Networker

Re: [Networker] Hardware and software upgrade, which version?

2007-01-15 20:10:43
Subject: Re: [Networker] Hardware and software upgrade, which version?
From: "Werth, Dave" <dave.werth AT GARMIN DOT COM>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:55:19 -0600
My approact on this is if I'm going to upgrade both the hardware and
software (OS & app) then I just do a clean install of the new software on
the new hardware and keep the old backup server around for a while until I
no longer needed it for the immediate type of restores (about 3 months in my
case).

I keep a database of backups that's separate from Networker so I don't have
to worry about keeping things in the Networker DB forever.

Dave


David Werth
Garmin AT, Inc
Salem, Oregon
dave.werth<at>garmin.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Curtis Preston [mailto:cpreston AT GLASSHOUSE DOT COM] 
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 3:36 PM
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Subject: Re: [Networker] Hardware and software upgrade, which version?

Now I'm going to argue against myself.  You could also upgrade to Backup
Software version x.y that requires 4 GB of RAM due to its new umptysquat
feature, and it will die as soon as you upgrade.  A better solution
would be to:

1. Don't upgrade your hardware.
2. Don't upgrade your OS.
3. Don't upgrade your backup app.
4. Buy a new one.  ;)

Seriously, though, you should research the ramifications of either
method, then test them prior to committing them in production.

1. If you're going to upgrade NW then OS, then make sure your current
hw/OS meet the requirements specified by NW.
2. If you're going to upgrade your OS then NW, make sure that you're the
version of NW you're running will support the new OS.

---
W. Curtis Preston
Author of O'Reilly's Backup & Recovery and Using SANs and NAS
VP Data Protection
GlassHouse Technologies


-----Original Message-----
From: John Stoffel [mailto:john.stoffel AT taec.toshiba DOT com] 
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 3:01 PM
To: EMC NetWorker discussion; Curtis Preston
Subject: Re: Hardware and software upgrade, which version?


Curtis> I completely agree with not doing them at the same time.  Any
Curtis> thoughts as to which way is better?

Curtis> 1. Upgrade NetWorker
Curtis> 2. Wait a few backup cycles
Curtis> 3. Upgrade hardware

Curtis> Or

Curtis> 1. Upgrade hardware
Curtis> 2. Wait a few backup cycles
Curtis> 3. Upgrade NetWorker

I think the first is the way to go if you can.  Generally, I view the
hardware as the lessor evil.  But of course in this case he was
talking about a new OS as well as new hardware.  So you really need to
have:

1. Upgrade OS
2. Wait
3. Upgrade Hardware
4. Wait a bit
5. Upgrade Networker

or

1. Upgrade hardware
2. Wait.
3. Upgrade OS
4. Wait
5. Upgrade Networker

or 

1. Upgrade Networker
2. Wait a bit
3. Upgrade Hardware
4. Wait
5. Upgrade OS.


But it's hard to say, since it depends a whole bunch on how painful
the Hardware and/or OS side is going to be.  And whether networker is
supported on the various combos.  You might need to do:


- upgrade networker slightly
- uprade OS/Hardware to latest/greatest
- upgrade networker to latest/greatest

And each step in there is a bunch of smaller steps.  I've always liked
being able to just spin up totally new hardware and OS, get it patched
and all setup to talk to the backup hardware, then I move over
Networker to the new box, knowing that I had a trivially simple way to
fall back to my old working setup, without losing data.

I'm probably not being clear here, but hardware is cheap, your time
for doing restores/backups isn't. 

John

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