Looking at upgrading my Single appliance Filr installation.
Haven't actually done the upgrade but boy does the docs make it very HARD to follow.
Would it NOT be SIMPLER to Export the Configuration to a File
Deploy a brand new Filr 3 installation then IMPORT the configuration?
and copy the data !
There should be a set SPECIFIC of instruction for Each VM environment
Give WORKED example of Single Appliance to get the idea across...
then do one for Large deployment
Make Installation & Upgrades EASY....
by: Bas M. | over a year ago | Virtual Appliance
Comments
Noted Bas!
Bas,
First, I apologize for the delayed response. I just returned from the holiday break today.
I'm so sorry that you find the docs hard to follow. :(
To answer your question about making the process simpler - the process that you describe is essentially what we recommend. Filr's VM Disk 2 contains the configuration settings and data. The procedure is to copy disk 2 (in case something goes wrong with the upgrade the original is protected) and then deploy a new Filr 3 appliance, linking to the copied disk 2 during the deployment. (Disks 1 and 3 are new.) That's all there is to it.
Of course there are updated system requirements that must be met for the new appliance, etc.
I'm very interested in more detail about the problems you are having and have a couple of questions for you.
- Have you upgraded before to an earlier version of Filr, and did that documentation work better for you?
- The goal for Filr 3 docs was to present all of the steps in the correct order to ensure a successful outcome, _but the focus is on a large, expandable installation_. "Reading between the lines of your comment" I'm wondering whether you are overwhelmed by the volume of information needed for a large, expandable upgrade.
Would it help to have a single section that walks through a small-deployment upgrade?
For "getting the idea across," would you prefer a graphic similar to the one in "Understanding" or would you prefer a written, step-by-step summary?
Larry,
You asked "Would it help to have a single section that walks through a small-deployment upgrade?" Most definitely! I was disappointed in the upgrade instructions for Filr 3 Small Deployment. Even though I knew the process, I found the docs to be confusing. I read through the current docs, but I actually used my notes from the previous upgrade to do the upgrade to Filr 3. The upgrade process for a small deployment is fairly simple, but someone who has never done it before wouldn't know it from the docs.
I'm a fanboy of Filr, but the current method of upgrading needs an overhaul. In 2017, upgrades (even major version upgrades), should be available in-place by either uploading an 'upgrade file', or having the appliance download patches/upgrades when asked to. Certainly for minor version upgrades, there should be backwards compatibility between appliances during the upgrade process. A clustered solution is built for resiliency and to avoid downtime - we shouldn't need to arrange downtime for the whole system for a point release.
Don't be afraid of the current upgrade process, it might look daunting if you've not done it before, but it is a complete faff if you have a bunch of appliances to upgrade.
Filr 3 Small Deployment docs are much improved now. Small Deployment upgrades really are quite simple, just docs for version 3 that needed work in my opinion.
Thanks for inputs all!
Bas,
With "Online Update" capability we brought in Filr 3 - hope updating the small/large deployments are much of easy. Hope this is one of the main requirement you had behind this idea?
We will continue working to make upgrades to major version easier.
Hi Bas, moving this to completed. Please feel free to email me if we missed any of the subpoints.