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LATE Upgrade from Version 8 (physical!) to Version 9 (VPS!)

Offline FreakWent

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LATE Upgrade from Version 8 (physical!) to Version 9 (VPS!)
« on: November 07, 2018, 08:02:54 AM »
Hi everyone -- I have a version 8 box.  I'd like to use some kind of FTP transfer or SSHFS mount... or something... To run a backup of my current version 8 system, then restore it into a VPS. (WHAT? a VPS for E-smith? Well, I was going to VPN into it, it seems easier than trying to migrate all this technical debt into a regular centos installation...)

This means that I'd need to connect to some storage at one end or the other, or somewhere else in the worst case, to run the transfer.

I have only about 40GB in use on disk, but the backup page says "Currently your configuration and data files total approximately 235Gb." and also says " Currently your hard disk contains 40Gb of data." on the same page!

There's more than one way to do this -- but could someone with more experience than I please suggest the strategy that's most likely to meet with success? I can't find a simple way to backup to either FTP (or similar Internet-happy protocol) or to an arbitrary local path that I can mount using a suitable FUSE method.

I could also do a CIFS-backup and CIFS-restore if necessary using VPNs, but that's hardly elegant.

Thanks in advance, and sorry for being so late to the upgrade party.....

Offline ReetP

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Re: LATE Upgrade from Version 8 (physical!) to Version 9 (VPS!)
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2018, 10:48:45 AM »
I've been running my SMEs on VPS/VMs for a good few years, both locally and in the cloudy sky thing.

Works really well.

Initial data transfer is the big ballache for sure.

How to do it depends on what tools you have available.

I run mine on Proxmox so can upload the backup image and stick it in a virtual drive to attach at install.

Affa. I think I actually used this for transferring my main VM.

Manual transfer....

This may help:
https://wiki.contribs.org/Moving_SME_to_new_Hardware

Please ask if you have more questions.
...
1. Read the Manual
2. Read the Wiki
3. Don't ask for support on Unsupported versions of software
4. I have a job, wife, and kids and do this in my spare time. If you want something fixed, please help.

Bugs are easier than you think: http://wiki.contribs.org/Bugzilla_Help

If you love SME and don't want to lose it, join in: http://wiki.contribs.org/Koozali_Foundation

Offline janet

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Re: LATE Upgrade from Version 8 (physical!) to Version 9 (VPS!)
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2018, 11:13:35 AM »
FreakWent

Will Curl do it for you ?
https://wiki.contribs.org/Category:Howto
look under B for Backup
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Offline Knyte

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Re: LATE Upgrade from Version 8 (physical!) to Version 9 (VPS!)
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2018, 08:37:22 AM »
Thanks in advance, and sorry for being so late to the upgrade party.....
Well, glad to know I'm not the only one...

Hope it went well!
SME 8.1 (currently restoring to SME 9.2) running in ESXi 5.5

Offline FreakWent

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Re: LATE Upgrade from Version 8 (physical!) to Version 9 (VPS!)
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2018, 01:31:18 AM »
The curl method seems like the best option, with one reservation -- is there a way to get the tgz restored into the new server without having to reinstall? All the documentation (eg https://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Chapter10#Backup_or_restore) seems to suggest that I need to reinstall the OS to get that prompt to appear.  I don't want to do this because it requires me messing about with the virtual cd drive of the cloud hosted server, which a real pain with this particular provider.

If there's any way to trigger the restore operation I'd love to hear from someone about it, otherwise I'll just unpack the tarball over the top of the fresh install and let you all know what happens!

Offline TerryF

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Re: LATE Upgrade from Version 8 (physical!) to Version 9 (VPS!)
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2018, 01:06:03 PM »
If there's any way to trigger the restore operation I'd love to hear from someone about it

# config delete PasswordSet
# config setprop bootstrap-console Run Yes
# signal-event reboot

Should do it for you
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Offline FreakWent

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Re: LATE Upgrade from Version 8 (physical!) to Version 9 (VPS!)
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2018, 06:10:45 AM »
OH no......

So that's all lovely, but I want (well need) to read the targz from the e-smith server.  There's no removable drive for me to put the backup into....

Have I hit a dead end?

Offline TerryF

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Re: LATE Upgrade from Version 8 (physical!) to Version 9 (VPS!)
« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2018, 06:37:40 AM »
Ah OK so you do not have physical access to the target?

Added:  Can't you do a backup from the console and do as ReetP suggests above to a remote VM etc
« Last Edit: December 02, 2018, 06:40:52 AM by TerryF »
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Offline janet

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Re: LATE Upgrade from Version 8 (physical!) to Version 9 (VPS!)
« Reply #8 on: December 02, 2018, 09:20:54 PM »
FreakWent

Quote
.....I want (well need) to read the targz from the e-smith server.  There's no removable drive for me to put the backup into....
Have I hit a dead end?

No, but you do need to read more eg under the Howto link for B was this comprehensive article:
Backup server config

As you are doing non standard things then you should read & fully understand all about backup & restore concepts..

In particular this section:

Procedure to restore the backup on the cloned server
Copy the smeserver.tgz file to the cloned server via ssh or via usb disk and follow the steps in this section of the Backup server config wiki article
http://wiki.contribs.org/Backup_server_config#Command_line_manual_Restore_from_USB_drive_or_memory_stick

Ensure you prepare the new server for the restore, by issuing the following command

signal-event pre-restore
and then follow the steps referred to above.

Edit: You should only restore to a fresh or clean install of the sme server OS. If you have existing ibays, users & config that is different to that which is being restored, you will have inconsistencies in your file system etc.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2018, 09:25:55 PM by janet »
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