Upgrading BMC Helix Service Management to 25.2.01
Before you begin
- Make sure that you meet the sizing requirements and system requirements for your environment.
- Make sure that you back up the BMC Helix Innovation Suite database.
- Verify that the AR Server license is valid.
- Make sure that you have prepared your environment for upgrade.
- Make sure that you have upgraded to a supported version of BMC Helix Platform Common Services or upgraded to a supported version of BMC Helix IT Operations Management if you are using both BMC Helix IT Operations Management and BMC Helix Service Management.
- If you are using an Oracle database, make sure that you are using Oracle database 19.16 or later version.
- Verify that you have specified the Tenant parameter value while configuring the BMC Helix Single Sign-On realm.
- Create a service account to enable key encryption key if you do not want to use the default service account.
- Add the password_vault_apikey Jenkins credential if it is not already present.
- Add the node configuration.
If required, restrict the upgrade process from changing the Centralized configuration system (CCS) parameters specific to your environment.
See Changes to configuration settings during an upgrade in BMC Helix Innovation Suite documentation.Starting with version 25.1.01 of BMC Helix Service Management, Smart Reporting is no longer included in the standard BMC Helix Service Management installation. Instead, it is installed by using a separate installer.
If you are using a container version of Smart Reporting, there is no need to upgrade it.
To add the Jenkins credential
- Navigate to http://<Jenkins server host name>:<Jenkins port>/credentials/store/system/domain/_/
- Click Add Credentials.
- Enter the following details:
Kind
Specify the secret text.
Scope
Global (Jenkins, nodes, items, all child items, etc)
ID
password_vault_apikey
Secret
Do not specify any value.
Make sure that you keep this field blank. - Save the details.
To add the node configuration
- Navigate to http://<Jenkins server host name>:<Jenkins port>/computer.
- Click Nodes.
- Click the node name, the one with the Jenkins hostname.
- Click Configure.
- In the Labels field, add the ansible-master-latest node label.
- Click Save.
Task 1: To update the deployment pipelines
- Perform the following steps to update the HELIX_ONPREM_DEPLOYMENT pipeline.
- On the Jenkins server, select the HELIX_ONPREM_DEPLOYMENT pipeline.
- In the Build History, select the latest build and click Rebuild.
- In the PIPELINES section, clear the check boxes for all the options.
- Click Rebuild.
After the pipeline is rebuilt, the updated parameters for the pipeline are reflected.
- Update the HELIX_GENERATE_CONFIG pipeline so that the updated parameters for the pipeline are reflected.
- On the Jenkins server, select the HELIX_GENERATE_CONFIG pipeline.
- In Build History, select the latest build and click Rebuild.
- Click Rebuild.
After the pipeline is rebuilt, the updated parameters for the pipeline are reflected.
For example, the ENABLE_EXTERNAL_SECRET_VAULT and ENABLE_PLATFORM_KEK_RBAC parameters are reflected.
- If you are upgrading BMC Helix Service Management from version 21.3.x, 22.1.x, 23.3.x, or 25.1.01 update the FULL_STACK_UPGRADE pipeline so that the updated parameters for the pipeline are reflected.
- On the Jenkins server, select the FULL_STACK_UPGRADE pipeline.
- In Build History, select the latest build and click Rebuild.
- Click Rebuild.
After the pipeline is rebuilt, the updated parameters for the pipeline are reflected.
Task 2: To run the HELIX_ONPREM_DEPLOYMENT pipeline
Select the HELIX_ONPREM_DEPLOYMENT pipeline, select the latest build, and then click Rebuild.
In the DEPLOYMENT ENGINE DETAILS section, specify the following parameters:
Parameter
Description
GIT_USER_HOME_DIR
Git user home directory.
Example: /home/git
GIT_REPO_DIR
Directory that contains all the Git repositories for the deployment pipelines.
Example: ssh://<Jenkins server host name>/home/git/git_repo
In the ENVIRONMENT DETAILS section, specify the following parameters:
Parameter
Description
ROUTE_ENABLED
Do not select this check box.
ROUTE_TLS_ENABLED
Do not select this check box.
OS_RESTRICTED_SCC
Select this check box if you are using an OpenShift cluster and have restricted security context constraints enabled.
IS_NAMESPACE
Specify the namespace where you want to install BMC Helix Innovation Suite.
CACERTS_FILE
Click Browse and upload your custom cacerts file.
- You want to use a custom CA certificate or self-signed certificate to use HTTPS communication for Service Management applications.
- You want BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform to communicate with third-party services that use custom cacerts.
Important: Make sure that you use the same custom certificate in BMC Helix Innovation Suite and BMC Helix Platform.
Make sure that you upload the cacerts file that you created while upgrading BMC Helix Platform Common Services.
CACERTS_SSL_TRUSTSTORE_PASSWORD
Specify a password for your cacerts file.
Leave this field blank if you want to use the default password for the cacerts file.
CUSTOMER_SIZE
Specify the deployment size, such as compact, small, medium, large, or extra large. Enter the value as C, S, M, L, or XL.
To use BMC Helix ITSM Insights with BMC Helix Service Management, specify the deployment size such as, Insights compact, Insights small, Insights medium, Insights large, or Insights extra large. Enter the value as Insights_C, Insights_S, Insights_M, Insights_L, or Insights_XL.
Important: Make sure that you select the appropriate deployment size.
The deployment size is C - compact by default. During the upgrade, you can continue to use compact size by specifying the value as C or another size according to your requirement.SOURCE_VERSION
Specify the source version of the Helm repositories:
- If your BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform source version is 21.3.02, type 2021302.1.00.00
- If your BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform source version is 21.3.04, type 2021304.1.00.00
- If your BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform source version is 21.3.05, type 2021305.1.05.00
- If your BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform source version is 21.3.06, type 2021306.1.07.00
- If your BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform source version is 21.3.10, type 2021310.1.00.00
- If your BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform source version is 22.1.06, type 2022106.1.03.00
- If your BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform source version is 23.3.01, type 2023301.1.02.00
- If your BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform source version is 23.3.03, type 2023303.1.02.00
- If your BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform source version is 23.3.04, type 2023304.1.00.00
- If your BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform source version is 23.3.04 Hotfix 4, type 2023304.1.04.00
- If your BMC Helix Innovation Suite platform source version is 25.1.01, type 2025101.1.00.00
PLATFORM_HELM_VERSION
Specify the target version of the Helm repositories as 2025201.1.00.00
SMARTAPPS_HELM_VERSION
Specify the version of the Helm repositories for applications as 2025201.1.00.00
DEPLOYMENT_MODE
Specify the value as UPGRADE.
In the PRODUCTS section, specify the following parameters:
Parameter
Description
HELIX_VIRTUALCHAT
Select this check box to install BMC Live Chat.
HELIX_OPENFIRE
Select this check box to install Openfire.
HELIX_DWP
Select this check box to install BMC Digital Workplace.
HELIX_DWPA
Select this check box to install BMC Digital Workplace Catalog.
HELIX_CLOUD_ACTIONS
Select this check box to install Cloud Actions connectors that connect BMC Helix Innovation Suite with third-party applications.
Important: If you select this check box, make sure that you select the HELIX_DWPA check box.
HELIX_NETOPS
Select this check box to install BMC Helix Telco Extensions.
HELIX_GPT
Select this check box to install BMC HelixGPT.
Important: After you complete the BMC Helix Service Management installation, make sure that you configure BMC HelixGPT for BMC Helix Service Management. See Configuring Ask HelixGPT for BMC Helix ITSM in BMC Helix ITSM: Service Desk documentation.
HELIX_BWF
Select this check box to install BMC Helix Business Workflows.
HELIX_MCSM
Select this check box to install BMC Helix Multi-Cloud Broker.
HELIX_ITSM_INSIGHTS
Select this check box to install BMC Helix ITSM Insights.
HELIX_TSOMPLUGIN
Select this check box to install TrueSight Operations Management plug-ins.
HELIX_SMARTAPPS_CSM
Select this check box to install BMC Helix Customer Service Management (CSM).
Important: If you select this check box, make sure that you select the HELIX_BWF check box.
HELIX_SMARTAPPS_FAS
Select this check box to install BMC Helix Portfolio Management.
Important: If you select this check box, make sure that you select the HELIX_BWF check box.
HELIX_DRIFT_MANAGEMENTPLUGIN
Select this check box to install Drift Management.
HELIX_CLAMAV
Select this check box to install Clam AntiVirus.
HELIX_NETOPS
Select this check box to install BMC Helix Telco Extensions.
BWF_DEPLOY_SAMPLE_CONTENT_PACK
Select this check box to deploy BMC Helix Business Workflows sample content package.
DWP_DEPLOY_SAMPLE_CONTENT_PACK
Select this check box to deploy BMC Helix Digital Workplace sample content package.
CLOUDACTIONS_DEPLOY_SAMPLE_CONTENT_PACK
Select this check box to deploy the connectors sample content package.
In the LOGGING CONFIGURATION section, specify the following parameters:
Parameter Description SIDECAR_FLUENTBIT
Select this parameter to install Fluent Bit, which is used to collect pods and cluster logs and send that to a central location.
Fluent Bit is deployed as a sidecar container and runs as a non-root user.
Important: Make sure you select this parameter to use BMC Helix Logging or an external log source such as Splunk.
LOGS_ELASTICSEARCH_TLS
Select this check box.
LOGS_ELASTICSEARCH_PASSWORD
Specify the password that you provided for Kibana in the secrets.txt file while you were installing BMC Helix Platform service.
In the PIPELINES section, specify the following parameters:
Parameter
Description
HELIX_GENERATE_CONFIG
Select this check box.
HELIX_PLATFORM_DEPLOY
Do not select this check box. HELIX_NONPLATFORM_DEPLOY
Do not select this check box. HELIX_CONFIGURE_ITSM
Do not select this check box.
HELIX_SMARTAPPS_DEPLOY
Do not select this check box. SUPPORT_ASSISTANT_TOOL
Do not select this check box. HELIX_INTEROPS_DEPLOY
Select this check box to activate services such as BMC Helix ITSM Insights, BMC Helix ITSM: Smart IT, BMC Helix Digital Workplace, BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog, and BMC Helix Business Workflows for the BMC Helix Platform users.
Important: Select this check box if you have not activated the above services in an earlier version of BMC Helix Service Management.
HELIX_FULL_STACK_UPGRADE
If you are upgrading BMC Helix Service Management from version 21.3.x, 22.1.x, 23.3.x select this check box.
HELIX_POST_DEPLOY_CONFIG
Do not select this check box.
HELIX_DR
Do not select this check box.
SCALE_DOWN
Do not select this check box.
HELIX_RESTART
Do not select this check box.
- In the DATABASE DETAILS section, specify the following parameters:
Parameter Description DB_SSL_ENABLED
Do not select this check box.
DB_JDBC_URL
Specify a JDBC URL to use a database connection through the URL.
Example: jdbc:oracle:thin:@(DESCRIPTION=(LOAD_BALANCE=OFF)(FAILOVER=OFF)(ADDRESS_LIST=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=DATABASE_HOST_NAME)(PORT=1521)))(CONNECT_DATA=(SERVICE_NAME=AR_ORACLE_SERVICE_NAME)(SERVER=DEDICATED)))
This parameter is optional.
In the PRODUCT CONFIGURATIONS section, specify the following parameters:
Parameter
Description
PLATFORM_ADMIN_PLATFORM_EXTERNAL_IPS
Specify the IP address that you specified as the external IP for the platform-admin-ext service.
The external IP must be in JSON list format within square brackets, such as [10.x.x.x].ENABLE_PLATFORM_INT_NORMALIZATION
Select this check box to start the Normalization service on the platform-int pod.
MIDTIERCACHEBUILDER_TRIGGER_PRELOAD
Select this check box to enable full data cache mode.
MIDTIERCACHEBUILDER_SCHEDULE
Specify a cron job schedule for the Mid Tier cache builder job.
LOGS_ELASTICSEARCH_HOSTNAME
Specify the Elasticsearch EFK service name that is running on the BMC Helix Platform namespace in the following format:
efk-elasticsearch-data-hl.<BMC Helix Platform namespace>
Important: Make sure that you specify a placeholder value for this parameter when using Splunk as an external log source.
LOGS_ELASTICSEARCH_PASSWORD
Specify the password that you provided for the KIBANA_PASSWORD parameter in the secrets.txt file while installing BMC Helix Platform Common Services.
Important: Make sure that you specify a placeholder value for this parameter when using Splunk as an external log source.
FTS_ELASTICSEARCH_HOSTNAME
Specify the Elasticsearch Full Text Search service name or external IP address that you created for FTS_ELASTICSEARCH.
For the service name, use the following format:
opensearch-logs-data.<BMC Helix Platform namespace>
For more information about external IP for FTS_ELASTICSEARCH, see Setting-up-the-installation-environment.
FTS_ELASTICSEARCH_USER
Specify the Elasticsearch Full Text Search user name.
The default value is bmcuser.
FTS_ELASTICSEARCH_USER_PASSWORD
Specify the password that you provided for the LOG_ES_PASSWD parameter in the secrets.txt file while installing BMC Helix Platform Common Services.
AR_DB_CASE_SENSITIVE
This parameter is only applicable for a fresh installation of BMC Helix Innovation Suite.
AR_DATETIME
Specify the AR System date and time format to use:
- DD.MM.YYYY HH:MM:SS (24-hour)
- DD/MM/YY HH:MM:SS (12-hour)
- DD/MM/YY HH:MM:SS (24-hour)
- DD/MM/YY HH:MM:SS AM|PM
- DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM:SS (12-hour)
- DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM:SS (24-hour)
- DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM:SS AM|PM
- MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS (24-hour)
If you do not specify any value, the default system date and time is assigned.
AR_TIMEZONE
Specify the AR System time zone to use.
See the .If you do not specify any value, the default system time zone is assigned.
EXTERNAL_VAULT Select this check box to integrate and use a CyberArk vault for password management.
See Integrating BMC Helix Service Management with the CyberArk vault.In the RSSO PARAMETERS section, specify the following parameter:
Parameter
Description
TENANT_DOMAIN
Value of the Tenant parameter that you specified while configuring the BMC Helix Single Sign-On realm.
In the ITSM INTEROPS PARAMETERS section, specify the following parameter:
Parameter
Description
HELIX_PLATFORM_NAMESPACE
Specify the namespace where BMC Helix Platform is installed.
Important: Make sure that you specify the value for this parameter. The parameter values are used to connect BMC Helix Service Management to Redis pods that are installed in BMC Helix Platform.
- In the SPLUNK CONFIGURATION DETAILS section, specify the value for the parameters if you are using Splunk as an external log source:
Parameter Description SIDECAR_FLUENTBIT_OUTPUT_TYPE Select this check box. SIDECAR_FLUENT_SPLUNK_HOSTNAME Specify the Splunk host name. SIDECAR_FLUENT_SPLUNK_PORT Specify the Splunk port. SIDECAR_FLUENT_OUTPUT_CUSTOM Specify the FluentBit output. SIDECAR_FLUENT_SPLUNK_TOKEN Specify the Splunk token. - Click Rebuild.
The HELIX_ONPREM_DEPLOYMENT pipeline upgrades the platform and applications. After successful completion of the HELIX_ONPREM_DEPLOYMENT pipeline, verify that the platform and application component pods are running by using the following command:
kubectl get pod -n <namespace>The following image shows an example:
Task 3: To uninstall the EFK deployment
Perform this task only if you are using BMC Helix Platform Common Services 25.1.00.
Starting with BMC Helix Platform Common Services 25.1.00, EFK integration and log streaming from the BMC Helix Platform namespace are disabled. To use BMC Helix Logging, install EFK in a separate namespace and uninstall the EFK deployment in the BMC Helix Platform namespace.
To uninstall EFK deployment, perform the following steps:
- Export the existing logs from the Kibana UI to a CSV file for your reference.
In the BMC Helix Platform namespace, remove EFK deployment by using the following commands:
helm delete -n <BMC Helix Platform namespace> efk-elasticsearch efk-fluent-bit
kubectl -n <BMC Helix Platform namespace> delete pvc data-efk-elasticsearch-data-0 data-efk-elasticsearch-data-1 data-efk-elasticsearch-master-0 data-efk-elasticsearch-master-1
(Optional)Task 4: To upgrade Ansible to version 2.18
Update the Ansible version in your BMC Deployment Engine to 2.18 for enhanced security.
Where to go from here