Workspace Streaming

Assumptions and Challenges

1. This document assumes the person performing the migration of the SWS Servers from 2003 to 2008 is familiar with the SWS Server and its configuration. This document is not targeted for novice users of SWS.
2. The SWS version is not to be upgraded and the same version is to be maintained. [6.1 SP8 MP2]
3. Also 2003 servers are not upgraded, instead a new box of 2008 Servers with the same Hostname and IP of the existing 2003 Servers running SWS components are retained.
4. SQL Server 2005 à SQL Server 2008 DB Migration is to be performed. SQL 2005 DB Backup will be restored in SQL 2008 server and SQL 2005 will be taken offline.

NOTE: Adding few more challenges, the same settings that were configured for SWS on Win2003 should be retained. Eg: Same packages, User and Group Provisions, Reports, etc configuration settings. Users should not have any impact on their agents, due to the server configuration change.

Warning:

This document has been prepared under limited test conditions.  Please ensure that the actual steps mentioned in this document are tried in test environment before proceeding with the production environment.

Taking Backup:

It is very much essential to take backup of the existing environment before migrating to different servers. 

Note:

When taking back up of SWS servers and its components DO NOT CUT and PASTE. Use only Copy contents. Before taking any backup, ensure SWS components are stopped in the services. Also after taking the backup, make sure the system is offline or network disconnected.

Backup Up the Existing Environment

1. Before taking any backup stop the services of SWS in the Back End and in the Front End Servers.
2. It is enough that the files listed below, DB and package repository are taken as back up.
3. The following files are essential and should not be modified in any circumstances.
4. Copy the Provision.XML,  da.conf, ste.conf from the BE machine to a different location.
5. Incase if there are any issues in taking separate files as back up, copy the C:\program files\symantec\Workspace Streaming\Server and its subfolders to a different safe location. In both BE and FE. DO NOT CUT and PASTE.
6. Take the backup of the AppStream database. Please refer the following article before taking the backup.

How to migrate Symantec Workspace Streaming database (AppStream DB) from SQL 2005 box to  SQL 2008 http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO85025.

Also Right click on “asuser” under security in the SQL server management console and generate SQL script for asuser. Save this script file in a common location. This will be needed when restoring DB in a different machine. Ensure the same asuser password is being used or else DB connectivity will not happen. Asuser password which was used during the installation of SWS on Win2003 server should be used. 

       7.  Take the backup of the following from Backend server & Front End Server:

•            Folder- C:\program files\symantec\Workspace Streaming\Server\streamletEngine\da\conf
•            Copy of the Packages currently uploaded. DO NOT CUT and PASTE package folder. Use only Copy   
•            folder.The default location for backend server is
•            C:\program files\symantec\Workspace Streaming\Server\packageRepo
•            For Front End server:
•            C:\program files\symantec\Workspace Streaming\Server\launchserv\pkgRepo

New environment Setup:

1. Create 3 new servers with Windows 2008 R2.

2. Change the Ip address and hostnames similar to Windows 2003 servers. First start with DB server , Back End and then FE server
3. Install the SWS 6.1 SMP8 MP2 (6.4.0.750) as per the old respective servers.

4. Make sure you select the option select the “existing Database” so that you can configure the database later.
5. Restore the database on SQL Server 2008 new server.

6. When restoring the database, recreate the asuser manually in the target DB machine. Then perform the steps mentioned in the article and use the script that was taken from SQL 2005 for creating asuser in the SQL 2008 management console.

How to migrate Symantec Workspace Streaming database (AppStream DB) from SQL 2005 box  o SQL 2008 http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO85025

7. After successful BE installation with the same old name of the Win2003 Server and IP, now login to the SWS console in Server 2008. In the initial screen for user data source, select the default and proceed with the same. Now stop all the SWS services on the back end machine. Copy & replace the Provision.xml and da.conf taken as the backup from the Windows 2003 servers to the respective locations in the new Server 2008 backend machine.

8. Now start the services and login to console, the wizard for user data source will be displayed. Proceed with default and it will navigate to the components status screen. Now change the data source to LDAP from SQL under STE. All the users should be retrieved from AD.

9. After installing SWS on the FE Box, even though the new FE is setup on the same HostName and IP that was running on Windows 2003, it cannot directly communicate with the Console and BE server, since the GUID for that server would differ from the one that was already added in the components section. The same GUID will also exist in DB, and so it is very much essential to remove the components under the components link and re-add the components.

Removing the components like FE and DA before adding removes the references of the old Win2003 server references. This should be done for all the FE and DA components.

10.  In the BE server copy the packages to the packagerepo folder. And in FE copy the packages to pkgrepo folder and start the components on FE.

Whitepaper authored by Sriram Ravi