Migrating from .NET 7 to .NET 8 Print

Overview

.NET 8 is a Long-Term Support (LTS) release, making it an ideal upgrade target from .NET 7 (Standard Term Support). This guide covers the migration process for Plesk Windows hosting.

Why Upgrade to .NET 8?

• LTS Support: Supported until November 2026
• Performance: 15-20% faster than .NET 7
• Blazor United: New unified component model
• Native AOT: Better startup performance

Step 1: Update Target Framework

Edit your .csproj file:

<!-- Before -->
<TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>

<!-- After -->
<TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>

Step 2: Update NuGet Packages

Update all Microsoft packages to 8.x versions:

dotnet outdated --upgrade

Or manually update packages in your .csproj or via NuGet Package Manager.

Step 3: Review Breaking Changes

Key breaking changes in .NET 8:

• Blazor: New render modes require code updates
• Minimal APIs: Some binding behavior changes
• EF Core 8: Complex type support, JSON columns
• ASP.NET Core: New middleware ordering for some features

Step 4: Update Blazor Apps (If Applicable)

For Blazor Server apps, update _Host.cshtml or App.razor for new render modes:

// .NET 8 uses render modes
@rendermode InteractiveServer

Step 5: Test Locally

dotnet build
dotnet run

Step 6: Update Plesk Settings

1. Log in to Plesk
2. Go to Websites & Domains → your domain
3. Click Hosting Settings
4. Change .NET Core Version to 8.0.x
5. Click OK

Step 7: Deploy

dotnet publish -c Release

Upload to Plesk using Web Deploy or FTP.

Rollback Plan

If issues occur:

1. Keep a backup of your .NET 7 published files
2. Revert target framework to net7.0
3. Change Plesk settings back to .NET 7
4. Redeploy .NET 7 version