9.7 Upgrading from Content Editor 1.2.3 to 2.0

Review the following sections before you upgrade your Content Editor Appliance 1.2.3 setup to Content Editor 2.0:

9.7.1 Support Matrix

Make sure that all the CE appliances are running version 1.2.3 with the latest patches applied.

9.7.2 Upgrading Content Editor Appliance

Before upgrading Content Editor Appliance, you must ensure certain requirements are met. See Before You Upgrade! and then complete the instructions in the following sections in order:

Before You Upgrade

Failure to comply with the following critical points could result in a non-functional CE system.

Critical Point

Details

  • Review the Release Notes and Limitations

  • Check the Release Notes for any upgrade issues and Upgrade before you start the upgrade process.

  • Ensure that the VM host has enough unformatted disk space.

  • The VM host server must have enough unallocated disk space to contain the following disks for each appliance. This is only temporary because after the upgrade completes, old appliances can be deleted and their disk space reclaimed.

    • System Disk (/): This is created automatically as you deploy the downloaded software.

      Size is 50 GB per appliance.

    • Disk 2 (/vastorage): You make a copy of each old appliance’s Disk.

      Size needed equals the total size of all disks to be copied.

    • Each Disk 3 (/var): You create this disk for each appliance in conjunction with the upgrade process.

      Size recommendation for Filr is 4 GB plus 3 times the RAM allocation for each appliance being upgraded.

    NOTE:The existing /vashare mount point is used by the upgraded Filr appliances. No new disk space is required for upgrading.

  • Make sure that existing appliances are running version 1.2.3 with the latest patches.

  • Make sure that all appliances are running version 1.2.3 with the latest patches applied.

  • The earlier version of CE must be upgraded to CE 1.2.3 for upgrading to CE 2.0.

  • Remove all VMware Snapshots

  • Before copying Disk 2, make sure to remove all VMware snapshots so that the /vastorage disk has the correct disk file and latest configuration settings.

  • Make sure that upgraded appliances meet the system requirements.

  • Do not attempt unsupported path migrations.

  • No Cross-platform: You cannot upgrade from one virtualization platform to another. You can only upgrade VMware to VMware, and so forth.

  • No Mixed Versions: All of the CE appliances in an expandable deployment must be upgraded to the same version.

  • Plan when to upgrade.

    1. Schedule the upgrade for a block of time that is least disruptive from a production standpoint.

    2. Notify Filr users about the upgrade.

After ensuring that you have met the prerequisites and cautions above, complete the instructions in the following sections in order.

9.7.3 Understanding the Appliance Upgrade Process

The process of upgrading Micro Focus appliances is illustrated in Figure 10-1.

Figure 9-1 Overview of the Appliance Upgrade Process

NOTE:

  • If you are using PostgreSQL DB shipped with Filr, then the order in which you start the appliances during an upgrade has to be

    1. PostgreSQL

    2. Lucene (Search Appliances)

    3. Content Editor

    4. Filr Appliance

  • If you are using an external database, the order in which you start the appliances during an upgrade is critical. You must start the two search appliances and then the Filr appliances

9.7.4 Downloading and Preparing Software for the Upgrades

Download and prepare the software for your virtualization platform as described in the following sections:

VMWare

  1. Download the CE software shown below to your management workstation.

    IMPORTANT:Registration with Micro Focus is required to receive an email with a software-download link.

    Appliance Type

    Filename

    Content Editor

    ContentEditor.x86_64.2022-09-13.53.ova.zip

  2. Extract each .ova.zip file on your management workstation until an ApplianceType-version folder appears.

  3. Launch the vSphere Client and navigate to the datastore where you plan to host the upgraded VMs.

  4. Create a folder for each appliance that you plan to upgrade.

    Name each folder with a name that is easily associated with (but not the same as) the VM name of the associated appliance being upgraded.

  5. Continue with Copying Each Appliance’s /vastorage Disk (Disk 2).

Hyper-V

  1. Log in to the Hyper-V host server either locally or from a remote workstation using Remote Desktop.

  2. Download the CE software shown below to the location where you plan to host your upgraded VMs.

    IMPORTANT:Registration with Micro Focus is required to receive an email with a software-download link.

    Appliance Type

    Filename

    Content Editor

    ContentEditor.x86_64.2022-09-13.53.vhdx.zip

  3. Extract each .vhdx.zip file in the directory where you downloaded it until an ApplianceType-version.vhdx archive file appears.

  4. Create a new directory for each virtual machine you are upgrading.

    As a best practice, name these directories with names that are easily associated with, but not the same as the VM name of each appliance being upgraded.

  5. Move the ce-version.vhdx archive file to the first CE appliance-type folder and then copy the file to the remaining CE appliance type folders.

  6. Continue with Copying Each Appliance’s /vastorage Disk (Disk 2).

Xen

  1. Log in to the Xen VM host server either locally or from a remote workstation.

    If you are connecting from a remote Linux workstation, use the following command:

    ssh -X root@host_ip_address

    The -X in the command in required for the GUI installation program upon which the steps in this section are based.

  2. Download the CE software shown below to the Xen VM host server in the location where you plan to host your upgraded VMs.

    IMPORTANT:Registration with Micro Focus is required to receive an email with a download link.

    Appliance Type

    Filename

    Content Editor

    ContentEditor.x86_64.2022-09-13.53.qcow.zip

  3. Copy and rename the ApplianceType-version directories until you have one directory for each appliance that you are upgrading.

    IMPORTANT:Only change the directory names.

    Do not change the names of the .qcow2 or .xenconfig files within the directories that you have copied and renamed.

    For example:

    1. Rename the CE-version directory to CE-1-30-192.168.1.61.

    2. Copy the CE-1-30-192.168.1.61 directory and rename it to CE-1-30-192.168.1.62, and so on until you have a directory for each appliance you are upgrading.

  4. Continue with Copying Each Appliance’s /vastorage Disk (Disk 2).

Citrix Xen

  1. On a workstation with Citrix XenCenter installed, download the CE software shown below.

    IMPORTANT:Registration with Micro Focus is required to receive an email with a download link.

    Appliance Type

    Filename

    Content Editor

    ContentEditor.x86_64.2022-09-13.53.xva.zip

  2. Extract each .xva file on your management workstation until an ApplianceType-version folder appears.

  3. Continue with Copying Each Appliance’s /vastorage Disk (Disk 2).

9.7.5 Copying Each Appliance’s /vastorage Disk (Disk 2)

IMPORTANT:

  • VMware requires shutting down an appliance before copying a disk.

    This doesn’t mean that the entire service must be down while disk copying takes place.

    If you have a Filr-clustered deployment, you can minimize service interruption by shutting down one Filr or Filrsearch appliance, copying the disk, restarting the appliance and continuing with the next appliance.

  • On Citrix Xen you export rather than copying Disk 2.

Copying each appliance’s disk is at the heart of the upgrade process because it uses the corresponding old appliance’s configuration settings on Disk 2 to create an upgraded version of the appliance with minimal input on your part.

Disk copying can take a while, depending on disk size and the VM host environment.

Therefore, we recommend keeping service downtime to a minimum by making the copies while the Filr system is still running.

  1. Using the tools provided by your hypervisor, copy the /vastorage (second disk) to its associated folder or directory that you created for your upgraded appliances in Downloading and Preparing Software for the Upgrades.

9.7.6 Upgrading the VMs

Shutting Down the Appliances

  1. Shut down all of your existing appliances in the shut down order that you identified earlier:

  2. Continue with the instructions for your VM platform:

Upgrading VMware VMs

Complete the steps in Table 10-1 for each appliance that you are upgrading

Table 9-5 Upgrading a VMware VM

Page, Dialog, or Option

Do This

 

1 - Launching the vSphere Client.

  1. On your management workstation, start the vSphere Client.

vSphere Client

2 - Deploying the OVA Template and naming the VM.

  1. Click File > Deploy OVA Template.

Deploy OVA Template

  1. Click Browse.

Open

  1. For the appliance type you are deploying, navigate to the contents of the folder that you downloaded and extracted in Downloading and Preparing Software for the Upgrades.

  2. Select and open the.ova file.

Deploy OVA Template

  1. Name the appliance with the same name of the folder that you created for this upgraded appliance in Step 4.

  2. Click Next.

  3. Choose the datastore and folder were you copied the appliance’s Disk 2.

  4. Click Next to accept the default for the disk format.

  5. Do not select Power on after deployment.

  6. Click Finish.

    The boot disk is created and the appliance is deployed as specified to this point.

3 - Editing the VM settings.

vSphere Client

  1. In the vSphere Client, right-click the VM you just deployed and select Edit Settings.

    The Virtual Machine Properties dialog displays.

Virtual Machine Properties

  1. Set the Memory and CPU settings to match the appliance you are replacing, or increase them as planned.

 

4 - Configuring Disk 2 (/vastorage)

Virtual Machine Properties

  1. Click Add.

Add Hardware

  1. Select Hard Disk, click Next and select Use an existing Virtual disk.

  2. Click Next > Browse, then navigate to and select the copy of Disk 2 that you made for this appliance.

  3. Click Next > Next > Finish.

 

5 - Adding and Configuring Disk 3 (/var)

Virtual Machine Properties

  1. Click Add.

Add Hardware

  1. Select Hard Disk.

  2. Click Next > Next.

  3. Adjust the Disk Size to the same size as disk 3 (/var) on the appliance you are replacing.

  4. Under Disk Provisioning, select either:

    • Thick Provision Eager Zeroed

      or

    • Support clustering features such as Fault Tolerance

    Depending on the VMware version that you are running.

  5. Under Location, select Specify a datastore or Datastore cluster

  6. Click Browse.

  7. Select the datastore and folder for this appliance.

  8. Click OK.

  9. Click Next.

  10. Under the Virtual Device Node section, select SCSI.

  11. Click Next.

  12. Click Finish.

Virtual Machine Properties

  1. Click Add.

Add Hardware

  1. Select Ethernet Adapter.

  2. Click Next.

  3. Under Network Connection, select the secondary network associated with the CE installation.

  4. Click Next > Finish > OK.

vSphere Client

  1. Repeat the steps in this table from 2 - Deploying OVA Template until all of your planned appliances have been deployed, then continue with Deploying the Upgraded (Replacement) VMs.

Upgrading Hyper-V VMs

Complete the steps in Table 10-2 for each appliance that you are upgrading.

Table 9-6 Upgrading a Hyper-V VM

Page, Dialog, or Option

Do This

1 - Open Hyper-V Manager.

Hyper-V Host Server

  1. Open the Hyper-V Manager.

 

2 - Create a new VM.

Hyper-V Manager

  1. In the left pane, right-click the server where you have planned to create the new virtual machine, then click New > Virtual Machine.

    The New Virtual Machine Wizard displays.

  2. Click Next.

Specify Name and Location

  1. Name the appliance with the name of the directory that you created for it in Step 4.

  2. Click Next.

Specify Generation

  1. Make sure that Generation 1 is selected.

  2. Click Next.

 

3 - Specify memory

Assign Memory

  1. In the Startup RAM field, specify the same amount of memory (in MB) of the appliance that you are replacing, or increase the memory as planned.

  2. Click Next.

4 - Assign network adapter

Configure Networking

  1. On the Configure Networking page, select the networking card for this VM.

  2. Click Next.

 

6 - Identify the system disk

Connect Virtual Hard Disk

  1. Select Use an existing virtual hard disk.

  2. Browse to and select the .vhd that you created for this appliance.

  3. Click Open.

  4. Click Next.

Summary

  1. Click Finish.

    The VM is created and appears in the list of Virtual Machines.

 

7 - Specify processors

Hyper-V Manager

  1. In Hyper-V Manager, right-click the VM that you just created.

  2. Click Settings.

Processor

  1. Click Processor.

  2. In the Number of virtual processors field, specify the number of processors for this VM.

  3. Click Next.

 

8 - Use existing copy of hard Disk 2 (/vastorage).

Settings for VM on Host Server

  1. Add the copy you made of Disk 2 to this VM.

  2. When you have added the disk, review the VM summary information and click Finish.

 

9 - Add hard Disk 3 (/var).

Hyper-V Manager

  1. In Hyper-V Manager, right-click the VM that you just created.

  2. Click Settings.

  3. Create a new blank virtual disk the same size as disk 3 on the appliance you are upgrading.

Summary

  1. Review the summary information.

  2. Click Finish > OK

Hyper-V Manager

11 - Repeat until all VMs have upgraded copies

  1. Repeat the steps in this table until all of your planned appliances have been deployed, then continue with Deploying the Upgraded (Replacement) VMs.

Upgrading and Deploying Xen VMs

IMPORTANT:Unlike the other virtualization platforms, which you power on and deploy separately from the upgrade process, upgraded Xen VMs power on automatically when the upgrade process completes. You must then deploy the appliance before continuing with the next one.

Therefore, it is critical that you make sure to follow the deployment order that you identified earlier.

Complete the steps in Table 10-3 for each appliance that you are upgrading and deploying.

Table 9-7 Upgrading and Deploying a Xen VM

Page, Dialog, or Option

Do This

1 - Launch the installer.

Terminal prompt on Xen VM Host Server

  1. Run the following command to launch the GUI configuration menu:

    virt-manager

    NOTE:The vm-install command is deprecated from SLES 12 releases.

Create a new virtual machine

  1. Click File > New Virtual Machine.

    The Create a new virtual machine wizard is displayed.

  2. Select Import existing disk image.

  3. Click Forward.

Storage path and Operating System

  1. Browse and select the existing disk image.

  2. Select SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4.

  3. Click Forward.

Choose Memory and CPU settings

  1. Set the amount of memory (in MB) to match that of the VM you are upgrading.

  2. Specify the CPUs to match the number of the VM you are upgrading.

  3. Click Forward.

 

2 - Name the VM.

Name of Virtual Machine

  1. Specify the name of the appliance.

  2. Select Customize configuration before install.

  3. Click Finish.

 

3 - Configure Disk 2 (/vastorage)

Hardware

  1. Click Add Hardware at the bottom left of the screen.

  2. Select the option Select or create custom storage.

  3. Add the copy you made of Disk 2 to this VM. Select the .qcow2 file.

  4. Click Open > Finish.

 

4 - Add and Configure a new Disk 3 (/var)

 

  1. Click Add Hardware at the bottom left of the screen.

  2. Select the option Select or create custom storage.

  3. Navigate to the contents of the folder for the appliance you are creating.

  4. Select the .qcow2 file.

  5. Click Open > Finish.

Summary

  1. Click Network Adapters.

Network Adapters

  1. Click New.

Virtual Network Adapter

  1. Specify the settings for the adapter.

  2. Click Apply.

Network Adapters

  1. Click Apply.

Summary

  1. Click OK.

    The virtual machine is created, the appliance starts, and the configuration process begins.

Console

6 - Deploy the Appliance :

  1. Access the appliance’s console.

  2. When prompted, enter the root and vaadmin passwords for the appliance being replaced.

    The upgrade process proceeds automatically.

  3. When the appliance displays the final screen in the console window, open your management browser and log in to the appliance on port 9443 as the vaadmin user.

Port 9443 Admin Console

  1. Depending on the appliance type you are upgrading, check the following:

    1. Click the CE configuration icon.

    2. Ensure that all of the settings are in place as expected (for example, - previously configured hostnames should be present).

For more information see Configuring Content Editor Options in Filr Appliance

 

7 - Upgrade the Next Appliance:

  1. Return to the top of the table and repeat the process for the next appliance in your list.