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Upgrade

In this section:

Note that when upgrading server and database infrastructure we recommend you upgrade by no more than 2 major versions in each step. Upgrading 3 or 4 versions in one operation is not a method that has been tested and could produce unexpected behavior. For further information please refer to this Community article.

In-place Server Upgrades

An in-place upgrade allows for the minimum service interruption, requires no change to the client configuration for either the Management Server or the Personalization Server, and allows for staged upgrades of either the Deployment Agent or the EM Agent.

In-place upgrades of either the Management Server or the Personalization Server install into the default website or whichever website in which the Management Server or the Personalization Server is installed.

Caution: Personalization Server requires access to the root of the website in which it is installed. If installed on the default website, it overwrites any existing applications that are currently using the root of the default website.

If you already have an application installed into the root of the default website, you should attempt an in-place upgrade of the Management Server only. The Personalization Server should be installed as a new installation into the Personalization website; refer to the New Server Clean Install Upgrades section.

New Server/Clean Install Upgrades

Uninstalling the existing User Workspace Manager servers and reinstalling or provisioning a new server provides an alternative upgrade strategy, but does include caveats. You can use a number of methods to upgrade the Management server or Personalization server. However, you must plan carefully because you may need to update the connection URLs for clients and console. The most common options following a new installation and database upgrade are:

  • Remove the host header and make either the Management Server or the Personalization Server the default website.

    For more information, see Alternative IIS Configuration.

Management Server only

  • Having upgraded the Management Server and database, deploy the Deployment Agent. This ensures the Deployment Agent URL is updated. This method is particularly advantageous if you also intend to deploy a new license.
  • For staged upgrades of the Management Center, add the new Management Server URL to the Failover Server List prior to bringing the Management Server online. The Deployment Agent continues to communicate with the previous version of the Management Server until it is taken offline and the new version of Management Server comes online.

Personalization Server only

  • Deploy a new Environment Manager Policy file containing the updated Personalization Server URL.
  • For staged upgrades of Environment Manager Personalization, it is recommended to make use of the Virtual Hosts feature of Personalization along with updated DNS records prior to any upgrade.

Replication Servers

Upgrades cannot be performed while replication is enabled. Replication must be disabled on the master and subscribers prior to upgrading all servers to the same version.

Upgrading to a newer release includes a database schema change. Therefore all personalization servers are locked out of the database until the upgrade process is complete.

Load Balanced Servers

When servers are load balanced and operate as individual entities using a common IP address, it is recommended that all servers are taken offline before upgrading. When the upgrade is complete, servers can be brought back online and added back to the network load-balanced configuration.

When upgrading servers, the first server to be upgraded also upgrades the database. This ensures that the server and database versions match after the schema change. During an update of a server and the database, all other servers are locked out.

Testing Server Upgrades

On completion of the upgrade, you will need to test that both the Personalization Server and Management Server are functioning by visiting the relevant server website:

Personalization Server

http://localhost:<default port>/PersonalizationServer/status.aspx

or

https://localhost:<default port>/PersonalizationServer/status.aspx

Management Server

http://localhost:<default port>/ManagementServer/deployment/status.aspx

or

https://localhost:<default port>/ManagementServer/deployment/status.aspx

The recommended default port values are 7771 for Personalization Server and 7751 for Management Server. However, these values can be changed and the URL requires the default server ports specified in your configuration.

If you are running the test from a remote location to the Personalization or Management Server, replace localhost with the server name and port number. After approximately 30 seconds, a page displays to confirm successful connection. Check the details are correct and the tests are successful. When connection is complete, the Personalization Server can accept requests from managed endpoint devices.

Upgrading Databases

If the database is out of date, the Database Updates Required page automatically displays when you open the Server Configuration Portal.

  1. Select the databases you want to upgrade and click UPDATE SELECTED.

    Alternatively, select UPDATE ALL to upgrade all databases.

  2. Once the Status changes to Upgrade Successful, click CLOSE to display the User Workspace Manager Summary page.

Related topics

Servers

Databases