How to upgrade Domino 6 to 7 on a new box?

HCL Domino Domino Forum
1

Hi,The task is we are running a domino 6.5 as mail and applications server, only one server. and we are planning to upgrade to domino 7, but not on the existing box, we bought a new PC server, installed win2003, we have to migrant the lotus domino to the new server and upgrade to domino 7.

Can you please tell me the steps how to do this upgrade? we still need to use the existing IDs. Can I install the domino 7 on the new server, than copy data folder from the existing box to the new box?

Thanks,

Fred.

2

Subject: How to upgrade Domino 6 to 7 on a new box?

I would either upgrade the existing box to 7 then do the move, or put 6.5 on the new box, do the move and then upgrade to 7.

If your old system and your new system match, you should be able to trick everything into never knowing anything changed. This plan is not all my own work - there’s a technote somewhere on the site which I adapted.

1.Make complete backup of the old box (just in case!)

2.Create Domino installation directory and data directory on the new box

3.Copy all data files from old box to new box including:

All .nsfs

server.id

administrators.id

cert.id

all user.ids

names.nsf

certlog.nsf

notes.ini (but rename)

4.Install Domino on the new box

Use original server, admin and cert.ids

Use exactly the same server name and domain names

5.Disconnect new server from network. Launch the server. The configuration Notes client will launch. Select the “First Server Setup” and complete all necessary fields

6.Start the Domino to verify that it installed correctly

7.Shut down the Domino server

8.Replace notes.ini on new box with renamed .ini from step 3

9.Shut down the old box

10.Replace IP address (and hostname?) on new box with old box’s IP address

11.Connect new box to Network

12.Bounce new box

13.Start Domino on new box

All clients/other servers etc should never notice the difference. And you haven’t changed the old box at all, so you’ve got a built in disaster recovery/roll back plan should anything go pear shaped.

You probably could move to the new box and new version at the same time, but if anything doesn’t work, you won’t know what caused the problem and would make it a nightmare to troubleshoot.

Hope this helps!

Or if you come up with a better plan, let me know, as I’m doing this myself over the next few weeks.

Kirsty

3

Subject: RE: How to upgrade Domino 6 to 7 on a new box?

There is an IBM Lotus technote on this issue. Please see the following:http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=463&context=SSKTMJ&context=SSKTWP&q1=transfer+domino+new+server&uid=swg21087009&loc=en_US&cs=utf-8&lang=en

The suggested answer differs to the answer Kirsty posted from step 5 (and after). The technote’s answer is more “correct” than Kirsty’s and I have based server transfers on this method on several occasions.

Some other things that are not mentioned in the technote are that the new server box will have been prepared with a temporary server name and a different IP address.

Thus, if you want to transfer the data (steps 4 & 5 of the technote), this should be done after domino has been “downed”. The notes.ini file can be copied at this stage, and either placed in a different directory for backup purposes, or re-named.

The old server should be turned off (and disconnected). The new server should then be configured with the same name and IP that the old server had.

Domino should be re-installed (step 6 of the technote). This should be the same version of domino that you are currently running.

In step 7 there should be no need to disconnect the server from the network. Copy the notes.ini to the domino directory (overwrite the file from the new installation).

Re-boot and/or start domino. I agree with Kirsty that it is wise to try the same version of domino for app. 1 week in order to make sure that there aren’t any problems as a result of the transfer.

The method described above assumes a period of “downtime” for the users, but provides a 100% fail-safe method of restoring the previous configuration in case of any problems on the new server.

Best of luck,

Ben M

4

Subject: RE: How to upgrade Domino 6 to 7 on a new box?

Thanks, Kirsty. I am not clear about the step 4. Should I install domino 7 or 6 at this stage on the new box?Basically, I won’t upgrade the existing server. I’d like to move the 6.5 to the new box and then do the upgrade. I’m not sure do I need to install domino 6 on the new server, I think maybe I can copy the lotus folder (include data) then install domino 7 directly, and replace the notes.ini with the old one.

What do you think about it?

Hui.

5

Subject: RE: How to upgrade Domino 6 to 7 on a new box?

If you’ve got 6 on the old box, and you don’t want to upgrade the old box, then i would put 6 on the new box. If your new box is a mirror of the old box the move should be pretty seamless.Work with it for a week or so, in case there are any problems.

Then upgrade that new box to 7.

Then if you get problems after that, you’ll know they’re more likely to be problems with the upgrade rather than the box move.

I wouldn’t take a 6 ini file and try to run a 7 server with it.

HTH

Kirsty