Rolling out new server versions

[Peter Kaldis]

Hi folks, we're in the process of evaluating how we're going to upgrade
from our current 7.5 Solaris server to the new 8.5, and I was wondering
if anyone had any insights on how to test this new version along side
an older production version. Our environment consists mostly of a
single Solaris and a bunch of Apple Macintosh, and Linux PC clients.

Since the client versions are mutually exclusive, we cannot do a staged
rollout, so we have to be certain that the new version will be
thoroughly tested, and then at some point flip the switch and cut-over.
This is a rather scary proposition, and I was just wondering if anyone
else had any clever procedures they've used in the past to do this kind
of upgrade, and keep your risk level low. Any thoughts?

[Valerie J Tokumoto]

Hi Peter,

We have a production MM server on a production network and a development
MM server on a development network. The development MM server is actually
setup to match the production server, including hardware, except for the
production database. When I need to test something, I switch the
development server to the production network and download a copy of the
backup MM database from the production server. I switch back to the
development network. I also have a couple of older computers setup with
the standard apps on the development network. This lab gets used in this
way for many network apps.

When I needed upgrade from MMXP 4.1 (yes, really) for 1k+ users on six
Macs on both coasts connected to a Hub to one MM 7.1 server on Win 2K, I
had to do a lot of testing and documenting. It went off without a hitch.
:-)

Thanks, Toku
***@aero.org
Electronic Messaging Department
The Aerospace Corporation
[phone]
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"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off
the goal." -Hannah More



Peter Kaldis <***@PIXAR.COM>
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Subject
Rolling out new server versions






Hi folks, we're in the process of evaluating how we're going to upgrade
from our current 7.5 Solaris server to the new 8.5, and I was wondering
if anyone had any insights on how to test this new version along side
an older production version. Our environment consists mostly of a
single Solaris and a bunch of Apple Macintosh, and Linux PC clients.

Since the client versions are mutually exclusive, we cannot do a staged
rollout, so we have to be certain that the new version will be
thoroughly tested, and then at some point flip the switch and cut-over.
This is a rather scary proposition, and I was just wondering if anyone
else had any clever procedures they've used in the past to do this kind
of upgrade, and keep your risk level low. Any thoughts?
--
Peter Kaldis UNIX Lizard ` ,
Pixar Animation Studios Systems Group <>|()/~~-
***@pixar.com [phone] ' '


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[Ian Eiloart]

Post by Peter Kaldis
Hi folks, we're in the process of evaluating how we're going to upgrade
from our current 7.5 Solaris server to the new 8.5, and I was wondering
if anyone had any insights on how to test this new version along side an
older production version. Our environment consists mostly of a single
Solaris and a bunch of Apple Macintosh, and Linux PC clients.

OK, so you need to place your test server on a different platform. We have
a mixed Apple/Solaris server environment, and switched MM to Apple some
time ago now. The platforms are sufficiently different that I recommend you
stick with Solaris if you can for testing - or Linux otherwise.

We run 10 servers with 500 users in a hubbed environment on a single Apple
XServe. I'm quite happy with the environment, except that MM haven't
implemented everything there that they've implemented elsewhere. I've found
installation on MacOSX to be very much simpler than on Solaris.

Your biggest problem is going to be getting the clients installed - if you
have locked down client machines.

Post by Peter Kaldis
Since the client versions are mutually exclusive, we cannot do a staged
rollout,

Yeah, that's a real bummer, isn't it. #1 on my wishlist is backward
compatibility.

Post by Peter Kaldis
so we have to be certain that the new version will be thoroughly
tested, and then at some point flip the switch and cut-over. This is a
rather scary proposition, and I was just wondering if anyone else had any
clever procedures they've used in the past to do this kind of upgrade,
and keep your risk level low. Any thoughts?