CommServe Hardware Refresh Workflow

Hardware Refresh is a predefined workflow used to move the following CommCell components to new hardware:

This workflow can be manually executed from the CommCell Console.

How Does It Work?

This predefined workflow automates the following operations:

• Displays the hardware requirements for the CommCell components

• Displays the disk space and RAM available on the new hardware

• Checks for active jobs on the production CommServe

  • If active jobs exist, prompts the user to suspend the jobs or to fail the workflow

• Performs a disaster recovery (DR) backup of the production CommServe to the new hardware

• If a MediaAgent is installed on the production CommServe:

  • Moves the libraries to the new hardware

  • Disables the MediaAgent and DDB mount path on the production CommServe MediaAgent

• Retrieves all configuration settings available on the production CommServe and uses these settings to install CommServe components on the new hardware

  Note

  On the new hardware, the index cache and the software cache are created in the default locations. After the workflow is complete, you can change these locations. See Indexing: Moving the Index Directory and Changing the Location of the CommServe Cache Directory.

• Removes the production CommServe from the domain and shuts down the production CommServe machine

• Renames the new hardware to be the name of the production CommServe

• Adds the new hardware to the domain

• If the production CommServe contains a permanent license with a static IP, assigns the same IP to the new hardware

• Performs a readiness check for each client pointed to the new CommServe

• Performs a test backup operation for one client

For the following phases, an email is sent to the email address entered in the emailId input:

• Disk library maintenance

• Installation

• Post operations: client readiness check

• Post operations: test backup job

• Name change

Before You Begin

• On the production CommServe computer:

  • Stop any active jobs running on the production CommServe.

  • A Workflow Engine must be installed on the production CommServe and the Hardware Refresh workflow must be deployed to that Workflow Engine.

    For information on installing a Workflow engine, see Installing the Workflow Engine.

  • An email server must be configured on the production CommServe.

    For information on configuring an email server, see Email Server Configuration.

• On the new computer:

  • The installation package must be on the new computer.

    For information on creating an installation package, see Downloading Software for Windows Computers Using the Download Manager.

  • If you have a Web Server installed on the production CommServe, configure Internet Information Services (IIS) on the new computer.

  • If you have a Windows firewall enabled, and if User Access Control (UAC) is enabled, enable "File and Print sharing" in the firewall settings for all profiles.

    Note

    Verify the UAC and firewall settings on the production CommServe, MediaAgent, and disaster recovery CommServe computers.

• You must have a MediaAgent installed on a computer other than the production CommServe.

  For information on MediaAgent installation, see MediaAgent Installations.

• If a SQL server is already installed on the new computer, the sa user password must match the sa user password used on the production CommServe.

Procedure

1. From the CommCell Browser, go to Workflows.

2. Right-click Hardware Refresh and then click All Tasks > Execute.

   The Hardware Refresh Options dialog box is displayed.

3. On the Inputs tab, from the Run workflow on list, select the workflow engine

4. Enter a value for the following inputs:

5. Input	Description
   Configuration Type	The name for the new CommServe: To use the name entered in the ProductionCS Name input, select SameName. To keep the existing name (entered the DRCS Name input), select DifferentName.
   ProductionCS Name	The fully qualified production CommServe name.
   ProductionCS IP	The production CommServe IP address.
   IP Type	The production CommServe IP Type: static or dynamic.
   SubNet Mask	This field is required if IPType is set to static. The production CommServe subnet mask.
   Gateway	This field is required if IPType is set to static. The production CommServe gateway.
   ProductionCS Domain UserName	The domain user name with administrative privileges on the production CommServe. If the domain name of the production CommServe is a machine from a Work Group, use the local admin credentials as the domain credentials.
   ProductionCS Domain Password	The password for the domain user on the production CommServe. If the domain name of the production CommServe is a machine from a Work Group, use the local admin credentials as the domain credentials.
   ProductionCS Local UserName	The local user name with administrative privileges on the production CommServe.
   ProductionCS Local Password	The password for the local user on the production CommServe.
   ProductionCS SQL SA user password	The password for the SQL sa user on the production CommServe.
   DRCS Name	The fully qualified name of the new CommServe.
   DRCS IP	The IP address of the new CommServe.
   DRCS Domain UserName	The domain user name with administrative privileges on the new CommServe.
   DRCS Domain Password	The password for the domain user on the new CommServe.
   DRCS Local UserName	The local user name with administrative privileges on the new CommServe.
   DRCS Local Password	The password for the local user on the new CommServe.
   Is ProdCS and DRCS on Same Domain	Select if the new CommServe and production CommServe are on the same domain.
   DRCS NIC Card Name	The name of the NIC card for the new CommServe.
   Domain Name	The domain name of the production CommServe. The user name and password for this domain must be in the ProductionCS Domain Username and ProductionCS Domain Password inputs.
   Setup Location on DRCS	The directory path to the installation package.
   DB Dump Path	The directory path to the backup dump files that will be created on the new CommServe, for example, C:\BackupDump. This must be a local path. Important The following must be done outside of the workflow: On the production CommServe, configure the specified folder as the destination for the backup metadata. For instructions, see Configuring the Disaster Recovery Backup Export Destination.
   DM2 DB Path	This field is required if the Web Server is installed on the CommServe computer. The directory path to the DM2 database dump file that will be created on the new CommServe, for example, C:\DM2Dump. Important The following must be done outside of the workflow: Inside the destination folder, create a file with "dm2" in the file name, for example, dm2XXXXX.dmp.
   MediaAgent	The name of a Windows MediaAgent. Important Do not select a MediaAgent installed on the same computer as the production CommServe.
   MediaAgent Computer UserName	The user name for the MediaAgent computer.
   MediaAgent Computer Password	The password for the user for the MediaAgent computer.
   Test Client Name	The client name to use to test the backup operation.
   Email Id	The email address of the users who will receive the workflow emails. To send email to multiple users, separate the email addresses with a comma (,).
   Only Post Operations	Select to only perform post operations. The post operations are run as part of the overall hardware refresh operation whether this option is selected or cleared.

6. Click OK.

7. Track the progress of the workflow from the following places:

   • Before the production CommServe is shutdown, use the Job Controller on the production CommServe.

   • After the production CommServe is shutdown, use the DRworkflow.log file on the MediaAgent.

   • To monitor the post installation operations, use the logs on the new CommServe.

8. If a phase fails, you can restart the workflow from the failed phase by running the following command from the MediaAgent computer:

    
   C:\MediaAgent_installation_directory\Base>DRRestore.exe  ProductionCSName DRCSName Restart saUserPassword

   where:

   • ProductionCSName is the name of the production CommServe

   • DRCSName is the name of the new CommServe

   • saUserPassword is the sa user password