SUSE Manager 3.2 › Best Practices › Client Migration

13 Client Migration

13.1 Migrating SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 or later to version 12 SP3
13.2 Migrating SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 SPx to version 12 SP3

SUSE Manager supports you with upgrading SLE clients to the latest version or SP (service pack). Upgrading from SLE 12, SLE 12 SP1, or SP2 to SLE 12 SP3 or later (when available) is straight forward. Upgrading from SLE 11 SPx to SLE 12 SP3 or later (when available) requires some additional steps, but can be automated.

13.1 Migrating SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 or later to version 12 SP3 #

Existing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 clients (SLE) may be upgraded to SP3 with the SP Migration procedure provided by the Web UI . The same applies for other supported products based on SUSE Linux Enterprise 12.

Warning: Synchronizing Target Channels

Before successfully initializing the product migration, you first must make sure that the migration target channels are completely mirrored. For the upgrade to SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 SP3, at least the SLES12-SP3-Pool base channel with the SLE-Manager-Tools12-Pool child channel for your architecture is required. The matching update channels such as SLE-Manager-Tools12-Updates and SLES12-SP3-Updates are recommended.

Procedure: Migrating SUSE Linux Enterprise12 Client to SP3 #

Direct your browser to the SUSE Manager{webui} where your client is registered, and login.
On the Systems › All page select your client system from the table.
If there are Software Updates Available in the System Status notification install these updates first to avoid trouble during the migration process.
On the system’s detail page select the Software tab, then the SP Migration tab.
From this tab you will see the installed products listed on your client. Select the wanted Target Products (if there is more than one), which is SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 .
Then confirm with Select Channels .
Select Schedule Migration , and then Confirm .

Check the System Status on the system’s details when the migration is done.

If the System Status notification does not report a successful migration but lists Software Updates Available , install the update now and then check again.

Finally, consider to schedule a reboot.

13.2 Migrating SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 SPx to version 12 SP3 #

SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 SPx clients may be auto-upgraded to version 12 SP3 by means of YaST auto-installation. The same applies for other supported products based on SUSE Linux Enterprise 11.

Note: Supported Upgrade Paths

For generally supported SUSE Linux Enterprise upgrade paths, see the SLE{deploy} , chapter “Supported Upgrade Paths to SLE 12 SP3” : https://www.suse.com/documentation/sles-12/book_sle_deployment/data/sec_update_sle_paths.html.

As you can see, it is especially important that you migrate the client to the latest available SP first (December 2017: Version 11 SP4).

This procedure will work for “traditionally” managed systems (system type management). Using Salt it will not be available (system type salt).

During the procedure, the machine reboots and performs the system upgrade. The process is controlled by YaST and AutoYaST , not by plain zypper commands.

Important

Only perform this migration on client systems managed by SUSE Manager servers. For upgrading the SUSE Manager server itself, see Chapter 11, SUSE Manager Server Migration. This is a viable method for major version upgrades such as an upgrade from SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 to 12.

Perform the following steps:

Note: Procedure: System Upgrade Preparation

Make sure your SUSE Manager and all the clients you want to upgrade have installed all available updates, including the SUSE Manager tools. This is absolutely necessary, otherwise the system upgrade will fail.

On the SUSE Manager server, create a local tree with the SLES 12 SP3 installation sources. This is needed for booting the clients into the installation or upgrade scenario. For example, download the ISO image of the DVD1 with the installation sources and mount the ISO image as /mnt/sles12-sp3 :
```
mkdir /mnt/sles12-sp3
mount -o loop`DVD1`.iso /mnt/sles12-sp3
```
Create an auto-installation distribution: For all distributions you want to perform a system upgrade, you need to create a SLE 12 SP3 distribution in SUSE Manager . Use the following steps to create one:
- In the SUSE Manager Web interface, click Systems › Autoinstallation › Distributions .
- Enter a Distribution Label for your distribution (for example, use summer2017) as a label and specify the Tree Path , which is the root directory of the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 installation sources (for example, in this case /mnt/sles12-sp3 ). As the Base Channel use the update target distribution “SLES12-SP3-Pool for x86_64” .
- Confirm with Create Autoinstallable Distribution .
For more information about Autoinstallation, see Chapter 8, Autoinstallation.
Create an activation key for your SLE 12 SP3 systems.
In order to switch from the old SLES 11 base channel to the new SLE 12 SP3 base channel, you need an activation key. Use the following steps to create it:
- Go to Systems › Activation Keys and click Create Key .

Enter a description for your key.
Enter a key or leave it blank to generate an automatic key.
If you want to limit the usage, enter your value in the Usage text field.
Select the “SLES12-SP3-Pool for x86_64” base channel.
Decide about Add-On System Types .
Click Create Activation Key .
Click the Child Channels tab and select the required channels. Finish with Update Key .
1. Upload an AutoYaST profile.
Create an AutoYaST XML file according to Chapter 14, Sample Autoinstallation Script for System Upgrade (SLES 11 SP4 to SLES 12 SP3).
For more information about AutoYaST , see Section 8.1, “Introduction to AutoYaST”.
Go to Systems › Autoinstallation and click Upload Kickstart/Autoyast File .
Paste the XML content in the text area or select the file to upload. Click Create .
Add autoupgrade=1 in the Kernel Options of the Details tab and click Update .
Switch to the Variable tab.
Enter in the text field registration_key= and the key from ???TITLE???.
Click Update Variables .

After you have successfully finished the previous procedure, everything is prepared for an upgrade. To upgrade a system, continue with Warning: Synchronizing Target Channels.

Warning: Synchronizing Target Channels

Before successfully initializing the product migration, make sure that the migration target channels are completely mirrored. For the upgrade to SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 SP3, at least the SLES12-SP3-Pool base channel with the SLE-Manager-Tools12-Pool child channel for your architecture is required. The matching update channels such as SLE-Manager-Tools12-Updates and SLES12-SP3-Updates are recommended.

For example, watch progress in /var/log/rhn/reposync/sles12-sp3-pool-x86_64.log .

Go to the system via Systems and click the name of the system. Then on the systems details page, click Provisioning › Autoinstallation › Schedule , and choose the AutoYaST XML profile you have uploaded in Note: Procedure: System Upgrade Preparation, ???TITLE???.
Click Schedule Autoinstallation and Finish .
Next time the machine asks the SUSE Manager server for jobs, it will receive a reinstallation job which fetches kernel and initrd and writes a new /boot/grub/menu.lst (containing pointers to the new kernel and initrd).
When the machine boots, it will use the GRUB configuration and boots the new kernel with its initrd. No PXE boot is required for this process. A shutdown of the machine is initiated as well, effectively 3 minutes after the job was fetched.

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