Upgrading using individual component installers

The topics in this section provide information and instructions for upgrading the individual components of the BMC Server Automation system. You can alternatively upgrade the product using the unified product installer. 

Note

BMC Server Automation version 8.6 and later requires an RSCD agent installed on each Application Server. Therefore, ensure that you have RSCD agents installed on each of the Application Servers to avoid potential errors in the upgrade process. Similarly, ensure that Network Shell (NSH) and an RSCD agent are installed on the PXE server before performing the upgrade process.

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The following table provides a high-level description of the process for upgrading components of the BMC Server Automation system and includes links to topics with detailed instructions.

 

Tip

Prior to upgrading your production environment, it is best practice to test the upgrade in a duplicated environment.

 

Step

Description

Supporting topic

1

Prepare the environment for upgrade

Review the supported upgrade paths and upgrade considerations and perform the preliminary upgrade steps, such as shutting down the BMC Server Automation environment and backing up the installation directories for all Application Servers and PXE servers. In addition, prepare your database for the upgrade.

If your certificates (id.pem, bladelogic.keystore) were created with a key size of 1024 bits (or less), you will need to regenerate them with a higher key size (2048 or higher). This is due to java 8 limitations.

2

Persist configuration data to the database and

Run the configurator utility to perform the following tasks:

  • Migrate the database. You are no longer required to manually migrate the database as the configurator performs this task for you.
  • Populate the database schema with configuration data that is necessary for the proper function of BMC Server Automation after the upgrade.

The configurator must be run on on each and every Application Server and PXE server, before proceeding with the upgrade procedure.

3

Upgrade at least one Application Server

Do not restart the Application Server until you complete the database migration. Additional upgrades that occur at this point depend on where the Application Server resides:

  • On a Microsoft Windows computer, an upgrade of the Application Server also upgrades the Network Shell. 
  • On a Linux or UNIX computer, an upgrade of the Application Server also upgrades all components that were installed as part of the earlier installation of the Application Server. These components can include the Network Shell, the RSCD agent, and the PXE server.
  • On a Linux and UNIX computer (installed using the -local option)
    If the Application Server was installed with the -local option, on a Linux or UNIX computer, the Application Server must be upgraded using the -local option. Several environment variables must be set before starting the upgrade process.

4

Post-upgrade updates

Run the postmigration (.exe or .sh) file to update BLPackages that refer to old Group Policy Object (GPO) assets.

5

Upgrade BMC Server Automation Console

Upgrade at least one BMC Server Automation Console.

6

Upgrade the BMC Server Automation provisioning system

If you have upgraded the provisioning server (the Application Server enabled for provisioning), upgrade the components that BMC Server Automation uses in provisioning operating systems to bare metal machines.

7

Upgrade additional components

 

 

Upgrade the other BMC Server Automation Application Servers, consoles, RSCD agents, and other components in your enterprise (including on any file servers or virtual servers). 

Note

If the BMC Server Automation file server resides on a different computer from the Application Server, upgrade the RSCD agent on the computer on which file server resides. The file server and the database must be at the same version before you run BMC Server Automation.

8

Upgrade custom configuration objects

Upgrade any custom configuration objects that you have created and distributed.

Upgrading to a new release can potentially create mismatches between the version of a custom configuration object, an agent, and any model objects that reference custom configuration objects. For more information, see Upgrading-custom-configuration-objects.

9

Upgrade Compliance Content

Perform an over-the-top installation of the new Compliance Content add-ons.

10

Import out-of-box content and enable the quick start page and dashboards

Import optional out-of-box content into BMC Server Automation to support common tasks and use cases, and enable the quick start page and Health and Value Dashboards, optional user interfaces. These objects and user interfaces are installed or activated automatically by the unified product installer, but not by the individual component installers.

11

Perform a sanity check of the upgrade

Confirm that the upgrade was successful by performing a few tests, such as confirming that the file server agent is running.

 

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