Okay, We are trying setup a new server (2012R2), new IP address and remove the old 2008R2 server but leave up since it has other applications that still in use.
I have contacted support but all they have giving me was a headache. They have given me the instructions for the sever migration but the is not applicable to me since we are using a new IP address and just moving the database to the server.
I would like to know if anyone has done what I am trying to go? It is almost like a new install with the database getting restored to the new server.
Are you just moving the database to a new server, or are you moving both the Root Server Application and the BFEnterprise and related databases to a new server?
Can you provide links to the documentation support recommended, or any other documentation you have looked at that doesn’t seem to be exactly what you need?
Generally if have everything that is BigFix on a single server and you are moving it to another server, then you have to move more than just the database itself. You also have to move other things.
What “BigFix” stuff is on your current root server? How many endpoints do you have? How many operators?
Can you change the actual host name in the masthead? No. You have to generate a new masthead and switch them out on all clients to do that.
BUT, you don’t actually need to change the hostname in the masthead as long as you still control the domain/DNS within the masthead.
You can take the FQDN in the masthead and make it a CNAME entry in your DNS and point it at either a Relay or the Root Server. If you point it at a Relay, this is what is often called “fake root”. You can also point it at the new FQDN of the Root Server itself, so in that case the root server will be reachable by both the old FQDN and the new FQDN.
The reason this matters is new clients will only be able to reach what is in the masthead at first unless you provide them with a clientsettings.cfg or a relays.dat file or both that configure something else for it to talk to.
Thanks for all the help and suggestions. We ended up just doing a new install on a new server and just starting with a new database. This is the simplest thing and the least time consuming. We are able to export all actions and information from the old server and import it to the new.
I have similar scenario and as I am new to BigFix, I want to make sure of the steps so
I have the new VM with different host name and different IP
I install the same version of the BigFix as it is on my existing server using a new Masthead or should I use the existing masthead
3.Connect to the current database which is remote
4.Create a Cname in DNS and point the existing server to the new server
5.Shutdown the old server
What am I missing.
The question as to whether or not you can/should use your existing masthead depends primarily on the Gather URL specified in the masthead, and if you can point it to the new BigFix Root Server (i.e. your step 4 above). If the Gather URL in the existing masthead specifies an IP address (which you cannot re-use), or a hostname (which you cannot re-use), then we would typically recommend a new masthead (though this essentially means an entirely new BigFix instance…with new users, configurations, content, etc…).
In the best case, you would shut down your existing server, install your new server using the existing masthead file and site signing private key (.pvk) and point it at the existing database. Stop the services on the new server, copy the files from the original server to the new server (using the directories listing from the migration link above), then restart the services.
Update your DNS service to alias the original masthead server name to the new server name. Clients and relays should be able to access the new server using the original masthead name.
Updating the DNS records is by far the best option, but if that’s not at all possible you could workaround it using the “Last Fallback Relay” option in the BESAdmin tool under Masthead Management. This updates the Masthead with a new top-level relay name to use in place of the root server when clients try to register for the first time. Enter the new server name as the last fallback relay. See https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/10.0/platform/Platform/Installation/c_masthead_management.html
You’d need to edit the HOSTS file (\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts) on your top-level relays to point the old server name to the IP address of the new server, so they can initially pick up the new masthead options and distribute the updated actionsite to their child relays and clients; and update your installer packages so new clients are initially installed with the new Fallback Relay option in effect as well.