Migration to another server : When to execute the Config Wizard ?

Hi all,

I've searched for a while before asking my question here but I haven't found anything.

I'm planning to migrate my main Orion server on which runs NPM/NCM/NTA and IPAM.
I have found the Migration Guide provided by SolarWinds but there is still a question on which I don't know how to proceed..

During the step when I setup/install my modules on the new server, should I execute the Configuration Wizard between each module installation ?

(I mean, NPM > Config Wizard > NCM > Config Wizard > NTA > Config Wizard > IPAM > Config Wizard ?)

Or should I cancel the Configuration Wizard poping windows at the end of the setup of each module to proceed to the setup of the next module ?

If i'm not clear, do not hesitate to tell me.
Thanks a lot in advance !

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Accepted answers

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cahunt

francky3084; You need to run the CW with NPM/First App Install. If you cancel this you can have issues with the app and webpage. In the past, there have been some modules (after NPM is in place) that you can cancel the CW on and run the next install to save some time and then run the CW at the end of your installs. There is some potential for issues when doing this. I would recommend that you just let the CW run after each app install, so that with each app setup the webpage portions and modules are put in place so that when you do get to the end of all your installs there is nothing missing. Yes, the CW run at the end should see everything installed and put everything in place on the web and bring the system up to speed. It should work, but I have had it fail at times causing me to have to run the CW, or a repair another instance or two during the install/migration process.

-CharlesH

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francky3084

Pretty clear and understandable.
I will go for a safe way so and execute the Configuration Wizard at each end of module setup so !

Thanks a lot for your quick answer !

jeremeek

NPM > Config Wizard > NCM (cancel wizard) > NTA (cancel wizard) > IPAM > Config Wizard

I saw in a lab video before Leon said that it doesn't need to be ran after every component installed. You need to after NPM because you need to point it to the database server.

When i did my upgrade earlier in the year:

NPM > Config Wizard > install component - cancel wizard > Config Wizard after everything installed

Also you will save a lot of time not having to run it every time.

cahunt

Thanks. Don't count out other folks accounts as well. jeremeek, has had good success. I have had the process work, but personally have had more issues with it than others. It may have just been the servers or specific versions as well. If you have a dev setup, that would be the place to experiment to get your exact process, and possible remediation down pat.

Good Luck.

francky3084

Thanks jeremeek and cahunt for your answers !

I've schedule my maintenance window for tomorrow so I will see How I manage tomorrow

Then I will come back to you to tell you how i'll have done it !

(I'll make a snapshot of my VM in such case at the start so I will maybe try the jeremeek way in first to see if it works as expected)

Thanks guys !

cahunt

Grand Idea to Snapshot your VMs, and Backup your DB just before you start. This will create the smallest hole in your data in the event that you need to restore the DB. If you do roll back the apps by rolling back your VM, you will need to restore the DB to that same time as well. This is because the first CW run will do some updates to the DB, and the process needs to start/restart with the App Versions and DB Schema Matching.

prawij

With the new online installer where you can choose the mutliple Orion components you want to deploy, the Config Wizard will run once at the end. Makes things much faster/smoother.

cahunt

Yes, prawij!! Thanks for that reminder. I've used that a couple of times and it works pretty well.

It does massively decrease your install/upgrade times.

francky3084

Hi All,

So i've been able to successfully migrate to my new server and then upgrade to very last version of each of my modules.

In first, I've resetuped exact same versions I had in my former server, done this way :

NPM 12.0 > CW > NCM 7.5 > CW* > NTA > IPAM > CW

* = I could have avoided this one ... But I was a bit scary, finally tried for NTA+IPAM.

All went smooth !
Then I've manually updated NPM and NTA to versions needed by the Online Installer to be used. (So NPM 12.0.1 and NTA 4.2)After this, I've used the Online Installer to update NPM 12.2/NCM 7.7/NTA 4.2.3 and IPAM 4.5.2.
No problem, everything run well now !

One last question, a bit off topic, sorry for this : I was thinking that the IVIM module was bundled with NPM and the NPM license used to license IVIM.
But doesn't seems to be the case, correct ?

I don't remember what was the state of IVIM before the migration. Maybe the module was expired and nothing more.
For now I have a top bar telling me about 1 product in evaluation. Is there a way to dismiss it ? Or I have to wait the eval to expire ?

Thanks a lot for all the help and the quickness !

cahunt

If I remember correctly IVIM usually has shown up on my NPM installs. If you have an Eval showing, did you install something that you do not have a license for? Or possibly have not moved over/removed the license from the old server.

deverts

francky3084,

I feel your pain! For the last 2 weeks I've been upgrading (in phases) from NPM 11.5.2 and compat modules of NCM, SAM, IPAM, NTA and VNQM to the latest versions on new servers with up to date OS. What a scary, unnerving process. Today is the last day and I hope all goes as smoothly as yours did.

cahunt

Good Luck. If you have issues with IPAM 4.5 check your installed versions, if 4.3 is still there uninstall both, then reinstall 4.5 (issue with a dll that is not removed, and I am not sure if the new installer takes care of this known issue). Other than that, VNQM I have had to uninstall alltogether from the Additional Polling Engines(APEs) to get everything else up to speed and in place, then install the most recent version of VNQM - single pack. I did this with IPAM as well knowing the issue would come up using the single install packs.

The new installer when run on the APEs will bring your apps up to the same matching version as the Primary Engine.

deverts

Seems like all your issues are with the APE, fortunately for me, we just bought one and it won't be installed until next week once the dust settles from this upgrade. But I absolutely appreciate the heads up! Definitely something I will watch for next week.

cahunt

You won't have much of an issue if you get the Primary in place first then add the APE. Use the new installer, and it will match the versions - it will be the easiest and quickest for you.

If you did have an APE attached you would turn it off - then upgrade it to match the Primary before turning it back up.

The new installer makes things a lot smoother, and has the potential to keep you from those multi-day upgrades. It greatly reduces the days/time it takes for much larger systems.

francky3084

Hi !

Sorry to answer it by two months late ... (End of year have been ... HEAVY !)
To summarize, I had carefully moved (disabled and then renabled) licences before the transition from old to new server so I would say that was not the problem.
In fine, I've waited the end of the evaluation for VIM, I'm no more prompted for anything else now about this.

As far I know, I haven't lost any feature that we've been using for years now so ... I think it's all Ok for now.

More generally speaking, the migration was very succesfull as our Orion server is now a way more reliable and stable than it was before. (Services were crashing often and needed to reboot often the server)

Thanks you for all your help !

francky3084

A quick message with some weeks late and I'm sorry for this to thanks you all for the help provided during whole thread.
Thanks a lot !

jeremeek

your welcome! Also reading these posts again reminds me i'm upgrading to the current versions this weekend. Curious how the online updater will do.