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biosphere's avatar
biosphere
Level 4
15 years ago
Solved

8.0 SP2 -> 8.0 SP4 upgrade on "incompatible" OS

Hi all,

So, I have an Enterprise Vault server that is running EV 8.0 SP2. This was a fresh install, not an upgrade. I was planning to upgrade this server to 8.0 SP4, but the install check fails on "incompatible operating system", and refuses to proceed with installation. The server is installed with 32-bits Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP2 (not R2), and according to the compatibility charts, no 32-bit versions of Server 2008 are compatible with Enterprise Vault. Interestingly, no complaints were lodged when installing 8.0 SP2 on the same OS.

So, a couple of questions:

1. Is this truly incompatible, or is there a way around the install check that would allow install to complete?
2.  In case of the latter, what would the consequences be?

And, should an in-place upgrade be impossible:

What would you recommend in terms of getting the data onto a compatible (and upgradeable) server? I have another physical server set up with a compatible OS that can be used as a new EV server. From my point of view, two routes are possible:

1. Move all the data and basically do a server replacement along the lines of the "How to move Enterprise Vault" method as listed in http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/293911.htm
2. Set up new server in same site, and move all tasks, archives etc using the Move Archive task or other applicable method

The first seems to me to be slightly overkill and risky, the second (in my experience, YMMV) is very time-consuming.

Any help appreciated.


Enterprise Vault
Information Governance
  • Liam_Finn1's avatar
    Liam_Finn1
    15 years ago
    Windows 2008 32Bit is not supported so you wont be able to do the install unless someone here has a work around but you then could run into the issue of support. Support may say it is not a supported platform and ask that you move it to the 64Bit version anyway.

    My suggestion is that you setup the second server as 2008 64Bit you have available and install EV on that server (do not configure it just install it)

    The perform a Data Only DR on the server to get EV operational again. The new server should have the same name as the old (this will male the move so much easier)

    Once you have everything moved over to the new 64Bit OS then let it sit for a week to be sure everything is OK then perform the upgrade in the 64Bit Environment

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  • Liam_Finn1's avatar
    Liam_Finn1
    Level 6
    15 years ago
    Windows 2008 32Bit is not supported so you wont be able to do the install unless someone here has a work around but you then could run into the issue of support. Support may say it is not a supported platform and ask that you move it to the 64Bit version anyway.

    My suggestion is that you setup the second server as 2008 64Bit you have available and install EV on that server (do not configure it just install it)

    The perform a Data Only DR on the server to get EV operational again. The new server should have the same name as the old (this will male the move so much easier)

    Once you have everything moved over to the new 64Bit OS then let it sit for a week to be sure everything is OK then perform the upgrade in the 64Bit Environment
  • Bradleydking's avatar
    Bradleydking
    Level 3
    15 years ago
    You will find that Symantec support will not support you on a 32 bit Windows 2008 platform, as I have seen on more than one occasion.
    Although what really strikes me as odd is that EV is installed and runs in 32 bit mode and looks like it continues to be the case even in EV 9.0 beta, not heard any good explanations why it is not supported on a Windows 2008 32 bit.
    I have taken option one for a few customers in that position.
  • biosphere's avatar
    biosphere
    Level 4
    15 years ago
    Yep, new/second server is already set up with compatible OS (2008 x64 R2) and EV 8.0 SP4 (installed, but not configured), so that part is ok.

    I'm a little confused by the rest of your suggestions, however. I don't really have any need for the old server EV-wise after the data has been moved to the new server, and if I am to use the old server's hostname for new server, wouldn't the old one need to be decommisioned anyhow?




  • biosphere's avatar
    biosphere
    Level 4
    15 years ago
    Mhm, no idea why this is, and have not seen any explanation either. But, as you say, if it isn't supported, I really have no choice.

    Quite annoying.
  • Liam_Finn1's avatar
    Liam_Finn1
    Level 6
    15 years ago
    The steps are outlined in the procedure you listed in your initial post or use the admin guide and follow the Data Only DR plan

    You have the new server setup (excellent)

    Stop all EV services


    Copy the data from the old server to the new (make sure the drive letter for the data storage is the same as in the old server (Drive F or whatever it was)

    Once all the data and necessary reg keys are copied over you can power off the old server and then rename the new server to the name of the old server then join it to the domain

    Next follow the rest of the procedure either the one you have already listed or the admin guide Data Only DR. this will bring you through the process of bringing the new server up into EV and will bring your EV environment back online in the new environment

    Please me weary that reg keys may change location because in a 64 Bit OS all 32.bit reg keys for HKLM will get registered under the regkey  HKLM\Software\Wow3264Node
  • TonySterling's avatar
    TonySterling
    Moderator
    15 years ago

    It is not supported and has been discussed here on this forum more than once.  The primary reason is this, when Symantec was considering rather or not to do the full QA certification for the 32 bit platform all the feedback we got from customers was that they were going to be going to 64 bit for the OS and not 32 bit.  The decision was then made based on that feedback to not put the 32 bit through the testing/certification process and help streamline the time to production for EV 8 and future service packs.  I was at Symantec during that time and was part of the team that went through that exercise and not one single customer I spoke to said they would deploy 32 bit over 64 bit.

    It is unfortunate that you are in this position but the Compatibility Guide has been pretty clear on this.  Your best option would be to do the Data only recovery as Scanner suggest and not leave your customer in an unsupported configuration.
  • biosphere's avatar
    biosphere
    Level 4
    15 years ago
    I'm sure it has been discussed (even though a quick forum search doesn't return too many relevant hits), and I understand the rationale behind the decision to not support the OS. What I don't understand is not following this rationale through - if (as you say) this decision was made pre 8.0 - by allowing installs up and until SP4, and then suddenly denying upgrades to SP4.

    But yeah, I'll take the Data Only recovery route and see how that turns out.

    Thanks for your input.