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Replacing a Notification Server

Updated: 25 Mar 2010 | 7 comments
Mbordelon's picture
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This issue has been solved. See solution.

I am in the process of building a new notification server to replace our current server. The plan is to give the new server the same name and IP address as the current server and remove the current server from the network. I know that we would have to export custom reports and notifications. Anything else I should be aware of with this plan? Any suggestions or advice?

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Mbordelon's picture
05
Nov
2009
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One other question. Can I

One other question. Can I install NS and the rest of our solutions on the new server and change the name of the server after the fact? Or would this cause problems somewhere?

jharings's picture
05
Nov
2009
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The best practices for NS6 migration

are listed in Altiris KB36368. This covers server to server, database, clients, etc. Your first plan sounds fine, if a bit risky. Is there any reason why you can't use the existing database?

For your second comment, that adds addtional concerns and pain points with IIS and SQL (if SQL is on box), and should be avoided (in my opinon).

Jim Harings
HP Enterprise Services
1st Rule of Connect Club: Mark the post that helped you the most as a 'solution'. 2nd Rule of Connect Club:You must talk about Connect club.

Mbordelon's picture
05
Nov
2009
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SQL server and all databases

SQL server and all databases are located on another server. I was planning on using those databases. Now that I think about it. I will probably just shut the old NS down. Name this new server the same as the old server and give it the same IP address. Then install NS and all solutions on the new server. Am I correct in thinking that  doing this should allow the new server to connect to the databases which currently reside on the SQL server?

jharings's picture
05
Nov
2009
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That should work

I would take care to set your client config time to at least 24 hours so they don't spam the box while it's down. In addition, make sure any software or patch packages you have made available to your clients are present exactly in the same location as on the old box.

One possible method of avoiding this issue would be disable all SWD and patch tasks ahead of time.

Jim Harings
HP Enterprise Services
1st Rule of Connect Club: Mark the post that helped you the most as a 'solution'. 2nd Rule of Connect Club:You must talk about Connect club.

Mbordelon's picture
05
Nov
2009
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Is there a way to disable all

Is there a way to disable all patch tasks at the same time? We probably have a few hundred tasks dating back to 2003.It would take quite a while to disable them one at a time.

jharings's picture
05
Nov
2009
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The built in way

is to highlight all your bulletins in the manage software updates view and disable them. This will disable the associated bulletins. I believe there were some scripts floating around to do this, but I can't seem to locate them.

A check of connect shows lots of examples from the usual suspects (where they find the time)....

Here is one

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/p...

Jim Harings
HP Enterprise Services
1st Rule of Connect Club: Mark the post that helped you the most as a 'solution'. 2nd Rule of Connect Club:You must talk about Connect club.

brendan62269's picture
11
Mar
2010
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Powershell one-liner to change NS for a list of computers

replace stuff inside <> (do not include the <> symbols), this will not provide any real feedback or handle errors for you (but it works).

good luck!
 

foreach($mach in(cat "<path\to\listofcomputers.txt>")){if((ping -n 1 $mach) -match "TTL="){([WMICLASS]"\\$mach\ROOT\CIMV2:win32_process").Create("C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\AeXAgentUtil.exe /server:<newserver.domain.tld>")}}