11 SUSE Manager Server Migration

You can upgrade the underlying operating system and also migrate SUSE Manager server from one patch level to the other (SP migration) or from one version to the next. This works for migrating SUSE Manager server 3.0 or version 3.1 to version 3.2.

For migrating from version 2.1 to 3.0, see Chapter 12, SUSE Manager Migration from Version 2.1 to Version 3.

SUSE Manager utilizes SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 as its underlying operating system. Therefore Service Pack migration (for example, from version 12 SP1 to 12 SP3) may be performed in the same way as a typical SLES migration.

Warning: Upgrading PostgreSQL to Version 9.6 before Migrating to SLES12 SP3

Before migrating the underlying system to SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 SP3 you must upgrade PostgreSQL to version 9.6.

The migration needs PostgreSQL 9.4 and 9.6 installed in parallel and PostgreSQL 9.4 is only available in SLES 12 SP2. For more information, see Section 11.3, “Upgrading PostgreSQL to Version 9.6”.

SUSE offers a graphical and command line tool for upgrading to a new service pack. Comprehensive documentation for executing service pack migration scenarios is located in the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server documentation chapter https://www.suse.com/documentation/sles-12/book_sle_deployment/data/cha_update_sle.html.

Warning: Migrating to SLES 12 SP3

SUSE Manager Server 3.1 must not be migrated to SLES 12 SP3 before upgrading PostgreSQL to version 9.6.

The upgrade needs PostgreSQL 9.4 and 9.6 installed in parallel. PostgreSQL 9.4 is only available in SLES 12 SP2.

Before starting the update, prepare an up-to-date backup of your database.

On existing installations of SUSE Manager Server 3.1 you must run to migrate from PostgreSQL 9.4 to version 9.6.

/usr/lib/susemanager/bin/pg-migrate.sh

During the upgrade your SUSE Manager Server will not be accessible.

The upgrade will create a copy of the database under /var/lib/pgsql and thus needs sufficient disk space to hold two copies (9.4 and 9.6) of the database. Because it does a full copy of the database, it also needs considerable time depending on the size of the database and the IO speed of the storage system.

If your system is short on disk space you can do an fast, in-place upgrade by running

/usr/lib/susemanager/bin/pg-migrate.sh fast

The fast upgrade usually only takes minutes and no additional disk space. However, in case of failure you need to restore the database from a backup.

For more information, see https://wiki.microfocus.com/index.php?title=SUSE_Manager/postgresql96.

This section provides information on performing regular updates and running a spacewalk-schema-upgrade on your postgresql database.

The migration can either be done with the Online Migration tool (YaST) or with the Zypper command line tool.

Note: Reduce Installation Size

When performing the migration, YaST will install all recommended packages. Especially in the case of custom minimal installations, this may increase the installation size of the system significantly.

To change this default behavior and allow only required packages, adjust /etc/zypp/zypp.conf and set the following variable:

solver.onlyRequires = true
installRecommends=false # or commented

This changes the behavior of all package operations, such as the installation of patches or new packages.

11.5.1 Using YaST #

Warning: Checking PostgreSQL Version

Before migrating to SLES 12 SP3, check whether PostgreSQL is already updated to version 9.6. For more information, see Section 11.3, “Upgrading PostgreSQL to Version 9.6”.

To perform the migration with YaST, use the Online Migration tool:

Procedure: Migrating using YaST #

1. If you are logged into a GNOME session running on the machine you are going to update, switch to a text console. Running the update from within a GNOME session is not recommended. This does not apply when being logged in from a remote machine (unless you are running a VNC session with GNOME).

2. Start in YaSTSystem › Online Migration (yast2 migration). {yast} will show possible migration targets with detailed summaries.

   In case of trouble, resolve the following issues first:

   • If the Online Migration is not available, install the yast2-migration package and its dependencies. Restart YaST , otherwise the newly installed module will not be shown in the control center.

   • If there are “old” online updates available for installation, the migration tool will warn and ask to install them now before starting the actual migration. It is recommended to install all updates before proceeding.

3. If more than one migration target is available for your system, select one from the list. In case you are still on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP1 or SP2, SLES 12 will be upgraded to SP2 or SP3, while selecting SUSE Manager Server 3.1 as a migration target.

   

4. Update the SUSE Manager database schema (spacewalk-schema-upgrade).

5. Make sure SUSE Manager is up and running (spacewalk-service start).

After finishing the migration procedure SUSE Manager 3.1 on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 (SP2 or) SP3 is available to be used.

11.5.2 Using zypper #

Warning: Checking PostgreSQL Version

Before migrating to SLES 12 SP3, check whether PostgreSQL is already updated to version 9.6. For more information, see Section 11.3, “Upgrading PostgreSQL to Version 9.6”.

To perform the migration with Zypper on the command-line, use the zypper migration subcommand tool:

Procedure: Migrating using zypper migration #

1. If you are logged into a GNOME session running on the machine you are going to update, switch to a text console. Running the update from within a GNOME session is not recommended. This does not apply when being logged in from a remote machine (unless you are running a VNC session with GNOME).

2. The zypper migration subcommand show possible migration targets and a summary:

   # zypper migration
   Executing 'zypper  refresh'
   
   Repository 'SLES12-SP1 12.1-0' is up to date.
   Repository 'SLES12-SP1-Pool' is up to date.
   Repository 'SLES12-SP1-Updates' is up to date.
   Repository 'SUSE-Manager-Server-3.0-Pool' is up to date.
   Repository 'SUSE-Manager-Server-3.0-Updates' is up to date.
   All repositories have been refreshed.
   
   Executing 'zypper  --no-refresh patch-check --updatestack-only'
   
   Loading repository data...
   Reading installed packages...
   0 patches needed (0 security patches)
   
   Available migrations:
   
       1 | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 x86_64
           SUSE Manager Server 3.1 x86_64
   
       2 | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 x86_64
           SUSE Manager Server 3.0 x86_64 (already installed)
   
       3 | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2 x86_64
           SUSE Manager Server 3.1 x86_64
   
       4 | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2 x86_64
           SUSE Manager Server 3.0 x86_64 (already installed)

   In case of trouble, resolve the following issues first:

   • If the migration subcommand is not available install the zypper-migration-plugin package and its dependencies.

   • If there are “old” online updates available for installation, the migration tool will warn and ask to install them now before starting the actual migration. It is recommended to install all updates before proceeding.

3. If more than one migration target is available for your system, select one from the list (specify the number). In case you are still on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP1 or SP2, SLES 12 will be upgraded to (SP2 or) SP3, while selecting SUSE Manager Server 3.1 as a migration target.

4. Read the notification and update the SUSE Manager database schema as described (spacewalk-schema-upgrade).

5. Make sure SUSE Manager is up and running (spacewalk-service start).

After finishing the migration procedure SUSE Manager 3.1 on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 (SP2 or) SP3 is available to be used.