File Director upgrades

In this section:

2022.3 upgrade paths

In-place upgrade

Side-by-side upgrade

Release-specific information

2022.3 upgrade paths

Note: whether applying a patch or deploying a new base image, customers are strongly recommended to take an appliance configuration snapshot from the Admin Console prior to the upgrade in case they need to restore this following the upgrade. Refer to Apply a File Director patch.

When upgrading from an older release the preferred method is to deploy a new base image (shown as option b) in the table below. This option is a quicker process and allows customers to benefit from improvements to the VM. For example, the updated network adapter and VM hardware levels. In addition, this option enables you to run the two installations side-by-side to perform testing before moving users across.

The table summarizes the various upgrade paths for File Director 2022.3.

Your current version Method / Option Upgrade step(s) required
2021.1 - 2021.3

a) Apply patch

Apply 2021.3 patch
2020.3 - 2019.3 a) Apply patch Apply 2021.1 patch Apply 2021.3 patch
b) Base image Deploy 2021.1 base image Apply 2021.3 patch  
2019.1 a) Apply patch Apply 2019.3 patch Apply 2021.1 patch Apply 2021.3 patch
b) Base image Deploy 2021.1 base image Apply 2021.3 patch  
2018.3 or earlier a) Apply patch Apply 2019.1 patch Apply 2019.3 patch Apply 2021.1 patch Apply 2021.3 patch
b) Base image Deploy 2021.1 base image Apply 2021.3 patch  

Example upgrade path:

If your current appliance version is File Director 2019.1 the recommended upgrade method is option b) Base image. The required upgrade steps are:

1.Deploy 2021.1 base image

2.Apply 2021.3 patch

If you are unable to deploy the base image, thealternative upgrade method is option a) Apply patch. The required upgrade steps are:

1.Apply 2019.3 patch

2.Apply 2021.1 patch

3.Apply 2021.3 patch

Note, you can only directly upgrade your File Director appliance(s) to 2021.3 from version 2021.1 and above. Refer to the Release-specific information below.

Best practice

Depending upon your needs there are different approaches to applying a File Director upgrade summarized below.

For practical guidance on how to apply a patch to your standalone appliance or cluster, refer to Apply a File Director patch.

In-place upgrade

In-place upgrades are the most straightforward and ensure that all File Director appliances are of the same version.

The disadvantages of in-place updates is that your system will remain offline during part of the upgrade. See Apply a File Director patch for further information.

Side-by-side upgrade

If you want to evaluate or test a major version upgrade before applying it to your production environment you may want to perform a side-by-side upgrade. This approach allows you maintain continuity and keep your existing File Director appliance(s) running, whilst creating a new set of appliances using the newer version. The approach requires additional infrastructure and resources.

To ensure that your clients continue to synchronize with configured map points after the upgrade it is vital to perform the following steps:

1.Back up your current appliance configuration (see Backup and restore).

2.Restore the configuration to your new appliance or cluster.

If you do not restore the configuration on your new installation, each client will perform full conflict resolution. Under these conditions, the client attempts to download the server copy of every file in order to recreate the local metadata. If you have a large number of files and users, this can dramatically increase the load on your network.

Release-specific information

2022.1

MacOS Exclusion Rules Enhancements

Exclusion rules for macOS have been expanded to include size as well as AND/OR functions. Syntax has also been slightly in that spaces around operators are ignored.

For further information, see Mac Exclusions.

Improved Setting of Log Levels

The log level can now be set by running the Defaults tool from the Terminal and utilizing User Defaults.

The AdminConfig.sh contains examples.

File Director Native Information

The File Director app is not universal, which means it runs natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon (M1) Macs.

Technical Previews

Upgrade to File Director from any technical preview installation is not supported.

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