Hi Guys, I have an issue, I tried to upgrade my SugarCRM to SuiteCRM but due to the obsolecence of the OS and VMware platform I couldn´t do it the way specified in tne documentation, but I need to transfer the Database to the new system so as to pas it to production, is the a way to transfer it without any disruption?
Thanks beforehand
and best regards!!
Hi @Rulelawyer
Since you were unable to upgrade SugarCRM to SuiteCRM through the standard procedure due to the outdated OS and VMware platform, a manual database migration is a practical alternative that can be done with minimal disruption. First, begin by taking a complete backup of your SugarCRM instance, including both the codebase and the MySQL database. Also, take a VM snapshot if possible. Then, set up a fresh instance of SuiteCRM on a modern server with a supported operating system, PHP version, and database configuration. Ideally, install SuiteCRM version 7.x, as it is directly forked from SugarCRM Community Edition 6.5.x, and thus maintains a largely compatible database structure.
Next, export the existing SugarCRM database using mysqldump and import it into a newly created database on the new SuiteCRM server. Once imported, update the config.php file in SuiteCRM to point to this new database. After that, log into SuiteCRM and perform a “Quick Repair and Rebuild” from the Admin panel to synchronize the database schema and clear any cache. Be sure to manually move over any custom modules, logic hooks, or customizations from the old system. Also, check and apply correct file permissions and ensure cron jobs are correctly configured.
Before going live, thoroughly test the new SuiteCRM environment in a staging setup. Verify user logins, module data, workflows, email configuration, and any custom functionality. Once everything works as expected, you can point your domain or switch production traffic to the new system. For additional support or automation, you might consider third-party migration tools or services like those from Urdhva Tech or Fynsis, which specialize in SugarCRM to SuiteCRM migrations. Do note that this method applies best when migrating from SugarCRM Community Edition; if you’re using a professional or enterprise version, additional compatibility checks will be required. Also, avoid SuiteCRM 8.x for now, as its architecture differs significantly and isn’t suitable for direct database imports. If you provide your exact SugarCRM version, I can help fine-tune this process further.
excelent! I could do it but the issue that I found out was that for some reason the Reports module disappeared from the ALL drop down, and I imagine some others too, so what can I do to make it reappear, because one of the things we do is download reports to make forecast and such… another way I saw to make the transfer was through SQL INSERT REPLACE queries from the Sugar DB to the Suite DB table by table… But what do you recomend?
@Rulelawyer
Great to hear you’ve made progress with the migration!
Regarding the issue with the Reports module disappearing from the “All” dropdown — this can happen after a database import due to inconsistencies in module registration or user access permissions. I recommend starting with a Quick Repair and Rebuild from the Admin panel, then checking Display Modules and Subpanels to ensure the Reports module is enabled. Also, review the Role Management settings to confirm the current user has access to the module. If it’s still missing, we may need to re-register the module manually or review the database entries.
As for using SQL INSERT REPLACE statements table-by-table — while that approach can work, it’s not ideal due to potential risks like ID mismatches, broken relationships, or metadata issues. The method you’re following now — importing the database as a whole and aligning it through Repair & Rebuild — is much safer and preserves the structural integrity of SuiteCRM. Let me know if you’d like us to take a closer look or assist with validating modules or customizations — we’re happy to help!
I wouldn’t recommend this direct transition from a SugarCRM database to a modern SuiteCRM database. I doubt that it will work, and even worse, it might appear to work, and then leave you with a half-broken SuiteCRM system, one where year after year you keep finding broken functionality in it.
Don’t underestimate the complexity of this software, or how much things can change in years of developments, thousands of changes applied…
If you really need to start from a fresh SuiteCRM (this also has some advantages…),I would then try…
Whether this is feasible depends on your technical skills, your knowledge of these systems, and the complexity of your data. I’ve seen companies move CRM’s with pretty basic migrations - move a list of Contacts and Accounts, and nothing else, and start afresh.
In other companies this is obviously not possible and you might need to migrate a lot more complex data…
I would agree with @pgr trying to “import” the database directly can lead to a whole host of issues. In reality your options are:
try to upgrade (maybe many times) to intermediary versions to eventually upgrade to current. Of course this depends on your hosting environment having earlier versions of PHP available. I have done this a few times and it works without issues as long as you stay within the PHP versions. (you can find older versions on sourceforge)
Start with a fresh copy of the latest version and export/import each module one by one using the import/export features inside SuiteCRM (this is preferred and works great, although time consuming). You can export customizations then import the records . This would be very time consuming if you are using many modules. If you’re only using like leads, contacts,accounts and opportunities, and users this should be a reasonable course of action. Reports will have to be re-created. So will security rules/roles if using.
Hello Andrés,
How many different modules do you have filled with data in the old Sugar DB?
I’d not do an upgrade as well, since the version differences are so huge.
That sounds like a good business case for a clean cut and data migration - if you don’t have any specif reasons not to do this.
How to easily accomplish this?
Either with the standard Sugar reports or simply build your own reports:
And afterwards, you’ve got a couple of CSV files, ready to import, including IDs:
Have you referred this post Upgrade SugarCRM 6.5.20 (CE) to "SuiteCRM-7.1.6 Service.zip". It is quite old but may help for your requirement. Just use a temp suitecrm instance upgraded from sugarcrm. If successfully upgraded, then use the database backup with newer versions of suitecrm. You might have to update tables, columns, relationships etc.