Topic: moving from SME7 to SME8 also trying to use failover

[dbaddour]

HI all,

I have been using SME7 as server/gateway on one site... I guess now I have a major hardware failure and most likely it is the board... since I have a new hardware coming I would like to upgrade to a newer version of the SME (.. doing so, I am not so lazy but that Gateway contain all of the site to site VPN config and also it is user VPN... what is the chance to rebuild the new one and have all of the old one configuration moved to it? I have read and checked about it, but is their any tricks or tips I can have from you Guru so I would not mess it up and have it down when more than 50 staff member are counting ont it?
With that move how? or how good is it to have a failover to that SME?


Thank you all for your reply, Looking forward to hear from you..

Dave

[CharlieBrady]

... what is the chance to rebuild the new one and have all of the old one configuration moved to it?

As long as customisations and contribs have all been done according to the SME documentation, then backup/restore should carry all the configuration with it.

You haven't said what VPN technology you are using but "site to site VPN" isn't an SME core feature, so you must be using something add-on.

[CharlieBrady]

... or how good is it to have a failover to that SME?

I don't think there's any satisfactory failover system for SME, though I would be happy to be proven wrong.

Do frequent backups and make sure that they work. Recovery from a good backup is quick (unless you have huge data), and you'll seldom need it.

[janet]

dbaddour

Add on contrib configuration should be included in sme server backups, but after restoring to new hardware you will have to reinstall all contribs.
The contrib will use the restored configuration so there should be no need to reconfigure the contribs (or minimal only if there are slight changes between version package functionality). You should install the newer versions of contribs ie if using el4 package contribs on sme7, then use the equivalent el5 contrib on sme8 or el6 contrib (if yet existing) on sme9.

I would recommend you do a practice backup & restore BEFORE doing the live changeover, that way you can discover any problems & make allowance for those, when you do the final upgrade.
Having 50 people waiting for the server to become functional would be very disruptive, so do a test run first.

Refer
http://wiki.contribs.org/Backup_server_config#Backup_and_Restore_concepts.2C_issues_and_other_information
Quoting the correct order in which to do things: "A restore is done to a fresh installation of sme server, and then contribs are reinstalled. As configuration data is (already) restored, you should not need to setup those reinstalled contribs again."


Also read
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:8.1

and read info about upgrading to sme8.x here
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server_8

For sme9 see
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:9.0

[dbaddour]

Thank you all for your replies,

I normally do a frequent backup using the GUI “backup and restore” to my desktop. Is that satisfactory to have all the contribs? Is that include all of add on contribs? Doing that kind of backup it doesn’t show or allow selecting what I should back up or choosing?
Now for the site to site VPN.. I am using the OpenVPN site to site.. From http://wiki.contribs.org/OpenVPN_SiteToSite


Dave

[janet]

dbaddour

I normally do a frequent backup using the GUI “backup and restore” to my desktop. Is that satisfactory to have all the contribs? Is that include all of add on contribs?

No

Add on contrib packages (rpms) are not included in most of the standard backups.
The configuration data & mysql data for add on contribs is (should be) included in standard backups (including a desktop backup).

After a correct restore procedure, you will still need to reinstall add on contribs packages (rpms).

Only the "backup to tape" backup includes all file systems that are on your server, which therefore includes installed rpms, which includes add on contrib rpms.
Note that a restore from Tape backup does not restore all these files, it only restores the standard list of backup inclusions.

What you are probably expecting or looking for is some type of bare bones backup, like a disk copy or clone function. There was a contrib for that backup in sme5 or 6 days, but it is no longer maintained by the developer.
There may be commercial alternatives available.

Doing that kind of backup it doesn’t show or allow selecting what I should back up or choosing?

The GUI backup to desktop uses the default locations specified here
http://wiki.contribs.org/Backup_server_config#Standard_backup_.26_restore_inclusions

Note if you want /opt/...  included in the backup, you will have to modify the settings, refer to
http://wiki.contribs.org/Backup_with_dar#Adding.2FExcluding_Directories_and_Files_from_the_backup_list

Now for the site to site VPN.. I am using the OpenVPN site to site.. From http://wiki.contribs.org/OpenVPN_SiteToSite

The comments above about backing up contribs and contrib data, still apply to this.

I suggest you carefully read the Manual & Howtos about the Backup & Restore process.


If you really want to keep all contrib rpms & back them up, then create an ibay called
installedrpms
& copy every installed package (rpm) & dependencies (rpms) into that ibay at the time you install a contrib.
The ibay will automatically be included in backups & restored later, but you will still have to manually reinstall those contrib rpms after doing a fresh install & a restore to new hardware. Note that some of the rpms may not be appropriate if you have moved to a new version of sme server eg from 8 to 9 etc (from el5 to el6 rpms), so the process is not perfect.