School is back in session, the apples are ripening, and it’s time for our annual upgrade process. Change is in the air!
By now, you’ve likely heard from us about how we’ll be doing things a little bit differently this year. Whether it’s your first LearningBuilder upgrade experience or you’ve upgraded your system before, you may have questions for us. Luckily, we have answers for you! Read on for need-to-knows, next steps, and more:
General Upgrade Questions
What makes this year’s upgrade different?
This year’s upgrade is not only different, but better. We’ve improved our process to reduce disruption and risk to your operations. Plus, each upgrade now includes a move to LearningBuilder’s new PCI-compliant architecture.
Is this an optional upgrade? Can I skip the migration?
In the past, clients could extend their annual upgrade by a year. This time, to keep up with changing security needs, we’re combining the upgrade and a migration to our new, secure architecture into one coordinated event. To move forward, your system must be migrated to the latest software version, so this year’s upgrade and migration are required.
Why is it important to migrate our system?
Three words:
- Security;
- Performance; and
- Reliability.
Our new PCI-compliant platform will serve as a strategic foundation that not only protects your data today but also positions us to meet your needs in the future. The new architecture will support:
- Faster application performance, which means continued optimization of how services are delivered.
- Greater scalability, which means the platform can adapt to your growth and evolving needs.
- Higher availability, which means reduced downtime during both planned upgrades and unexpected events.
Why should I upgrade my LearningBuilder instance?
When you upgrade, your instance will include all changes introduced in each interim release between your current release and the latest version. That means access to new features, performance improvements, and security updates.
This year, your upgrade includes all of the above plus a migration to our new PCI-compliant architecture. Please feel free to browse our recent release notes for further details.
When will this upgrade and migration happen?
The Heuristics team will work closely with your organization to ensure that we upgrade and migrate your system on a timeline that works for you.
Where can I find more information on the upgrade process and my next steps?
New to LearningBuilder, annual upgrades, or all of the above? Start here with our Upgrade Guide. Your CS Lead or CS Manager will have more details that are specific to your implementation. If you haven’t yet heard from us directly about this year’s upgrade and migration, you will soon.
Upgrade Testing and Risk-Related Questions
What are you doing to minimize risk during the upgrade process?
We’re working smart, staying thorough, and communicating actively with you throughout. Before we upgrade and migrate your system, we will conduct a detailed Risk Assessment.
An example Risk Assessment (details may vary from client to client)
We’ll create an inventory of any customizations, integrations, or other configuration elements that could present higher risks during the migration. Then, we’ll work with you to identify a testing strategy for these areas. That way, we’ll ensure we validate critical functionality before going live.
What happens if the process doesn’t work as expected? Is there a rollback plan?
We take this very seriously and have a rollback plan in place. The migration to a new platform actually involves making a copy of your implementation rather than moving the original. If we experience an issue during your system migration that cannot be resolved within your established production upgrade and migration window, we can halt the process while still preserving your connection to the original system server. This will ensure continuity of service for you and your system users while we remediate the issue.
What kind of testing should I expect to do?
If you are new to LearningBuilder, new to testing, or both, we recommend you start here with our UAT Recommendations for Upgrades. We’ll review the details of your Risk Assessment with you to identify more specific action items.
Can the Heuristics team assist with testing?
When it comes to testing, you have options:
- You can perform 100% of the tests yourself.
- We can develop test scripts and perform 100% of the tests for you.
- We can develop and provide you with test scripts, and then you can do the tests yourself.
- You can test what you know how to test with confidence, and we can test the rest.
Your Customer Success Lead can provide more details about these options to help you choose what model works best for your organization.
Where do I test?
In the weeks leading up to your production upgrade and migration, we will copy your instance to our new server with a new domain name. You’ll test there rather than your current UAT environment. By testing on the new platform to ensure your instance performs as expected, we dramatically increase our confidence in the success of your migration.
When should I test?
Ideally, UAT testing should begin at least three weeks prior to your upgrade date. Approval and signoff are needed at least one week prior to your upgrade date. Once you’ve worked with us to set your upgrade timeline, you’ll have a clearer concept of your testing timeline. Guidelines around testing signoff and approval can be found in our Upgrade Guide.
Who can I contact if I discover issues during testing?
If you identify an issue while testing your upgrade, please respond to your Jira Upgrade ticket via email. This will bring the issue to the attention of our Upgrade Coordinator, who can ensure it is resolved in time for your upgrade.
Questions about PCI Compliance
What does a PCI-compliant architecture mean for me?
It means that your system will soon run on a more secure, scalable, and resilient platform that meets the industry’s highest security standards.
For more on this achievement, see our recent article on the Heuristics Blog.
What is the difference between PCI and SOC2?
PCI DSS is a set of prescriptive security requirements focused on specific technical and operational controls. SOC2 is a flexible audit framework that evaluates organizational controls to protect customer data across security, availability, and privacy domains.
Can Heuristics provide a SOC2 report?
We do not yet have a dedicated SOC2 auditor, but we can meet your underlying compliance needs. Please contact your Customer Support Lead to start the process.
Let’s Work Together for a Smooth, Secure, and Seamless Upgrade and Migration
More features, functionality, and a higher level of security await you with this combined upgrade and migration! We’ll be here for you every step of the way, from timeline to launch and beyond. We’re excited to work with you to minimize disruption and maximize success during your upgrade and migration process.
