Client Management Suite

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone out there has gone through a Disaster Recovery test and can provide some insight.  We will have a secondary location set up with a SQL and NS just as we have in production..at the moment, Altiris is not installed.  Currently we do not have a plan of recovery to this hotsite but plan on replicating the DB.

Does anyone have any information on steps and process for Disaster Recovery for a scenario such as this?

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

what you mean about:

Currently we do not have a plan of recovery to this hotsite but plan on replicating the DB.

1. You want to use existing database on another SQL Server and just upgrade/reconfigure it for ITMS 7.5 HF6 version?
2. Or you meant about Hierarchy replications?

You can:

1. Attach existing database to new SQL Server or use existing database on current SQL Server
2. Install SIM on clean Windows 2008R2 SP1  ⇒ in database option of SIM, choose your SQL Server, where you're database is running and perform reconfigure of current installed ITMS 7.5.x version or upgrade it to newer version.

Thanks,

IP.

To answer your question, we are going to replicate the existing database to the backup SQL server.  We are not running hierarchy.

Ok.

I did similar for ITMS 7.5.

Summary:

- I had installed ITMS 7.5, using remote SQL Server 2008 R2, where CMDB is running.

What I did:

1. Created full backup of ITMS 7.5 database via SQL Management studio.
2. Copied this ITMS 7.5 backup of database to a new SQL Server 2008 R2 machine.
3. On new SQL Server, manually created a database and then restored it to ITMS 7.5 database via SQL Management studio, using full database backup.

Notes:

Make sure that your new SQL Server has same SQL Collation as previous SQL Server, where 1st ITMS database was created.

1. Executed "MigrationWizard.exe" on old ITMS 7.5 Server machine, to export a *.adb file with all required SMP settings, Site Server settings, credentials, etc. (For further import of this .adb file on new ITMS 7.5 server to avoid once again manual applying of required settings for SMP)
2. Installed SIM on new Windows 2008 R2 SP1 server -> on "Database settings" page of SIM, I've choosed to use a restored ITMS 7.5 database from a new SQL Server machine and began installation of ITMS 7.5.

Notes:

 Use same installation directory of SIM as it was for old ITMS 7.5 server machine installation to avoid incorrect directories where all software packages were imported.

Don't forget to copy all required packages/software package updates from an old ITMS 7.5 server machine to new ITMS 7.5 machine to avoid errors like "Unable to refresh codebases" while scheduled package refresh tasks will be running on ITMS 7.5 server

      3. When ITMS 7.5 installation will be completed, open MigrationWizard and perform import of *.adb file,

           which was exported from old ITMS 7.5 server machine.

//// You will create such environment as test environment, using database from production? Or you need just move a production database to new SQL server, but ITMS Server side will remains on same machine?

Thanks,

IP.

Will the migrationwizard.exe cause any issues with current NS?  Where can I find the migrationwizard.exe?  Is it gui or command based?  For true DR situation, I would suspect we should have migrationwizard.exe run on a scheduled basis?  What does the adb file contain specifically?  Only what you listed above?

Your response has been VERY helpful thus far, just a little fuzzy still on bits and pieces.

To answer your questions...the DB and NS will be on new machines at a hotsite location.  The DB will be replicated via SQL replication (as I understand it from our SQL team).

Again Thanks!

IP: Sorry for typo, this is "NSUpgradeWizard.exe". You run it manually, without any schedule.

About Wizard: http://http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO43961

Gui of wizard:

Locations of Wizard: C:\Program Files\Altiris\Upgrade\

Location of Wizard .exe: C:\Program Files\Altiris\Symantec Installation Manager\MigrationPackage\

Note: If you're going to migrate data from previous release version of ITMS to latest ITMS release, then you need to copy latest migration.exe from latest release server and upgrade it on previous ITMS release machine and then perform export of data in *.adb file.

Jms97: The DB will be replicated via SQL replication (as I understand it from our SQL team).

IP: Then make sure that SQL Collation will be the same between these SQL servers.

Thanks,

IP.

This is all great information!  Is there a way to script the export so our backups can backup the file in the true event of a Disaster?

Can I also run this export and import to my test environment without harming production? 

Thanks again IP!

1. I don't know about export/import data in *.adb via scripts.
2. If you want to export data from production and import it to your test environment, then no impact should be for production.

• Just take a database backup of your test setup, because data will be populated in your database and you will be able to return back your test environment state without this data.

Thanks,

IP.

Hi again, I am looking for these files and cannot.  Is there something I need to install via the SIM before they show up?

Locations of Wizard: C:\Program Files\Altiris\Upgrade\

Location of Wizard .exe: C:\Program Files\Altiris\Symantec Installation Manager\MigrationPackage\

Thanks for your willingness to help.

As far as I remember, you need to check checkbox in SIM to install this migration wizard.

• Open SIM -> click on "Install Additional Components.." -> there should be a checkbox to install it (in case if you didn't install it in past)

I see that there is a new blog about migrations of ITMS. Probably you will find any other useful information https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/blogs/migrating-it-management-suite-75-sp1

Thanks for all your help IG!