Upgrade From BigFix 9.2.5 to ....?

1

Hi all …

I have a client who is still at BigFix 9.2.5 (as part of a deployment of the IBM License Metric Tool). The client wants to upgrade.

Is it “better” at this point to upgrade to 9.2.18 or 9.5.13? Can I perform a manual upgrade of the server and console directly from 9.2.5 to either version, or do I have to go through interim steps for all of the versions that required manual upgrades (if memory serves, 9,5 and 9.5.5)?

Thanks all.

–Mark

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With 9.2.5, you can upgrade directly to 9.5.x :slight_smile:

For reference, please see: https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSQL82_9.5.0/com.ibm.bigfix.doc/Platform/Installation/c_upgrade_paths.html

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Hi Aram … good to hear from you. This is good news :slight_smile:

I presume I simply need to follow the instructions for a manual upgrade of BigFix on Linux (I neglected to specify the OS) and I should be all set.

–Mark

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Be prepared for the database to grow quite a bit - the conversion to UNICODE in 9.5 consumes roughly double the database space, and the update can take quite a while to complete depending on your deployment size and age.

Have you read through the feature set in 9.5? In particular the audit trail cleaner and computer remover tools are now integrated into besadmin, be sure to check those out.

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Hi Jason … yes, I am familiar with the integration of the audit trail cleaner and computer remover tools. Thanks for pointing out the growth in the database size; I’ll be sure to check available space before the upgrade begins. And yes, I also plan to RTFM before starting anything :slight_smile:

–Mark

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The following needs to be updated, but at a high level does provide some hopefully useful guidance:

https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/wikis/home?lang=en#!/wiki/Tivoli+Endpoint+Manager/page/Upgrading+Best+Practices

In general, I would certainly suggest backing up at least the BigFix databases prior to upgrades.

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Hi Jason …

Given that the database size could double with the 9.2.5 to 9.5.13 Linux upgrade, is there a minimum or recommended size for the DB2 transaction log? The documentation is silent on this question.

Also, when the documentation says “perform the manual upgrade if your database is remote” that simply means that databases BFENT and BESREPOR are not on the same server as BigFix, correct?

–Mark

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I’m not sure whether there is specific guidance for tempdb or the transaction log; as usual, the recommendation is to perform a full backup first.

And yes your understanding on the “manual upgrade” path is correct. When the database is remote, you will likely be prompted for DB credentials during the upgrade and the fixlet upgrade doesn’t accommodate that.

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