On 27 November 2012 14:42, Paul Tansom <p...@aptanet.com> wrote: > ** Liam Proven <lpro...@gmail.com> [2012-11-27 14:49]: >> On 27 November 2012 14:13, Paul Tansom <p...@aptanet.com> wrote: >> > I have a server (i.e. no desktop software, X, or etc. - not that this >> > necessarily follows, but it does with me!)... >> > >> > ...anyway, this server is currently running Ubuntu 6.06LTS and I need to >> > upgrade to 12.04LTS. Clearly I have two options, either upgrade or >> > reinstall. Reinstall seems safer, bar the fact that there is some software >> > that I would need to disect the configuration of to reinstate (a backup >> > using BoxBackup to be precise); that points towards a step by step upgrade >> > path (8.04, 10.04 and 12.04), but I'm somewhat nervous of the number of >> > possible gotchas present in this. Has anyone done this and could comment? >> > Did it go smoothly?! >> >> As "untouchableangel" said - with so many steps in between, a clean >> install would be preferable. >> >> If you have the means to do a full backup first, though, I'd also >> agree - for now, go to 8.04 and then 10.04 and leave it at that for >> now. It's still supported, 12.04 is fairly new, and you could put off >> the 3rd upgrade until later. >> >> Another option along the same lines: run one of the many free P2V >> tools, get your 6.06 image running inside a VM, then do a test-run >> upgrade in that "safe" environment. >> >> P2V means "physical to virtual". VMware do a free one, I think, which >> you could run under VMware Player, also free. I am not sure that >> VirtualBox has a free one but it would probably import the VMware one >> made with VMware's P2V tool. >> >> Once you know exactly what you're doing and that it works in the VM, >> then (after a full backup!) you could do the "real" machine. >> >> Another thought: >> >> What used to be called VMware ESXi & is now called vSphere Hypervisor >> is free. Only restriction: max 32GB server RAM. That's still quite a >> lot. Snag: you need vSphere to manage it; it's Windows-only. >> >> After you've done your P2V conversion, you could bung that on the >> physical box and run your VM directly on it. >> >> I am assuming it's a physical server, [a] because of its age and [b] >> because if it was already virtualised, a backup and test-upgrade would >> be fairly trivial. > ** end quote [Liam Proven] > > Yes it is a physical server, and I have the advantage of installing to brand > new disks, so backup isn't an issue as I won't be touching the previous > install :) I prefer the reinstall, and am familiar with the configuration > (fully documented and updated for a 12.04 install). The BoxBackup is the bit > that is making me nervous because I don't have access to the server at the > other end or accounts/passwords bar what is in the config (which should be > all that is needed!). I'm pretty sure rebuilding the config is going to be > the preferred option, particularly as I'll have the original install handy - > just need to make sure I don't confuse the backups with the different > installs trying to update them!!!
Fair enough. I do know quite a few sysadmins who by default install on top of a hypervisor, even when it's a single instance on a single box, just because it makes backup/restore/recovery so much easier. Inside a VM, the hardware is standard, so if the magic smoke ever escapes from your server, you can take a totally different box, put ESXi on it, restore your VM and it will work with no reconfiguration at all. Worth considering/trying. Not ideal if you need software RAID or something, though, clearly - but if it's important, you should have hardware RAID! Microsoft Hyper-V Server is freeware as well but again you'll need a Windows 8 box to manage it with the (freeware) RSAT kit. vSphere Hypervisor can be managed with vSphere Client running on WinXP inside a Virtualbox VM on Ubuntu - I've done it. It might even work on WINE. There are free 3rd party backup/restore programs for ESXi. Ditto, remote-management tools which might run on Linux. FWIW, I think it is foolish and even suicidal of VMware to depend upon Windows for management, but what can you do... -- Liam Proven • Profile: http://lproven.livejournal.com/profile Email: lpro...@cix.co.uk • GMail/G+/Twitter/Flickr/Facebook: lproven MSN: lpro...@hotmail.com • Skype/AIM/Yahoo/LinkedIn: liamproven Tel: +44 20-8685-0498 • Cell: +44 7939-087884 -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
