How to perform a quick direct upgrade from XenServer 5.5 UP2 / everRun
MX6.0.0 (with any HF level) to XenServer 5.6 SP2 / EverRun MX 6.1.1 + HF*
without un-protecting the PVM(s)
Date: 17-August-2012
Revision: 1.0
Note:
HF*: This can be any MX 6.1.1 Hotfix level release (HF1 or HF2 ....etc). In this example, we are upgrading to MX 6.1.1 HF1.
Acronym / Abbreviations HF = Hotfix
eAC = everRun Availability Centre CLI = Command Line Interface OS = Operation System UP = Update Pack SP = Service Pack
Marathon Software Downloads
All Marathon everRun related software can be downloaded from the Marathon Support Portal under http:\\support.marathontechnologies.com , (you need login credentials).
Upon logging in, click the DOWNLOAD button. All of Marathon’s everRun products are downloaded from here.
Under “Select Product”, specify the categories of interest to reduce the choices. Default product select will be “everRun MX 6.1.1”.
Pre-upgrade requirements Note:
Have a look at the MX 6.1.1 upgrade doc for you to get an idea of the process.
This procedure will speed up the process and time and reduce the downtime of the PVM's by
upgrading direct from MX 6.0.0 to MX 6.1.1 without going to MX 6.1.0 first. This can be performed by direct installing to MX 6.1.1 SP or MX 6.1.1 HF* (or any newer hotfix level).
Once MX 6.1.1 is installed, you will not be able to roll back to a previous release of everRun. Chose a version of everRun MX 6.1.1 that you will base all future upgrades on.
You can find the upgrade guide “Upgrade.pdf” from Marathon Support Portal download area under “everRun MX 6.1.1HF1 Documentation Set “ (everRun-MX-v6.1.1HF1-documentation.exe).
Note: Important that you read the “everRun MX 6.1.1 Read Me First” doc in the Download area for MX 6.1.1. Information might be relevant to your installation.
Pre-Upgrade Procedure
1- Open a new Marathon support ticket and request an upgrade license from MX 6.0.0 to MX 6.1.1. You need to give your everRun MX6.0.0 license in the ticket.
2- Download from the Marathon Support Portal, the everRun MX 6.1.1 HF1 installation kit: “everRun MX 6.1.1 Product CD Image (ISO) including Hot Fix Level 1 (HF1) and associated files” (everRun-6.1.1HF1-install.exe).
This will include, when unpacked:
• everRun MX 6.1.1 Product CD image (everRun-6.1.1HF1-install.iso) • XenServer 5.6 SP2 install ISO image (XenServer-5.6.100-SP2-install-cd.iso)
• Installation kit for XenCentre Management Software 5.6 SP2 (XenServer-5.6.100-SP2-XenCentre.msi)
• Marathon Citrix OEM License file for XenServer 5.6 SP2 (marathon.lic)
3- Upgrade your XenCentre client on all your windows workstation/laptop to version 5.6.100-SP2 using the “XenServer-5.6.100-SP2-XenCenter.msi” installer.
4- Using “WinRAR” freeware or any other file extraction software tool from an ISO image, extract the "windows-pvdrivers-xensetup.exe" under "client_install" directory from the “XenServer-5.6.100-SP2-install-cd.iso “ ISO image.
5- Burn the “XenServer-5.6.100-SP2-install-cd.iso “ on a CD (Make 2 copies please), or if the XenServer hardware has a remote management facility for Virtual CD like in HP iLO, DELL iDRAC or IBM IMM...etc, then you can use the map the ISO files to a Virtual CD on the Servers. 6- Using “WinRAR” or any other file extraction software tool from an ISO image, extract the
following files/directory from the “everRun-6.1.1HF1-install.iso” ISO image: everRun-6.1.1HF1-installer.bin
Update_PVM_6.1.1HF1.exe
CitrixHotfixes (extract this directory that will contain XenServer 5.6 SP2 HF16)
if you are also using Quorum Services, then extract also the “Setup_QSVC_6.1.1HF1.exe”. 7- Download and installed “WinSCP” on your laptop/workstation.
If you already do not have this already installed on your Laptop, then please do so, as it is a very handy tool to have.
http://winscp.net/eng/download.php
Upgrade procedure Note:
Because you are also going to upgrade the XenServer Os itself, from 5.5 UP2 to 5.6 SP2, any VM and PVM on that Pool needs to be shutdown, therefore follow this upgrade path while maintaining the protected VM.
is a problem, then stop immediately and resolve the problem before you continue with the upgrade procedure. If all OK, then:
1- Shutdown all PVMs and non-protected VMs
2- IMPORTANT - Any PVM’s that have parameter “auto-power-on=true”, needs to be turned off “=false”.
The command to set the auto-power-on to false is:
# ev pvm-param-set auto-power-on=false uuid=<pvm-uuid that have auto-power-on set to true>
3- Apply via XenCentre the Marathon OEM XenServer Free license “marathon.xslic” to both Xen1 and Xen2 in the Pool (Very important that you do this before you carry out the XenServer 5.6 SP2 installation). This will replace the current one you have:
XenCentre Tools (tab) License Manager...
Select one at a time the XenServer host and select “Apply Activation Key..” from the “Activate Free XenServer” dropdown box.
A browse window is displayed. Browse for the “marathon.xslic” license file and click OPEN. A pop up box is displayed that shows a non-expiry license (Never expires).
4- Access the Marathon eAC web interface “eAC” and License MX6.1.1 using the Key that was delivered to you via email from Marathon.
MX 6.1.1 license keys are valid for older versions that meet the pre-requisite for this upgrade 5- Determine possible sources of automatic failover of the pool master, and use the appropriate
commands to disable it:
# ev pool-param-get param-name=master-failover-via If master failover indicates "manual", proceed to the next step (6). If master failover indicates "everRun", disable it as follows:
# ev pool-master-failover-disable –force
6- XenServer 5.6 SP2 installation:
XenServer 5.6 SP2 installation is relative fast, therefore we recommend that you do one XenServer host at a time. The reason is if anything goes wrong with the XenServer upgrade and that XenServer host is damaged, you still would have the other one intact and can be booted up with the old version.
Via XenCentre or eAC, shutdown both Master and Slave XenServer Hosts.
7- Start the XenServer 5.6 SP2 installation on the SLAVE XenServer hosts. Choose an "upgrade install" as an installation method. This will upgrade your XenServer 5.5 UP2 to 5.6 SP2 and all the dom0 configuration will be kept unchanged.
When the upgrade installation goes through without any problems, do not reboot the XenServer host yet.
Next, upgrade the MASTER XenServer host.
After upgrading both XenServer hosts to XenServer 5.6 SP2, reboot MASTER XenServer host first and then the SALVE.
Once both XenServer hosts are up, you will end up with XenServer 5.6 SP2 in a Pool. All the VM's and PVM stay unchanged.
Confirm that the XenServer Pool is up and all looks good in the XenCentre. Note: at this stage, the PVMs or VMs should still be down.
8- Installing MX6.1.1 HF1 on both Xen Hosts in parallel:
Using WinSCP from your laptop or Desktop and upload over the “everRun-6.1.1HF1-installer.bin” and “CitrixHotfixes “ directory to each XenServer (e.g under /tmp directory). Under /tmp, you should have the following listed:
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Aug 2 13:01 CitrixHotfixes
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 83310265 Jul 26 17:47 everRun-6.1.1HF1-installer.bin
9- To install MX 6.1.1 HF1 (parallel on both XenServers):
# cd tmp
# bash everRun-6.1.1HF1-installer.bin –install Important Note:
If the “CitrixHostfixes” directory is not located on /tmp, then MX 6.1.1HF1 will fail to install. Part of the MX6.1.1HF1 installation is to look if “CitrixHostfixes” directory is available and the XenServer 5.6 SP2 HF16 is “XS56ESP2016.xsupdate” available in that directory. Part of the MX 6.1.1HF1 installation is to install Citrix XenServer 5.6 SP2 HF16.
After MX6.1.1 HF1 is installed, reboot both XenServers in Parallel via XenCentre.
10-Confirm that you can access and login to the Marathon Web Interface eAC and check that all is OK and the PVMs and VMs are still down.
Once all is OK, use winSCP from your laptop or Desktop or from the XenCentre XenServer console (CLI), delete the “everRun-6.1.1HF*-installer.bin” and “CitrixHotfixes “ directory from each XenServer (e.g under /tmp directory).
11-Start up the PVM and upgrade its PVM driver, following the guide in page 24 & 25 in the MX 6.1.1 HF1 upgrade guide, using the "Update_PVM_6.1.1HF1.exe" and then accessing the location of the "windows-pvdrivers-xensetup.exe" file.
IMPROTANT: When the XenTool part gets updated, you may see a pop-up screen with the following message: Failed to install drivers on one of the XenServer devices. Because the Marathon drivers have replaced the XenServer drivers, this is not a problem. Allow the XenServer Tools installation to run to completion, but do not selectthe option to reboot now, choose I want to manually reboot later. PVM gets rebooted automatically after the
12-Once the PVM is up and running again and everything is online, enable the auto-start of the PVM(s) if they where disabled at step 2 above, either via eAC or CLI:
# ev pvm-param-set auto-power-on=true uuid=<pvm-uuid that auto-power-on needs to be set to true>
13-If you disabled everRun master failover in a previous step 5, then re-enable it: # ev pool-master-failover-enable
14-If Quorum Services been used, then update the “Preferred and Alternate” server with the “Setup_QSVC_6.1.1HF1.exe” file.
