MongoDB 8 upgrade and migration overview

Overview

This topic covers background about what has changed for MongoDB in IPLM Cache 2025.4 and the process that must be followed if you are planning to upgrade to IPLM Cache 2025.4, upgrade to MongoDB 8, and migrate your existing MongoDB 3 database.

Background

Prior to IPLM Cache 2025.4, MongoDB was provided by the iplm-backend-mongodb package. This contains a repackaged version of MongoDB 3.2.20 for use with IPLM. However, this version of MongoDB has not been supported for a long time. With the upgrade of IPLM Cache to Python 3, MongoDB 3.2 can no longer be used, so it is necessary to migrate to a more up to date version of Mongo DB.

PiCache 25.4 and later have been tested against MongoDB 8, so this is the recommended version to use. We no longer provide a pre-packaged version of MongoDB, so it will be necessary to download MongoDB 8 from the Mongo Community site and install that. Instructions on how to do that follow below.

Before you begin

Review the entire upgrade and migration process before you get started. Contact Perforce support if you have any questions or concerns about the process and how it relates to your current environment.

Requirements

  • MongoDB 8 requires up to date versions of operating systems, such as Redhat 8+ or Debian 11+, so you may need to also upgrade the operating system, or move PiCache to a new host.

Upgrade path options

For a small installation, it may be an option to simply create a new instance of IPLM Cache with a fresh database. This removes the need for a migration entirely. However, you will need to remove and recreate any workspaces which reference IPVs which have been cached by the old server. Full details of how to manage this are not provided here. Please contact Perforce support if you have questions.

If you are not using the database features (expire entries and consistency checking), then you can keep the cached files in place and simply delete the old database and start with a fresh one. You will lose any old logs, but these can be archived or exported. However, it does mean that you will not be able to make use of cache clear up or consistency checking for any content that was cached prior to the upgrade.

Regardless of the upgrade path, take a backup of the MongoDB database before you start the process.

Upgrade and migration overview

In order to migrate from MongoDB 3.2 to 8 requires that the database content is first exported out of the database into json files using the. Once that is done, the new MongoDB can be installed, and the json files can be imported into it.

If you are upgrading in place on the same machine, then the following process should be followed:

  • Install MongoDB 8

  • Shutdown IPLM Cache

  • Upgrade to iplm-picache to 2025.4 or later

  • Run /usr/share/mdx/products/picache/scripts/picache-export.sh

  • Shutdown mdx-backend-mongodb

  • Start mongod

  • Run /usr/share/mdx/products/picache/scripts/picache-import.sh

  • Start IPLM Cache

  • Remove mdx-backend-mongodb

Next steps

Follow the instructions to Migrate from MongoDB 3 to MongoDB 8.