F.5 Using Migrate Agent with Block-Based Transfer Drivers

A copy of the block-based transfer drivers is bundled with the Migrate Agent utility. You can alternatively specify the /psserver= command line switch in order to download the drivers from the PlateSpin Server when you invoke the status, driver-install, or driver-upgrade options. This is useful when the server is patched with a new driver package, but the Migrate Agent command line utility is not patched.

You should reboot the system each time you install, upgrade, or uninstall the drivers. The reboot forces the running driver to stop and the new driver to be applied on system restart. If you do not reboot the system prior to replication, the source continues to act as if the operation has not been completed. For example, if you install drivers without rebooting the system, the source acts as if no driver is installed during replication. Similarly, if you upgrade the drivers without rebooting, the source continues to use the already running driver during replication until you reboot the system.

If the version of the installed driver is different than the version of the running driver, the status option will remind the user to reboot. For example:

C:\MigrateAgent\MigrateAgent.cli.exe status
Step 1 of 2: Querying the PlateSpin controller service
   Done
Step 2 of 2: Querying the installed PlateSpin driver version
   Done

The task completed successfully
PlateSpin Controller Service Status
    The PlateSpin Controller service is not installed
   
PlateSpin Driver Status
    Installed Driver Version: 8.0.0.11
    Running Driver Version: Not running. Reboot to load the driver.
    Upgrade Available: No

PlateSpin creates a task to warn the user that a reboot is necessary in order to complete the driver installation or upgrade. The notification appears in the Tasks list (Figure F-1). During replication, the notification appears on the Command Details page (Figure F-2).

Figure F-1 Reboot Notification Task

Figure F-2 Reboot Notification During Replication

Rebooting the source machine applies and starts the installed or upgraded drivers. If the driver was recently installed, after the reboot, one full replication or a server-sync replication is required in order to ensure that all of a source’s changes are captured. This server-sync replication will be represented to the user in the Status field as a warning (Figure F-3). Subsequent incremental replications will complete without warning.

Figure F-3 Server-Sync Required Notification