Running Centralized Upgrades from an AWS Instead of Main Server?

Considering DHS Emergency Directive 21-01, which requires (Appendix B, item 8), "The SolarWinds Orion server, the web server, and the database server instances must be installed on separate and dedicated hosts," is there a way to run the centralized upgrade using an offline installer from an alternate web server instead of the 'SolarWinds Orion' server? If so, how? Have any of you pulled this off?

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Seashore

If you runt the offline installer on the main server, and pre-stage the files from there. Then you can start the web-based upgrade from the AWS (additional web server). Also, when it is running the upgrade, the web-gui is connected to the administration service on the current server and not the IIS. The administration service you have on main server even thought you have disabled to IIS web.

mjperkins

This appears to work ... somewhat.

Until the main engine has completed its upgrade, everything works as normal.

Once the main engine is complete and files start getting pushed out to the AWS, APE, etc., one of those nice, pink error boxes pops up, stating:

"Menu Failure.

"We are having trouble communicating with the Orion server. Some of the backend services are not working properly."

It does, however, seem to show the percentages of how complete the scalability engines' upgrades are. I compared it with the same page pulled from the main Orion server.

Can anyone from SolarWinds advise on whether @Seashore's process is supported?

Seashore

I guess it might be continuing the upgrade in the background. But as it is upgrading the AWS and you look at that, the web gui will not work. As its the administration services that handle the upgrade they should be able to take care of it. But it scary, like driving with the eyes closed.
Look at the log files for installation and config wizars on the servers during the upgrade to see what it is doing.

mjperkins

I opened a feature request to include support for running the upgrade from the AWS in the future. If this is a concern for you, please vote it up.