KBI 310244 Moving Argent XT To A New Server

Version

All versions of Argent XT

Date

1 Jun 2011

Summary

This KBI highlights the steps required to migrate your Argent Main Engine to a new server.

Always assume the worst – ensure backups of the SQL or Oracle database backend for Argent are created prior to the migration.

A new, fully-automated migration tool that handles all registry, database and files will be available in July 2011.

Tips To Ease Migration

  • Customers with ample disk space can create a copy of the database for the new server to work off. This makes roll-back extremely simple.

  • Giving the new Argent server the SAME hostname as the old server will significantly reduce the work involved, as all architectural components, database entries, registry values, etc. need not change.

Stage 1: Backup

  • Ensure a full database backup is taken – always test a database backup to make sure it restores
  • Export a registry backup for HKLM\Software\Argent (x86) or HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Argent (x64) via Regedit, Export and save the .REG file.
  • Backup the following files – some are optional and may not exist if you are not using the feature

    Note that all paths are relative to {Drive}:\Argent\ArgentManagementConsole\

Description

Path

License File _KEY\*.*

SuperMaps Definitions Argent_SuperMaps.xml
EAV Definitions Argent_Enterprise_Applications.xml
Map Image Files ArgentAlertConsole\Maps
Network.xml Network.xml
RunBooks RUNBOOKS\*.*
Superlinks SUPERLINKS\*.*
Security Manager {Product}\Security.xml
Startup Batch Jobs {Product}\{ID}_Autoexec.bat
Startup SQL Jobs {Product}\{ID}_DBMaint.sql
Periodic Batch Jobs {Product}\{ID}_Maintenance.bat
Custom Crystal Reports  (Can exist in any path)

Stage 2: Install Argent On The New Server

  • Ensure the new server meets the minimum requirements and pre-requisites – use help.Argent.com’s Search feature to find minimum requirements for the necessary products
  • Stop ALL Argent services on the old server
  • Run the Argent Setup on the new server – when prompted to choose a database, create a – dummy – or temporary database.

    Do NOT select the existing Argent database as the target database, or else data inside the database will be overwritten/truncated.

  • Also, try to keep the install path and drive the same as the old server (e.g. C:, D:, etc.) – this reduces the effort needed when changing the registry values

  • After installation completes, import the Argent registry backup from Stage 1 into the new server
  • Change all references in the Argent registry of the old server to the new server.

    Also ensure the HOMEPATH registry values point to the correct path that Argent was installed into

  • Check the following registry keys point to the existing database (or change to a cloned version of the database, if there is ample disk space):
  • SQL_SERVER (SQL Server hostname)
    SQL_DATABASE (SQL Database name)
    SQL_USE_TRUSTED_CONNECTION (0 for SQL authentication, 1 for Windows authentication)
    SQL_LOGON, SQL_PASSWORD (Only used if SQL authentication is used; encrypted)

  • Restore files that were backed up from the old server (e.g. License file, SuperMaps, etc.) in Stage 1 to the new server, matching the corresponding path
  • For Non-Stop Motors, ensure all registry changes are also done to the corresponding product’s XX_Configuration database table

Stage 3: Database Changes

Argent has an automated tool designed to assist with migrations – but only for database changes.

Instead of hunting down entries to update in the database, the tool replaces the appropriate instances of the old server’s hostname to the new server’s hostname for you:

The following should be run on the NEW server:

Argent Guardian
Argent\ArgentManagementConsole\ArgentGuardian\AG_Move.exe Old_Server_Name

Argent Data Consolidator
Argent\ArgentManagementConsole\ArgentDataConsolidator\ADC_Move.exe Old_Server_Name

Other Argent XT Products
Argent\ArgentManagementConsole\XTSnapIn_Move.exe Old_Server_Name[/ArgentSQLMonitor | /ArgentOracleMonitor | /ArgentSentry | /ArgentSNMPMonitor | /ArgentWMIMonitor]

Stage 4: Architecture Components

The registry keys for each Daughter Engine must be manually changed on the Daughter Engine server itself.

Replace all instances of the old server’s hostname to the new server’s hostname – this ensures the Daughter Engine knows where the Mother Engine is.

Stage 5: Starting Argent On The New Server

At this stage, run Argent on the new server and verify all definitions are intact.

Ensure the new server is added into the Master Catalog and added into the appropriate Network Group and Monitoring Groups

Resolution

N/A