Upgrade NTA 4.2 from 3.11

tjft

We are currently running old instances of NTA and NPM

NPM

License	Production
Product Name	Network Performance Monitor
Version	10.7
Service Pack	None

NTA

License	Production
Module Name	NetFlow Traffic Analyzer
Version	3.11.0
Service Pack	None

We would like to update to the latest versions of NTA and NPM but I am having a hard time finding a clear path with the NTA DB upgrade that was rolled out in NTA V4. I am hoping y'all will be able to offer some additional information on how to get this accomplished.

My plan:

1. Backup Solarwinds and the database
2. Install NPM update
3. Install NTA and its DB on a new VM and point it to the old DB server to migrate the flow data

This is where it gets muddy. We are currently running SQL 2005 on Win 2003. Will the new instance of NTA be able to pull data from this DB given it is so old? Is there a better path to accomplish this update?

jxchappell

Just my 2 cents, but if it were me I'd just install everything new.

I think the upgrade path may be a bit arduous and unstable for that many revs

For NTA, You really shouldn't need any historical flow data.  That gets created so quickly that you'll have plenty from install point moving forward.  And you could just shut down the old instance and make the IP on the receiver the same as your current one.  I've had to re-install NTA on the upgrade from 11.5-12 and it is a no brainer.

The NPM setup would be the most arduous considering you'd have to re-discover your network, but once that is done the devices just get walked the same anyway.

I think the risk of the upgrade is you could get through some of the steps and end up having odd issues once you are done

Are you using VMs or physical?  What kind of flexibility do you have to create new servers?

JC