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Index server groups - migration strategy

Andrew-G
Level 2

Hi all

I am looking to migrate from a single physical EV journaling server (EV 10.04) to a distributed virtual 4 server model, with 2 servers running joural tasks and storage services, and two servers in an index server group.  I'm familiar enough with the reason for/against index groups, but we do use CA/DA and the single server is maxed out - if all is ok it copes (just) but any issues with corrupt volumes, SQL or other problems, it can take days to catch up, hence the distributed model plan.

My question here is the strategy for moving to this model, for the indexes.  It would appear this is the correct process:

  • install new servers with indexing services only (and task controller for index admin task)
  • create new locations on each server
  • create new index server group with the two new servers
  • assign the journal vault store(s) to the new index group
  • close the old index volume locations on the old server

At this point, as far as I can tell, the new servers will take over indexing for any new items or index rebuilds, and the old server will continue to handle searches on the old indexes.  However I still need to move the index locations to the new servers so I can decommission the old server (I'm ignoring storage and tasks, the process for them is more straightforward).

This howto article http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO82325 tells me that I cannot move from an ungrouped server to a grouped server, so I guess I will need to add the old server to the index server group, follow the howto article, and then remove the server from the group.  However I have read in several places that once indexing has begun you cannot remove servers from a group.  Maybe this does not apply to the old server in my situation, since the locations it manages are closed, and it will not have had any items indexed by it while in the group.

So can anyone please advise if they have worked through this process, and will I be able to successfully remove the old server, without losing the several hundred million indexed items it managed?  Or is there a different / better way to manage this?  I am attempting to work through this in the lab but I am very nervous going into production :).

Any advice, comments much appreciated.

thanks, Andrew

3 REPLIES 3

Andrew-G
Level 2

I managed to get this simulated in my lab, so I think I have answered my own question, but if anyone has worked through this and has other points to note, please do feel free to comment :).

The steps I followed were:

  • Install / configure EV on new servers with Indexing and Task controller services only
  • Stop all EV services except Admin and Directory on one server
  • Create new index server group, add the new servers but not any vault stores
  • Add the old server to the index server group
  • Stop the services and follow the technote to move the index locations using SQL
  • Start EV admin and directory services only on one of the servers
  • Remove the old server from the index server group (able to be done since it hadn't added any items to an index volume)
  • Remove indexing service from the old server (and decom rest when ready)
  • Close old and create new index locations if needed
  • Assign the vault store(s) to the index server group
  • Start rest of services, confirm items being journaled, indexed and searchable as expected, including new and old items

This worked in the lab and all looks ok, but I just wanted to check the process is correct.

thanks!

 

Tonaco_pt
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

Hi Andrew-G

I need to create a new Index server, so I'll use your check list, when I finnish I'll give feedback. Thank you for sharing.

Guy-L
Level 1

Hi Andrew,

I've just undertaken a move from 2 Archiving Servers and One Journalling server, and offloaded indexing to a 4 member Index server group, keeping the original servers. So 7 in total now... we are also CA\DA heavy users, and teh three original servers just werent cutting it.

Uisng your lab testing, I can confirm the process works... the only real difference is that I actually moved all the Index data from the 3 old servers and rebalanced it all across the 4 new servers.

The only issue I have now... Is that the 3 old servers still have the indexing service installed, but not started so I constantly have alerts that they have no locations or arent started... frustrating!