BES 8 - SQL upgrade

Usage and Config Platform
1

(imported topic written by maheshbk91)

We are currently running BES 7.2.5.22 with SQL 2000 standard edition as its backend. What would be the best way to upgrade to BES 8 with SQL 2005 standard edition without making a fresh installation of BES server?

Regards,

Mahesh

2

(imported comment written by SystemAdmin)

You do need to upgrade SQL to at least 2005 prior to upgrading BigFix. The two ways I see to do this would be:

Method 1 - In place upgrade

  1. Make a database backup

  2. Upgrade SQL in place

  3. Set the BFEnterprise and BESReporting database compatibility level to SQL 2005.

  4. Verify BigFix is still working post SQL upgrade

  5. Upgrade BigFix

Method 2 - New SQL Instance

  1. Install a new SQL 2005 Instance on a stand alone server.

  2. Shut-down BigFix services.

  3. Backup the BigFix databases, migrate them onto the SQL 2005 Server, set database compatibility for SQL 2005.

  4. Configure BigFix services to work with a remote database and point BigFix to the SQL 2005 instance.

  5. Ensure BigFix is working correctly on the new SQL server.

  6. Make a database backup and then upgrade BigFix.

Method 2 will be more time consuming but it is a little safer if you are worried about the SQL upgrade failing and leaving your deployment in a broken state.

3

(imported comment written by maheshbk91)

Thanks Tyler, I guess we will go with method 2, as we cannot afford taking risk of bringing down the production server. But would like to know how do we work to migrate the local SQL IDs, I guess these are not part of the backup. Also it would be helpful if you could provide the method to configure Bigfix services to use a remote database.

Regards,

Mahesh

4

(imported comment written by StacyLee)

Moving SQL accounts:

http://support.bigfix.com/cgi-bin/kbdirect.pl?id=133

Remote DB:

http://support.bigfix.com/cgi-bin/kbdirect.pl?id=1589

(not exactly what you need but the steps should be similar)

5

(imported comment written by maheshbk91)

Thanks Stacy, but this still may not help as I am trying to move the local database to a remote system and the migrated database will not be running the same SQL version (SQL 2005 instaead of the existing SQL 2000).

Can I just reconfigure the four ODBC connections - bes_bfenterprise, bes_EnterpriseServer, enterprise_setup, and LocalBESReportingServer in the System DSN to configure for a remote database, or should I take any other precautions?

Regards,

Mahesh

6

(imported comment written by SystemAdmin)

maheshbk

Thanks Stacy, but this still may not help as I am trying to move the local database to a remote system and the migrated database will not be running the same SQL version (SQL 2005 instaead of the existing SQL 2000).

Can I just reconfigure the four ODBC connections - bes_bfenterprise, bes_EnterpriseServer, enterprise_setup, and LocalBESReportingServer in the System DSN to configure for a remote database, or should I take any other precautions?

Regards,
Mahesh

Hi Mahesh,

That’s exactly what we did. However, if you simply move the DB’s and change the ODBC connection your users may not be able to logon if they use SQL authentication instead of Windows authentication. You can either move the accounts as the link Stacy provided describes or you can create Windows authentication accounts and change the Console users ODBC connections to use Windows Authentication. This has the benefit (or drawback, depending on your security stance) of not requiring Console users to provide a password to logon to BigFix.

Rames