Administration Guide > Installation > Upgrade Installation > Upgrade Process

Upgrade Process

As of version 11.2 of the Automation EngineThis component drives an Automation Engine system and consists of different types of server processes. you can use the Zero Downtime UpgradeA special function in the Automation Engine, which is meant to enable system upgrades between major versions, minor versions or service packs without the necessity of closing down the AE system at any point during the upgrade. (ZDU) to upgrade your AE system with no downtime.
A wizard is provided to guide you through the whole process. There is no need for scripting or use of AE internals. You only need to follow the steps that are visible in the UserInterfaceThis is the Automation Engine's graphical user interface. [Formerly called the "Rich Client", "RichGUI" and "Dialog Client."] at each step.

Below you find a description of the steps necessary for upgrading your system without any downtime using the ZDU wizard.
This process equally applies to an upgrade of a major or minor version or a service pack.

Our consultants are experts in upgrading AE systems. Contact Automic, our experts will be pleased to assist you whenever it is necessary.

In order to print the whole contents of the collapsed pages below, use the button Expand all/Collapse all in the menu bar above.

Overview

Comments

Flowchart of upgrade and rollback steps:

Preliminary Steps

Requirements

ClosedA. System Setup

In a UNIX environmentAn Environment consists of Deployment Targets which represent your endpoints. Different environments are used for different phases in the software delivery cycle, for example Development, QA, Staging, Production. An environment is typically set up once and used by several applications. do not overwrite the existing installation, which is possible without warning on UNIX, even if the binaries are currently in use.

ClosedB. Set User Privilege

In order to upgrade your system you have to make sure that the respective userIn the Automation Engine, a user is an instance of a User object, and generally the user is a specific person who works with Automic products. The User object is assigned a user ID and then a set of access rights to various parts of the Automation Engine system and product suite. These access rights come in the form of Automation Engine authorizations and privileges, Decision user roles and EventBase rights and ARA web application object rights. You can manage all these centrally in the ECC user management functions. See also, Unified user management. or users (usually the AE's administrators) have the necessary permissions.

The user (administrator) conducting the upgrade needs the privilege Execute Zero Downtime Upgrade to be set in the corresponding User object.

For details on how to set privilegesPrivileges in the Automation Engine refer to user rights to work with certain frontend and user interface functions. You grant privileges to users in the Automation Engine. in User objects see Privileges Tab

ClosedC. Upgrade the UserInterface

In case you upgrade to a major or minor version, upgrade the UserInterface before you start the Zero Downtime Upgrade process found below.

The UI upgrade is necessary for the administrator conducting the upgrade.
Other users may upgrade their UI at some point while the compatibility mode is active and they log on to the upgraded system for the first time.
As administrator you should prepare the seamless roll out of the new UI for the average users in advance.

Should a service pack contain UserInterface fixes, please conduct this step as well.
This is the only case a UserInterface upgrade for installing service packs is necessary.

ClosedUpgrade UserInterfaces

Notes:

ClosedD. Upgrade the Enterprise Control CenterAutomic's web application that provides a single, browser-based interface for the ONE Automation platform.

You have to install a new ECCAbbreviation for the Enterprise Control Center instance every time you upgrade to a major or minor version of the Automation Engine.

For installing a service pack this step is only necessary if the SP contains changes or fixes for the ECC.

ClosedUpgrade the ECC

Upgrading from ECC 2.1 or 11.1 to 11.2

Upgrading an existing ECC installation to a new releaseReleases combine a set of activities and a set of packages as well as other release artifacts under a timeline (a plan including milestones and phases), which can be planned, baselined and tracked. upgrades the ECC framework and all its plug‑ins at the same time. Use the same steps to install hot fix packagesDelivery package, a bundle of functionality. between releases.

Overview

To upgrade from Enterprise Control Center 2.1.x or 11.0 to 11.2 .x.x involves the following steps:

No data migration is needed.

Closed1. Stopping the Apache Tomcat Service

Closed2. Backing Up Current Configurations

Closed3. Upgrading Apache Tomcat

  1. Check the System Requirements in our online database, the Automic Compatibility Checker to see which version of Tomcat you need.
  2. Go to the Tomcat home page and then download and install the required version. You will find the installation instructions and other relevant information on their home page.

    http://tomcat.apache.org/index.html

    For Windows: Download the packageA Package is an instance (a version, a revision, a tag, …) of your application and defines the content which you want to deploy. Here you decide, if you want to deploy the entire application or just a few specified components. called "32-bit/64-bit Windows Service Installer." This will install Tomcat and a Windows service for it.

  3. Increase the memory that Tomcat can allocate to ECC to the amount described in the table that follows..

    Reason: By default Tomcat allocates a low amount of memory to an applicationAn application is a software which helps a user to fulfill specific tasks. In the context of ARA see also: Application entity.. This is not sufficient for ECC, which keeps a lot of UI stateThe state a package or a task currently is in. data in memory.

    Memory ParameterAmount to Allocate
    PermGen Space256m
    Heap size

    As much as possible (at the very least 2GB)

    On Windows

    1. Go to the "bin" folder in your Tomcat installation (...Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat 7.0\bin).
    2. Right-click the file tomcat7w.exe and from the context menu select Run as administrator.
    3. On the Java tab make the following changes:
      • In the Java Options, set the PermGenSpace by adding the parameter
        "-XX:MaxPermSize=256m". (Attention: Case sensitive parameter!)
      • Set the heap size by setting the Maximum memory pool to the maximum possible on your system, for example 8192MB, as shown below.

    On Linux: In the CATALINA_OPTS environment variableIt stores or retrieves values dynamically at runtime. An individual Automation Engine object type., set the permGen size to 256MB and the heap space to the maximum possible on your system. In this example, the heap space is set to 8192MB: 

    -XX:MaxPermSize=256m -Xmx8192m

Closed4. Restarting the Apache Tomcat Service

Closed5. Deploying the New ECC WAR File

Closed6. Configuring the New ECC Version

Closed7. Starting the New ECC

The Upgrading Steps

In the course of the steps below you can leave the process (close the dialog by clicking Cancel) any time and return to it later at the step you left off by using the System menu.

Once you have finished the whole upgrade process by confirming the option FINALIZE in the final step, a rollback will no longer be possible!

ClosedProcedure

  1. Logon to the UserInterface
    If you granted the privilege Execute Zero Downtime Upgrade to a user for the first time in the preliminary step, that user will have to log off and restart and then log on to the UserInterface of the AE with those credentials.
  2. Open the System menu, select Zero Downtime Upgrade Wizard.


  3. In the following dialog select BEGIN from the drop down menu and confirm, clicking Done.
    This will start the compatibility mode and enables upgrading the database with the target version's schema and initial data.


    The dialog will close momentarily.
  4. After a few moments the dialog will open again.
    Leave the dialog open and use the external DB Load Utility to upgrade the database.

    When this step has been processed, the AE system has loaded the target version database schema and initial data.


    Closed DB Load Utility in this step checks the following:

    Running System Check:

    • Should ZERO_DOWNTIME_UPGRADE be set to N and the system be running, DB Load will end the loading process with a corresponding message.

    Version Check:

    • DB Load checks, if the correct version for the ZDU function is installed and used. If the version is not correct, a message to that effect will be returned.

    New DB Schema and Initial Data - Check and Load:

    • If the key ZERO_DOWNTIME_UPGRADE is set to N and the system is not running, DB Load will load the new DB schema and initial data. For future reference records are written into the appropriate database table.
    • If the key UC_SYSTEM_SETTINGS / ZERO_DOWNTIME_UPGRADE = Y and the system is running, DB Load will also load the new DB schema and initial data, if a record of a previous load attempt is found in the database. Otherwise DB Load aborts and returns the corresponding message.
    • In addition DB Load checks, if CPs and WPs of the target version are already active. In case active CPs/WPs of the target version are found, DB Load will end and return the corresponding message.


  5. After DB Load has finished, select the option CHECKDB from the drop down menu and confirm, clicking Done.

  6. The dialog closes.

    This actionActions are predefined building blocks for recurring activities. They are commonly used for managing third party systems or in deployment scenarios. verifies that the target version was successfully loaded and registeredThis is the status of a task that runs within a group and is waiting for its start. in the system.

  7. After a few moments the dialog will open again.
    Install and start communication processes and work processes from the target version parallel to the already running ones.
    Use the second environment (see preliminary steps) for installing the new processes from the target version. Make sure not to use recurring names for processes you install. Best practice is the setup of two separate installations.
    The new processes at this point are not yet in use.

  8. Select the option UPGRADE from the drop down menu and confirm, clicking Done.

The system is now running with the target version initial data and processes, while the base version processes will be subsequently phased out.
This parallel mode should last as long as needed for proper testing.
Use it for testing the system to determine, if the upgrade has been successful and all processes or tasks run smoothly.
This is necessary in order for you to decide, if you want to finish the upgrade by using the FINALIZE option. For details refer to the ZDU FAQ page.
At this point the option ROLLBACK will be available as well, which is not visible in the previous steps.

During this period of time the following tasks have to be executed by the administrator:

  1. If you are ready after testing to use the new setup, select the option FINALIZE from the drop down menu and confirm, clicking Done.



    This will end the parallel as well as the compatibility mode.
    FINALIZE will only be possible, if no base version processes are active anymore.
    When you click Done, the following error message may be displayed:

    "ZERO_DOWNTIME_UPGRADE - 'FINALIZE' not possible. Workprocesses to shut down are not idle yet./Please try FINALIZE again later."

    In that case scheduled tasks may be active.
    Wait for the scheduled tasks to change their execution period (usually the next day), then return to the wizard and try executing the option FINALIZE again.

    Once you have finished the whole upgrade by confirming FINALIZE in this final step, a rollback will no longer be possible!

Rollback Option

This rollback function is meant for a possible troubleshooting. Certain tasks or processes may not be running quite as expected while testing the new installation. Choosing this option allows you to check on those tasks or processes.
The option will be visible in the Zero Downtime Upgrade, as soon as the option UPGRADE has been performed successfully.
Using this option will roll back the processing to the base version.

Once you have finished the whole upgrade by clicking the option FINALIZE in the final step above, a rollback will no longer be possible!

ClosedConduct a Rollback

  1. Open the System menu and select the option Zero Downtime Upgrade Wizard.
  2. Select the option ROLLBACK from the drop down menu and confirm, clicking Done.


The system now switches back using CPs/WPs from the base version you started from while the new processes are subsequently phased out.
Exception: The primary role (PWP) remains with a new WP until FINALIZE_ROLLBACK has been executed.

  1. Use this stage for analyzing the reason which caused you to execute the ROLLBACK.
    Two possible main scenarios are identified by Automic, which may cause a rollback:
    1. Something in AE object definitions or environment settings has to be adapted in order to work correctly with the target version.In this case get the necessary work done and continue afterward with the upgrade procedure step UPGRADE 
    2. The new processes / initial data from the target version have not been working as expected. In this case contact Automic Support for assistance in finding out what has to be done.
      If new components have to be installed to solve the issue, execute the option FINALIZE_ROLLBACK.
      This will end the parallel mode.
      It will switch back the PWP role to base version and shut down running components of the target version so that they can be replaced.
      Install components you may have received from AE Support and continue with the upgrade procedure stepCHECKDB.
      When you clickDone, the following error message may be displayed:

      "ZERO_DOWNTIME_UPGRADE - 'FINALIZE_ROLLBACK' not possible. Workprocesses to shut down are not idle yet./Please try FINALIZE_ROLLBACK again later."

      In that case scheduled tasks may be active.
      Wait for the scheduled tasks to change their execution period (usually the next day), then return to the wizard and try executing the option FINALIZE_ROLLBACK again.

 

See Also:

 


Automic Documentation - Tutorials - Automic Blog - Resources - Training & Services - Automic YouTube Channel - Download Center - Support

Copyright © 2016 Automic Software GmbH