with your update.

The presence of any plugin in addition to those listed above makes you more likely to suffer disruptions. How great the disruption is related to how many more plugins you have and who maintains them.

3. Whatever is not on that list, understand how Atlas handles third-party plugins​

Atlas uninstalls or updates third-party plugins on your behalf when an issue or fix is known to exist. The Update Request form (provided in the ticket where you requested your update) will inform you which plugins Atlas already knows to uninstall or update based on the version you're moving into.

However, Atlas does not test or track every third-party plugin, and issues may exist that we are not yet aware of. If you have third-party plugins, please test them after updating, since you may be the first person to notice something is wrong, and that information is useful for the community.

4. Decide what to do next​

Because not all plugin issues can be anticipated, the Update Request form will ask you to select a plugin contingency plan — what Atlas should do in the event that any of your plugins fail upon updating. This allows you to decide in advance whether Atlas should remove failing plugins and proceed, or pause the update.

For third-party plugins (plugins authored by the broader ArchivesSpace community), you can check the plugin's GitHub repository for recent updates, or ask the community whether anyone has experience with that plugin in your target version. ArchivesSpace Members can contact the members listserv, and non-members can contact the ArchivesSpace Google Group.

For plugins authored at your institution (such as branding, theming, or other custom plugins), please consult with the developer or team at your institution who created or maintains the plugin. They will need to test and update it for compatibility with your target version.