Topic: How to best upgrade to SME 8 and change hardware

[holck]

I have a small SME server running version 7, and now want to upgrade to version 8. It has been running smoothly for years, but I must admit that I have installed several extra packages, both standard packages from the default repositories, and extra software.

I also want to change to new hardware, and I will kindly ask for good advice on how to best go through this. Based on the information from the wiki and the forum, my own suggestion is something like:

• Install SME 8 on the new hardware
• Find out which packages on the old installation are missing on the new, and add these
• Use the daily backup from the old installation to perform a restore on the new installation (I use e-smith-backup to make daily backup to a usb-disk)
• Control that everything is running smoothly on the new installation
• If problems, try to solve these, go back to step 3
• When everything seems ok, close down the old server
• Perform backup from old server, restore on new
• Cross fingers  and open up for access to new server.

Does this seem like a good strategy? Do you know of any tools that make it easy to go through step 2?

Thank you for a very high quality product, any help appreciated.

Jesper, Denmark

[Stefano]

install SME8 on the new server
on the old one, use /sbin/e-smith/audittools/newrpms to get the list of contribs installed
use Affa

you're done..

[mmccarn]

I've done my last 3 - 4 upgrades (including 7.51 -> 8beta2) using "smeclone.sh" - a script I wrote specifically to aid in moving a SME to new hardware:
http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5701

* makes no configuration changes on the old system (but does disable mail services during the transfer)
* copies custom templates to new server for reference, but does not activate them

[holck]

install SME8 on the new server
on the old one, use /sbin/e-smith/audittools/newrpms to get the list of contribs installed
use Affa

you're done..

Thank you, I tried Affa, and it seems to be a good solution. The upgrade failed, but that was not because of Affa, but because of problems with the network card (HP NC112T) in the new server.

[janet]

holck

This article explains the correct backup & restore procedure
http://wiki.contribs.org/Backup_server_config#Backup_and_Restore_concepts.2C_issues_and_other_information

[Stefano]

Thank you, I tried Affa, and it seems to be a good solution. The upgrade failed, but that was not because of Affa, but because of problems with the network card (HP NC112T) in the new server.

did you try to reconfigure your server?
did the network card work in the first instance, before running affa?

[holck]

I have not succeeded in making my network card (HP NC112T PCIe*1 Gigabit card) work, unfortunately. I have tried both drivers from elinux and directly from HP, but none of them seem to work. No errors seem to be reported, but the card only occasionally manages to establish a connection to my Gigabit switch, and when it does, it is only 100 Mbit. I have tried different cables but with no success. It is not related to using Affa, I think.

Now I have bitten the bullet and ordered a new network card (Intel Gigabit CT Desktop Adapter PCI-E ). I still don't know, if the problems are due to a defect card, or to more general problems with the NC112T card and Centos.

[Smitro]

Hi all,

Just about to head down this same path. Upgrading from 7.6 to 8.0 on new hardware.

If I do a backup to network folder. Then install the new server. And restore on the new server. Will that work? Do I need to worry about too much info being brought across in the backup? RPM's and configuration that could cause problems on the new server? I do have a few Contribs installed, but nothing that I can' reconfigure after. I'm not worried about data loss in the Contribs.

[TerryF]

The link that mary posted above is a really good read and just about answers all questions..

[Smitro]

I did read that. Just wanted to confirm I'd got it right and wasn't going to run into problems down the track.

[TerryF]

I did read that. Just wanted to confirm I'd got it right and wasn't going to run into problems down the track.

Then to do this: "If I do a backup to network folder. Then install the new server. And restore on the new server."  and you used the inbuilt Backup/Restore then you are going to have to configure the backup/restore on the new system so as to access the network "share" where you backed up the old server.  All straight forward.

Depends on which option you use..

[janet]

Trex

.... just about answers all questions..

What questions/answers are missing ?
Let's add them to the Howto if necessary.
It seems to me that backup & restore has been a perplexing issue for many sme users over all the years that sme has been in existence.

The more clarity the better !