This version of the software is currently available only to customers in the Controlled Availability (CA) program.

Preparing the system before migration

Assuming you are using the Staged Upgrade methodology, your target system will be created in an empty database with an installation of BMC Helix ITSM. This installation creates sample data, which you should remove prior to migrating all data from your source system. You must also disable the Operating-Mode parameter on the target system before you start the migration. You must also freeze changes on the production system before you begin the migration. Change freeze requirements are the processes or tasks that must be restricted when you perform the data migration. 

To prepare your target system

  Perform the following steps to prepare your target system before migration:

  1. Create at least one database backup of the target system.
  2. Make sure that the BMC Helix ITSM server is running.
  3. Migrate any customizations and baseline configuration, including CMDB extensions.

  4. If you are using a PostgreSQL target database, make sure that you have installed the contrib module on your target database before migration.
    For steps to install the module, seePostgreSQL installation procedure in the PostgreSQL documentation.

  5. Make sure that the target system has sufficient AR System licenses.
    The migration packs are not configured to copy your AR System licenses between systems.
  6. Delete sample SLM data.
  7. Shut down BMC Helix ITSM server and perform the clear down.
  8. Run BMC Helix Data Manager to delete the following data, which could clash with the imported data. You can use the appropriate Clear Down Template migration pack  for this step.
    • Operational and Product Categories
    • Sample, Test, and Global data
  9. Run a deletion job.
  10. Take a gold build backup of your target system database again.
  11. Review the change freeze requirements and freeze changes on your production system.

To disable the Operating-Mode

If you want to start the BMC Helix ITSM server after you begin your migration process, you must disable the Operating-Mode parameter on the target system. By default, the Operating-Mode is enabled in the system.

  1. Log in to the AR System Mid Tier for your target BMC Helix ITSM system.
  2. Navigate to AR System Administration > AR System Administration Console > General > Centralized Configuration.
  3. In the Component Name field, select com.bmc.arsys.server > platform-fts-0.platform-fts.
  4. In the list of settings, set the value of Operating-Mode to 1.
    The Operating-Mode is now disabled.

You must enable the Operating-Mode after you complete the migration. To enable the Operating-Mode, set the value to 0.

To delete sample SLM data

If there are existing sample SLM elements in your target system, you must manually remove existing SLM agreements and SLM targets before an environment upgrade migration because they will have AR System workflow associated that will not be automatically removed if BMC Helix Data Manager overwrites the data.

  1. Log in to the AR System Mid Tier for your target BMC Helix ITSM system.
  2. Open the Application Navigation > Service Level Management > Service Level Management Console.
  3. Select each SLA Agreements, and click Delete.
  4. Confirm the delete operation in the dialog box.
  5. Select each SLA Target, and click Delete.
  6. Confirm the delete operation in the dialog box.

 To clear down target system data

Sample data, such as the Calbro data (often created by the BMC Helix ITSM installers), must be removed prior to the import of data from the source system.

  1. Make sure that you use the appropriate Clear Down packs corresponding to the Migration Pack.
    • If you are using the Master Template Migration Packs for migrating data, use the respective Master Template Clear Down pack to clear down the target system data.
      image-2024-5-6_15-56-16-1.png

    • If you are using Work Flow Migration Utility or the Flat packs for migrating data, use the respective WMU Clear Down pack to clear down the target system data.
      image-2024-5-6_15-57-39-1.png

      When migrating customers for either On-Premises to On-Premises or On-Premises to SaaS,       make sure that you select the Other Sources template. 

      Important

      Selecting the Other Sources template does not delete the BMCOpsMonitoring data. BMCOpsMonitoring is used for out-of-the-box data that supports BMC Helix applications like BMC Helix Digital Workplace, BMC Helix ITSM: SmartIT, and Live Chat. Clearing down the BMCOpsMonitoring data will prevent BMC Helix applications from working correctly. 

      image-2024-5-17_11-51-41.png


  2. Copy the Clear Down BMC Helix Service Management Migration Pack for your target system.
  3. Create and run a deletion job on the target system to automatically back up any data before the deletion to restore it if needed.
    For information about creating and running a deletion job, see Deleting data.

  
To freeze changes on the current production system

Change freeze requirements are the processes or tasks that must be restricted when you perform the data migration.

If you are performing the migration by using traditional migration tools, you will have to freeze some elements, which can limit the speed of the migration. If the upgrade takes a longer time, the freeze time increases. If you are using BMC Helix Data Manager for migrating data, the change freeze requirements are less than the traditional migration.  

The following table describes the products and tasks that are optimized by using BMC Helix Data Manager as compared to the traditional migration approaches:

Product/Processes

Change freeze tasks (traditional migration approach)

Change freeze tasks (BMC Helix Data Manager)

AR Server 

  • Do not create or modify the following objects on the production server:
    • Forms
    • Workflow (active link, filter, escalation)
    • Fields and field menus
  • BMC strongly recommends that you do not perform any data-deletion activities in your current production environment during the delta period.
    Example: Do not drop users, change support groups for a person, delete permissions, and change login IDs.
  • From a technical perspective, BMC Helix Data Manager is capable of migrating additional data captured as a result of workflow changes (such as data in new fields and forms) at any time during the project lifecycle. 

  • From a user testing perspective, you must freeze the AR changes when you enter the first emulated cutover and first round of user acceptance testing (UAT) to ensure that the system  that will go live is identical to the system that was tested.

  • By using BMC Helix Data Manager for migration, you can perform data-deletion activities. However, we recommend you to keep the data-deletion activities to a minimum value to reduce the delta migration size.
    Example: You can disable archiving to reduce the delta data migration size.

Approval Server

Do not change any definitions in the production server as they create workflow and forms while the upgrade is in progress.

  • Do not create new approval types in the production server.
  • BMC Helix Data Manager migrates definitions and other approval elements.

BMC Atrium Core (all versions)

On the production server, do not create or modify the following objects:

  • Classes
  • Any federation sources
  • Datasets

Do not create or modify the following jobs:

  • Reconciliation jobs or job rules
  • Normalization jobs or job rules

On the staging server, disable the following items until the upgrade and delta data migration are complete:

  • Existing normalization job schedules
  • Existing reconciliation job schedules
  • On the production server, do not create or modify the following objects when you enter the first emulated cutover and first round of user acceptance testing (UAT) to ensure the go live system is identical to the signed off system:
    • Classes
    • Any federation sources
    • Datasets

  • During migration, HDM allows changes to the Reconciliation and Normalization jobs and rules on the production server.
    However, if you want modify the Reconciliation or Normalization jobs on the target server during upgrade, you must perform one of the following steps during the delta data migration:
    • On the staging server, take a fresh gold backup immediately after the bulk migration. This backup acts as a restore point before performing the delta data migration.
    • Keep the staging server down to prevent data changes between the initial migration and go live.
      We recommend setting a quiet mode configuration when you start the staging server.

BMC Service Level Management

Do not perform the following actions on the production environment:

  • Create, modify, or delete contracts, agreements, or the data source section of configuration data.
  • Make changes to collector-related configuration data.
  • Change application definitions that create workflow and forms while the upgrade is in progress.
  • Migrate the BMC Service Level Management (SLM) data at go live. No change freeze is required.

  • If you are migrating many service targets that could take a long time to build and impact the cutover window, you must:
    1. build the service targets before migration,
    2. migrate the service targets only,
    3. include the service targets in the gold build backup.

BMC Helix ITSM

Do not create or update the following contracts:

  • Support
  • Warranty
  • Lease
  • Maintenance
  • Software License
  • License Management Exceptions

Do not create or update the following forms:

  • APR:Approver Lookup (approval mappings)
  • APR:SYS-Approval Definition (approval process definition)

BMC Helix Data Manager allows creating or updating the contracts and forms during migration.

BMC Service Request Management

Do not make changes to the following items:

  • BMC Service Request Management configurations in the Application Administration Console, including changes to categories, approval mappings, or entitlements.
  • Request Catalog entries including service request definitions, process definition templates, and application object templates.

Do not create or modify approval chains for service requests.

BMC Helix Data Manager allows changes to the listed BMC Service Request Management items during migration.

BMC Knowledge Management

Do not register any new knowledge management source or delete existing knowledge management.

BMC Helix Data Manager allows registering new knowledge management source or delete existing knowledge management during migration.

BMC Process Designer

Do not edit any processes.

BMC Helix Data Manager allows the editing of processes in the BMC Process Designer during migration.

Bulk data processing

Do not initiate a bulk data process or integration that creates or updates data in bulk.

  • By using BMC Helix Data Manager for migrating data, you can initiate a bulk data process or integration that creates or updates data in bulk during migration.
  • BMC Helix Data Manager allows the CMDB reconciliation during migration.
  • You must freeze the archive processes during migration.

We recommend you to restrict the following tasks when you perform the migration:

  1. While migrating AR System data, do not create, modify, or delete objects from the first emulated cutover period and the user acceptance testing (UAT) to Go Live. Ensure that the system that goes live is identical to the system that is tested.
  2. Do not create new approval types before completing the migration.
  3. While migrating BMC CMDB data:
    1. Do not create or modify of the following objects on the production server from the UAT to Go Live:
      • Classes
      • Sources
      • Datasets
    2. We recommend you to set a quiet mode configuration when the staging server is started.

  1. You can migrate BMC Service Level Management (SLM) data at go live. No change freeze is required.

    If you are migrating many service targets that could take a long time to build and impact the cutover window, you must:

    1. build the service targets before migration,
    2. migrate the service targets  only,
    3. include the service targets in the gold build backup.

  2. Freeze the archive processes during migration.


 

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