It's unsupported because the RU7 schema is newer than 12.1 schema so "upgrading" from a new to an old schema would likely break something.

One of the first recommended steps is to do a backup.

I do have the backup files from the RU6 to RU7 upgrade so I could technically downgrade by uninstalling RU7 and doing a fresh install of RU6 using the Disaster Recovery method. What I would like to know is that if I were willing to do that, why can't I apply the Disaster Recovery method and do a fresh install of 12.1? Is this possible or must I downgrade and than upgrade?

Here is the updated information on the DR precedure for the 12.1 version. I notice all of the DR info is now in one file but I wonder if I can uninstall and do a fresh 12.1 installation and then add the DR info from the 11.0.7 version and not restore the DB backup, only forcing me to upgrade the policies and groups manually.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH160736 

Hi,

Support for Migrating from Endpoint Protection 11 Release Update 7 to Endpoint Protection 12.1

Yes, upgrade process retains such information. what plan of action is in your mind ?

My question is; How did you migrate to RU7 weeks ago when it wasn't released until last week? Sep 12.1 was released before RU7 so I'm a little confused about your time line.

Also this information is in the release notes on page 14:

Upgrading Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager server from version
11.0 RU7 to version 12.1 is not currently supported.

Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager server version 11.0 RU7 cannot migrate
to Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager server 12.1 due to database schema
differences between the two products. This migration path is blocked with an
error message. If you plan to migrate to Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager
12.1 in the near future, stay with your existing Symantec Endpoint Protection
Manager version and migrate from that version. Symantec Endpoint Protection
Manager 11.0 RU7 supports migration to Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager
12.1 MP1.
 

Being that I have only one domain, I was able to uninstall the RU7 SEPM and do a fresh install of SEPM 12.1 and then follow the 11.x DR documentation linked above to restore back my DomainID and JKS Keystore file. All my clients appeared in a few minutes and all I had to redo was the groups and policies, which I would have done anyway going to this new version as some features have been added.

Anyway, if any of you have a simple one domain setup like myself you can be up and running in minutes. Thanks again to Chetan for providing a link to TECH162071 which led me down this road.

Ted I can easily, easily see how this happened to him. It just happened to me! The release notes for 7 said NOTHING of this, and the upgrade chart in SEP 12.1 documents stated the upgrade path covered 11.xxx

And isn't that was 7 is - 11.xxx?

Our issues is that Insight - the reseller, dropped the ball BIG time like they ALWAYS do, and so our license expired and I was not able to get 12, but was able to get the early documents - the stuff from the beta I had, etc. and read them end to end. Good, it would upgrade over 11.xxx it said.

I WAS able to get 7 so downloaded it because for some reason although our licensing is screwed up (thanks again to Insight and some lack of planning by some folks in our chains)  it allowed me to get the latest 11, but not 12.

Besides, it's a WHOLE lot easier to upgrade a whole system to 11.0.7 from 6 than it is to go from 11 to 12, so 12 takes more planning, test servers, testing on clients, test databases, etc. - weeks of planning on a government environment. Where updating 11.x to 11.y takes only days if that even. I can push it out inside of a week, where 12 will be in a month even if I had it in hand.

So yeah, I see very easily how and why this happened to him - it happened to me, and I bet it's not all that uncommon!

Now I need to ask - knowing that 12.1 was out, why was 7 changed to the point that it excluded it from being in the upgrade path? Why did they make changes to 11.0.7 so that upgrades to 12 would no longre work knowing full well that the logical path would be weeks of testing, then moving to 12.1 but needing to keep 11 current in the mean-time?

I see a little loss of logic on this one, sorry - no offense to you.

My company has decided that we will be installing RU7 now, and wait for 12.1 RU1 before upgrading. Gives us more time to test and for some of the major bugs to be worked out (if there are any). Maybe take that approach?

Mike

before i would start a flamewar...

Easy steps to take: You have your Options:

• restore backup for SEPM > SEPM 11.0.6
• stay on MR7 and wait till patch is released for migration