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Charlie824's avatar
Charlie824
Level 3
3 years ago

First time upgrading - checking my steps

Hi All

Looking to do my first EV upgrade, normally this has been actioned by another colleague who has since retired. Currently we're on EV 12.1.2 and looking to go to 12.5.3.

Our environment is: 4x Win2012 servers (2 x storage/task servers and 2 x indexing servers), SQL 2012 server, Storage is handled by CIF shares. We're currently running onprem Exchange 2016 servers. We don't use EV reporting, discovery or any smtp/journal archiving

Pre-change:

Confirm backups of application servers and SQL
Confirm AV off
Confirm disk space
Run deployment scanner check
Get new clients packaged ready to deploy
 
Change Day:
 
  1. Stop all EV services and set to manual
  2. Check all MSMQ are empty

  3. Copy and backup EV folder for webapp.ini and web.config files

  4. Upgrade all 4 servers but DO NOT reboot until all are done
  5. Run cmdlet Start-EVDatabaseUpgrade to upgrade SQL db
  6. 12.5.3 install on all 4 servers

a) have I got the above steps correct?

b) my previous colleague would also put the Vault Stores in Backup mode, is this necessary since I'm stopping the EV services and changing them to Manual startup for the duration?

c) he also noted something about Check Statistics have been dropped on Vault SQL Databases, what is this?

d) Do I need to upgrade OWA extensions on each Exchange server as well?

e) the client app deployment is handled by another team, does it matter if the server is 12.5.3 but the client is 12.1.2 for a short duration?

f) any other step I'm missing?

Thanks in advance.

 

12.1.2
12.5.3
Upgrade

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  • Titoine31's avatar
    Titoine31
    Moderator
    3 years ago
    Hi,
     
    I'm not totally agree with your method, please check my update :
    Change Day:
     
    1. Stop all EV services and put EV admin service set to disable (all of other service depend of this one)
    2. restart server to free all EV files
    3. Check all MSMQ other than A3, A5, A7 are empty

    4. Copy and backup EV folder for webapp.ini and web.config files

    5. Make a backup of EV DB with a SQL maintenance plan, like this you don't depend of a backup software ... more easy if you work during week-end or night
    6. make copy of all .msg files in EV installation folder (not in subfolders), and make a copy of shortcuts.txt. 
    7. Upgrade your first server only in 12.5, like this if you need going back it's more easy with only one server
    8. Run cmdlet Start-EVDatabaseUpgrade to upgrade SQL db
    9. Start EV admin and EV directory on your first server, and start Enterprise Vault Admin Console for check if you can access at all (don't start other service at this time) ... if OK, you pass the no going back point
    10. If last step is OK you can upgrade other server in 12.5
    11. Start all EV services and check that you can open archive mail
    12. go back to point 1 for install 12.5.3

     

    Regarding OWA, with Exchange 2016 you just need to upgrade Office Mail App with a PowerShell command on Exchange server

    Regarding Outlook Addins, it's not mandatory to upgrade it at the same time, you can upgrade it before or after upgrade of EV server without issue

     

    Regards,

    Antoine

    • Charlie824's avatar
      Charlie824
      Level 3
      3 years ago

      Hi Antoine

      Thanks for your reply, sorry for the lateness, I didn't see it earlier. Can you clarify what step 6 is as I haven't read about this part. With the DB upgrade, I thought you have to upgrade all servers to new base first before you run the DB command?

      I managed to get around to upgrading my dev environment the other day and these are my revised steps:

      Confirm SQL backup

      Confirm server backups

      Confirm AV off

       

      Change Tasks:

       

      SCOM and Tivoli maintenance

       

      1. Set Vault Stores to backup mode (with Prod, maybe disable update mode night before?)
      2. Stop all EV services and set to manual
      3. Check all MSMQ are empty
      4. Backup existing Enterprise Vault Folder to a new folder.  This will include webapp.ini and web.config.

       

      12.5 Base install

       

      1. Upgrade each server
      2. ensure services are stopped
      3. Reboot server after each upgrade
      4. ensure services are stopped
      5. Check event logs

       

      12.5 DB install

       

      1. ensure services are stopped
      2. upgrade SQL DB (from one server only)
      3. check DB upgrade log
      4. Check event logs

       

      Do not upgrade to Enterprise Vault 12.5 and then immediately install Enterprise Vault 12.5.3. After you have upgraded to Enterprise Vault 12.5, use the PowerShell cmdlet Start-EVDatabaseUpgrade to upgrade all Enterprise Vault databases as described in the Enterprise Vault 12.5 Upgrade Instructions, and then install Enterprise Vault 12.5.3.

       

      12.5.3 MR install

       

      1. ensure services are stopped
      2. 12.5.3 install
      3. Repeat on all servers till all are at 12.5.3

       

       

      12.5.3 DB install

       

      1. ensure services are stopped
      2. sql db 12.5.3 update (from one server only)
      3. check DB upgrade log
      4. Check event logs
      5. Start EV Admin and EV Directory services
      6. Check event logs
      7. reboot servers

       

      Final steps

       

      1. check event logs
      2. start all EV services and set to Automatic start
      3. check event logs
      4. Set stores to update mode

       

      Post check on client

       

      Like you stated in step 2 though, I might do the reboot at the start to ensure a cleaner upgrade. Also with the checking with EV Admin and Directory services, so this can be started at any point to check it's ok, I don't have to wait till the very end?

      • GertjanA's avatar
        GertjanA
        Moderator
        3 years ago

        Hello Charlie,

        Step 6 (copy msg files) is only necessary if you have customized the shortcut content text. Some companies change the shortcut-text, to (for instance) include a link to a help, or the number of the supportdesk. If you have not changed these, you don't need to back them up. If you have changed them, and you don't backup, they'll be overwritten by the install of 12.5

        As for your question related to upgrading 1 server first:

        History: up to EV10, you needed to upgrade each server, and first upgrade the directory database (by starting the directory service). Then on each server, you would start the storage service, to upgrade the vault store databases (and the fingerprint ones).

        EVDatabaseUpgrader upgrades EACH database from 1 server. Why do this on 1 server? You do the preparations, shut down all services, set admin service to disabled. Upgrade 1 server to 12.5, runevdatabaseupgrader. If this completes succesfully, you can then install 12.5 on the other servers.

        If it fails (which is unlikely, but you never know), you only need to restore the databases, reinstall your 11 version ON THIS 1 SERVER, and you are back in business.

        If it succeeds, BACKUP the Databases, and if you are confident, you can then perform the install of 12.5.3 on this 1 server, run evdatabaseupgrader, then install 12.5.3 on the other servers.

        In short:

        Stop EV.

        BACKUP databases

        Install 12.5 on 1 server, upgrade databases.

        BACKUP databases

        Install 12.5.3 on this 1 server, upgrade databases

        BACKUP databases.

        install 12.5 on other servers, then install 12.5.3