Updates and Patches - Optimizely CMS 12

Exam Area: Area 2 – Installation, Operation & Configuration (20%)

1. NuGet Package Updates

# Update CMS packages
dotnet add package EPiServer.CMS --version 12.x.x
dotnet add package EPiServer.CMS.UI --version 12.x.x
dotnet add package EPiServer.CMS.TinyMce --version 12.x.x

# Check for outdated packages
dotnet list package --outdated

2. Semantic Versioning

12.MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH

12.0.0  → Major version (breaking changes)
12.1.0  → Minor version (new features, backward compatible)
12.1.1  → Patch (bug fixes, security)

3. Before Updating

• Read Release Notes / Changelog
• Check for breaking changes
• Test in development/staging first
• Backup the database before deploying
• Review migration guides if available

4. DXP Update Process

DXP (PaaS Portal):
1. Upload new deployment package
2. Deploy to Integration first
3. Smoke test Integration
4. Deploy to Preproduction
5. Regression test
6. Deploy to Production (with maintenance window)

5. Database Migrations

// CMS automatically runs DB migrations on startup
// Check logs to verify:
// "Database upgrade from version X to Y complete"

// Manual migration check:
// Admin → System → Version Information

6. Security Patches

• Subscribe to Optimizely security advisories
• Apply security patches as soon as they are available
• Use NuGet Audit to check for vulnerabilities:

dotnet restore
dotnet list package --vulnerable

Review Questions

1. What should you do before updating NuGet packages? (Read release notes, check breaking changes, backup DB)
2. What does CMS do automatically on startup after an update? (Runs DB migrations)
3. What is the deployment order for updates on DXP? (Integration → Preproduction → Production)
4. How do you check for vulnerable NuGet packages? (dotnet list package --vulnerable)