Migrate using a step-by-step approach
Overview
You can gradually migrate your Web Forms and MVC pages to ASP.NET Core or Next.js using a hybrid development approach - running all technologies in the same project. This is possible, because the renderers do not limit you to creating and editing only ASP.NET Core or Next.js pages.
When using the standalone Renderer, the requests that it cannot handle are forwarded to the CMS application, which renders them and returns them to the Renderer. This mechanism is used to render Web Forms and MVC pages.
NOTE: Rendering ASP.NET Core or Next.js widgets in MVC or Web Forms pages or vice versa is not possible.
Process
To migrate Web Forms or MVC to ASP.NET Core or Next.js, you need to go through the following process:
- Setup a standalone renderer in your project.
You can choose between the ASP.NET Core Renderer or Next.js Renderer.
For more information, see Install Sitefinity in ASP.NET Core mode or Setup Next.js renderer.
ASP.NET Core renderer proxies Web Forms or MVC pages automatically. If you are using the Next.js renderer, you must submit all Web Forms and MVC pages explicitly for rendering.
For more information, see Migrate from Web Forms to Next.js » Legacy MVC and Web Forms pages handling.
- Run Sitefinity Migration Analyzer on your website.
It helps you evaluate the current state of your project.
Using the results, you can make a plan for the migration.
For more information, see Sitefinity Migration Analyzer.
- Move one page at a time from Web Forms or MVC to the renderer (ASP.NET Core or Next.js).
Make sure that all widgets on the page are also transitioned to the new technology.
Do not forget to keep the same URL of the new page, so that website structure is retained.