Deploy a Sitecore XP pre-release using Docker

Current version: 10.1

This topic describes how to install a pre-release with Docker. You can also install pre-releases with the Sitecore Installation Framework. Sitecore distributes pre-releases of the next update release to provide customers with fixes for their hotfix requests. The pre-releases are cumulative, and each pre-release contains all the changes that were implemented in the earlier pre-releases in that series. These pre-releases are then all rolled into the next update release, for example, Sitecore XP 10.1 Update 2.

Every pre-release is based on the latest Sitecore XP release. For example, if a customer is on Sitecore XP 10.1.0 and we have already released Sitecore XP 10.1.1, when the customer requests a hotfix from Sitecore Customer Support, it is delivered in a pre-release for Sitecore XP 10.1.2. To get this hotfix, the customer must update to Sitecore XP 10.1.1 and then apply the Sitecore XP 10.1.2 pre-release that contains the hotfix.

The pre-releases are available on request from Sitecore Customer Support.

Install a Sitecore XP pre-release with Docker

Important

The pre-release package contains all the resources that you need including a Sitecore.Platform.Instructions X.X.X rev. XXXXXX PRE.md file that can contain specific instructions for your version of Sitecore if they are required.

The following example describes how to add a delta asset image to the Sitecore XP Scaled (XP1) topology.

Apply the Sitecore runtime images for Docker

To install the latest pre-release with Docker:

  1. In the pre-release package, locate the Released-images-sxp-pre-*.json file for the Sitecore topology that your solution uses.

    The image contains all the required resources and has the following file structure:

    C:\platform\[role]

  2. To update your runtime image for a Sitecore server role, add the required instructions to your Sitecore runtime Docker files. They will then use the resource files to apply the hotfix to your Sitecore installation during your custom image build process.

    Note

    You must use the delta asset image for the Sitecore XP topology that your solution uses.

Add the Dockerfile instructions

You must add Dockerfile instructions for each Sitecore sever role.

To add the Dockerfile instructions for the Content Management (CM) role, on your solution, open the Sitecore runtime Dockerfile for the CM role and add the following instructions to pull the image:

RequestResponse
ARG DELTA_ASSET_IMAGE

[...]

FROM ${DELTA_ASSET_IMAGE} as deltaAssetImage

To copy the delta asset image to the correct path defined in your custom image, add the following instructions:

RequestResponse
# Copy cm resources

COPY --from=deltaAssetImage \platform\cm \

Configure in Docker Compose

If you don’t have a Docker Compose file, you must create one.

If you already have a Docker Compose file, you must create a docker-compose.override.yml file – that will update the Docker Compose file – and store it in the root of the folder where you store your custom Sitecore images.

To configure the custom image for the CM role in Docker Compose, add the following code to the to the Docker Compose file or to the docker-compose.override.yml file:

RequestResponse
cm:
  image:
${REGISTRY}${COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME}-xp1-cm:${VERSION:-latest}
  build:
    context: <localion for the
Dockerfile>
    args:
      BASE_IMAGE:
${SITECORE_DOCKER_REGISTRY}sitecore-xp1-cm:${SITECORE_VERSION}
      DELTA_ASSET_IMAGE:
${SITECORE_PRE_REGISTRY}sitecore-xp1-assets:${DELTA_ASSET_IMAGE_VERSION}
  [...]
Note

You must repeat this process for every server role in your topology. The name of the server role must be the same as is used in the Docker Compose specifications for the services.

Apply the Sitecore runtime images in AKS

To apply the delta asset image in AKS, repeat all the instructions for Docker and then copy the image to your custom solution in the k8s specification.

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