[doug_jnr]

Hi All,

I am looking to upgrade our BES from 4.1.4 to 4.1.5 and I have a few questions. We are only a small organisation with about 70 users running off exchange.

Will the SQL database be altered in any way when the upgrade is done?

Once the database has been running off 4.1.5, is there any reason why it will not run off 4.1.4 if I have to roll back for some unforeseen reason?

Is there any doco from RIM for this specific upgrade?

Any gotcha's or anything major i should be aware of?

I am sure to have more questions in the future, but this is a good start.

thanks in advance guys...

[noname]

4.1.4 -> 4.1.5 is a major SP upgrade and *usually* it will modify the database schema. ALWAYS backup your BESMgmt BEFORE any upgrade, then if anything goes wrong, you can just restore the previous backup and roll back previous software.

[doug_jnr]

So i have copied our production SQL database to a test SQL server.

I have pointed a test 4.1.5 VM to the test database.

If I start the test 4.1.5 VM pointing to the test database, which is populated with our 70 production users as it is a copy of production, could there be any impact to the production users and/or users mailboxes?

I have set the test BES to point to router 127.0.01 so the test server is unable to connect to anything upstream.

Hope this makes sense.

[hdawg]

Originally Posted by doug_jnr

So i have copied our production SQL database to a test SQL server.

I have pointed a test 4.1.5 VM to the test database.

If I start the test 4.1.5 VM pointing to the test database, which is populated with our 70 production users as it is a copy of production, could there be any impact to the production users and/or users mailboxes?

I have set the test BES to point to router 127.0.01 so the test server is unable to connect to anything upstream.

Hope this makes sense.

I can't see how you'll be able to test anything ... you can't connect to the BES infrastructure.

Follow this for installing the SP: KB04882 - Best practices for installing a BlackBerry Enterprise Server service pack

Take a backup and make sure you have the 4.1 SP4 installation files in case you have to roll back. Testing something like this against your production environment with a database you copy really wouldn't be the best practice. You're better off with a temp SRP connected to a temp database with some test users.

[doug_jnr]

yes...fair call.

let me attack this from another angle.

Assuming I already have a 4.1 SP5 BES up and running (with its own SRP etc) and want to migrate my existing users from 4.1 SP4, is it just a matter of stopping the SP4 box, pointing the SP5 box at the SQL database and bringing up the SP5 box?

I am also trying to decommission my old physical SP4 box and commission the new SP5, running on VM, in the process.

Sorry for the newb questions!

[doug_jnr]

OK...this is my plan.

1). Ensure BB database is backed up.

2). Peform full system backup using Windows Backup. This enables us to revert back to 4.1 SP4 if needed.

3). Upgrade current production BES to 4.1.5 using the following guide. In place upgrade is straight forward and supported by RIM.
Best practices for installing a BlackBerry Enterprise Server service pack

4).We will then have production BES running 4.1.5.

5).As per RIM KB KB05193 , run the following SQL Query on database: "update ServerConfig set MachineName ='<New_Server_Name>' where Id = 1" so that the NETBIOS name of the new server is reflected.

6).We will then have production BES running 4.1.5 with updated database using new name for BES VM.

7).Perform the 'Knife Edge Cutover', ensuring the old BES name is used to prevent all users from having to re-activate.

When I bring up the new server pointing to the database, will all the users automatically be there and up and running?

[hdawg]

yes...fair call.

let me attack this from another angle.

Assuming I already have a 4.1 SP5 BES up and running (with its own SRP etc) and want to migrate my existing users from 4.1 SP4, is it just a matter of stopping the SP4 box, pointing the SP5 box at the SQL database and bringing up the SP5 box?

No.

[hdawg]

Originally Posted by doug_jnr

OK...this is my plan.

1). Ensure BB database is backed up.

2). Peform full system backup using Windows Backup. This enables us to revert back to 4.1 SP4 if needed.

3). Upgrade current production BES to 4.1.5 using the following guide. In place upgrade is straight forward and supported by RIM.
Best practices for installing a BlackBerry Enterprise Server service pack

4).We will then have production BES running 4.1.5.

5).As per RIM KB KB05193 , run the following SQL Query on database: "update ServerConfig set MachineName ='<New_Server_Name>' where Id = 1" so that the NETBIOS name of the new server is reflected.

6).We will then have production BES running 4.1.5 with updated database using new name for BES VM.

7).Perform the 'Knife Edge Cutover', ensuring the old BES name is used to prevent all users from having to re-activate.

When I bring up the new server pointing to the database, will all the users automatically be there and up and running?

Yup; just make sure you're using the same SRP / etc ...

[shuman]

Originally Posted by doug_jnr

OK...this is my plan.

1). Ensure BB database is backed up.

2). Peform full system backup using Windows Backup. This enables us to revert back to 4.1 SP4 if needed.

3). Upgrade current production BES to 4.1.5 using the following guide. In place upgrade is straight forward and supported by RIM.
Best practices for installing a BlackBerry Enterprise Server service pack

4).We will then have production BES running 4.1.5.

5).As per RIM KB KB05193 , run the following SQL Query on database: "update ServerConfig set MachineName ='<New_Server_Name>' where Id = 1" so that the NETBIOS name of the new server is reflected.

6).We will then have production BES running 4.1.5 with updated database using new name for BES VM.

7).Perform the 'Knife Edge Cutover', ensuring the old BES name is used to prevent all users from having to re-activate.

When I bring up the new server pointing to the database, will all the users automatically be there and up and running?

This is the correct way of doing it.