Documentation forSolarWinds Platform

Migrate the SolarWinds Platform server with minimal downtime

Last Updated: October 3, 2019 | Migration Guide

 

  See this video: Orion Platform Product Migration With Minimal Downtime. | Read the THWACK Post

When migrating your SolarWinds Platform to a new server, you can use SolarWinds High Availability (HA) evaluation version to minimize the downtime of your environment.

  1. Set up a new HA server.
  2. Create an HA pool.
  3. Trigger a failover to the new server.
  4. Complete the migration.
  5. Upgrade SolarWinds Platform.

Before you begin:

  • Back up your database.
  • If you have the SolarWinds Platform server installed on a virtual machine, create a snapshot.

Task 1: Set up a new HA server

  1. Log in to the SolarWinds Platform Web Console on the target server you want to migrate your SolarWinds Platform to.

  2. Click Settings > My Deployment.

  3. On the Servers tab, click Set up a new HA server and then click Get Started Setting Up a Server.

  4. Select Evaluate High Availability, click Next, and then click Download Installer Now.

  5. Double-click the downloaded installer file.

  6. In the Setup Wizard, check the name of your primary server.

  7. on Server Role, select High Availability - Backup Server for Main Server protection and click Next.

  8. Read and accept the EULA and click Next.

  9. When the installation is complete, click Finish.

  10. Complete the Configuration wizard. Make sure the settings are identical with the settings for your existing SolarWinds Platform server.

    You have installed a secondary server.

Task 2: Create an HA pool

Join the original and the new server into an HA pool.

  1. Log in to the SolarWinds Platform Web Console on the original server.

  2. Click Settings > My Deployment.

    You can see both the original server and the new server you have just set up.

  3. Click Set up High Availability Pool next to the name of the new server.

  4. Enter the VIP address/hostname to be shared between the original and the new servers and click Next.

    If both servers are on the same subnet, provide a new unused IP address.

    If you are migrating to a server on a different subnet, enter a hostname. If you don't intend to keep HA running, you can provide an arbitrary string.

    The VIP is used for routing the traffic always to the active server. If you don't plan to keep HA running, the VIP address/hostname is only used temporarily and you can reclaim it after the migration.

  5. Click Create Pool.

    You have created a new HA pool that contains both the original and the new SolarWinds Platform server.

Task 3: Trigger failover to the new pool

Configure the new server to take over polling.

  1. On High Availability Deployment Summary page on the original server, select the HA pool you have just created.

  2. Click the Commands drop-down, select Force Failover and confirm that you want to initiate failover manually.

    This initiates an immediate failover from the original server to the new one. The cut-over is just a few seconds, but the UI might take a few minutes to update.

Task 4: Delete the pool

If you don't intend to license SolarWinds HA, delete the pool withing the 30-day evaluation period.

Before you begin, SolarWinds recommends that you shut down the original SolarWinds Platform server. If you plan to use the original IP address for the new server, consider changing the IP on the original server.

  1. Open the SolarWinds Platform Web Console on the new server to regain access.

  2. Click Settings > My Deployment.

  3. Select the pool to remove.

  4. Click Commands > Remove Pool, and click Yes.

    You have completed the migration.