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Renaming a server

BMC Server Automation supports the renaming of servers by redefining a server's properties (see Renaming-a-server-using-its-properties for details on that procedure). However, there are many potential complications that can occur when you rename servers.

When you change the name of a server, the internal representation of that server used by BMC Server Automation does not change. Almost all references to the server automatically use the updated name. One area where this is not true is when the original server name was used to create another object. For example, components that are discovered from a component template use the name of the server where they are discovered as part of the component name. These kind of object names are not automatically updated when you change server names. Although the name of the component is not updated, internally, the component uses the new server name when referring to the device that the component resides on.

Another similar problem can occur when viewing snapshot or audit results, which may not show information for a server that has been renamed. In addition, some aspects of the snapshot and audit results may show the new server name. To correct these problems, rerun the Snapshot or Audit Job so the results are showing information for the server with its current name.

Renaming a server can also affect undo information for existing Deploy Jobs if the BLPackage being deployed uses the TARGET.NAME property. The value of this property is set for undo purposes when the Deploy Job reaches its commit phase. If you attempt to undo a Deploy Job on a renamed server, the job runs on the newly named server but any properties referring to TARGET.NAME use the server's old name.

If you license a server using auto-licensing and you later rename the server, the Licensing Portal will not recognize the server if you ever attempt to decommission the server using the Deregister licenses for decommissioned servers with the Licensing Portal option. To avoid this problem, contact BMC Support for help using the web interface to the Licensing Portal. Using that web interface, you can deregister the server manually so the Licensing Portal's server count matches the Application Server's server count.

If you rename a server, you may not be able to see that server's history in BMC BladeLogic Decision Support for Server Automation reports.

If you rename a physical server, relationships in BMC Atrium Integration, such as business services, are orphaned and no longer function correctly. This is not a problem if you rename a virtual server.

If you rename a server to another physical device or to a device running a different operating system, you may encounter problems in the following areas as well as other problems not yet identified:

  • Patch history
  • Repeaters (repeater routing rules and basic repeaters with pre-existing staging directories)
  • Custom configuration object registration and usage
  • Extended objects
  • Deploy Jobs (advanced Deploy Jobs that have been previously scheduled and the ability to undo Deploy Jobs)

 

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