Each time I plan to upgrade my Solarwinds products, I have to:
- Describe my environment's Operating System(s)
- Describe the database
- Choose the products I have installed.
- Select the versions of each product installed
- Choose the product I want to upgrade
- Set the version of the product to which it should be upgraded.
- Check the compatibility of it all.
It's challenging and time-consuming to gather that information by pulling in multiple SME's, searching through SW's settings and history, researching where this information is stored, etc.
Couldn't all of that information be recorded at SW's Customer Portal for each user/site/deployment? Make it remember the products installed, their versions, the database information, etc.
Use this information to save us time and make a more user-friendly upgrade screen that:
- Lists everything in a user's SW environment
- Identifies those parts of the environment (memory, CPU, disk space, versions of OS or of SQL, etc.) that must be upgraded prior to upgrading SW components
- Verifies prerequisites have been met, once the environment is believed to be compatible for the upgrade
- Performs the upgrades
Where environmental changes have occurred that were not shared with SW's users' support contract/site, drop-downs or windows for updates could be made available to users. Users would mark a 2008 OS is now 2012, that a SQL version has been upgraded, etc.
The upgrade compatibility and discovery process would be shortened and made more intuitive and friendly to users!
Of course, SW upgrades ARE improving, requiring fewer steps and less confusing instructions (and thought by users). That's good!
But maybe this would be a helpful additional step in the right direction?
Please vote Yes if you think this would save your team some time, frustration, and thought.
