Porting to new hardware - best way?

UNIX Solaris
1

Same version of Solaris etc. Moving to new hardware.

The application that runs on this server is easy enough to re-install but Im concerned about things like:-

  1. Users/passwords/home directories
  2. Cron jobs
  3. Static routes

Is there ANY way to either export this sort of thing so that I can re-do on new server or is it going to be a manual process only?

I did think about maybe creating a flash archive of the entire system and doing a flash install from DVD for Solaris on the new machine? Not that straightforward though.

2

There isn't a best way. If you have zones, you can export and then import the zone into a new server. Most of the entanglements with this are IP addresses, which are handled up front.

Otherwise, tar up certain files in /etc and /var and restore them on the new box.
If you are using LDAP this can get interesting. "certain" varies with how you have your stuff set up, like time servers, nisplus, snmp, etc.

3

I used to migrate to a new haredware.
You need to do it manually.
From top of my head, you need the following checklist.

  1. /etc is important which has most of configuration files such as hosts,network info, dns,mail,applications startup scripts so you need to back up and copy each files to new hardware.
  2. crontab files : /var/spool/cron
  3. home directories : /export/home
  4. root profile
  5. kernal values
  6. Package list

Cheers,

4

Yes, but which one ? What about Solaris update, packages, patches ?

From which one to which one ?

You are close. Assuming you have no non-global zones, the easiest way would be to use Solaris P2V (physical to virtual) functionality.

The steps are

  • create a flash archive
  • move it to the new system
  • create a zone
  • install the zone from the flar updating it

Solaris 10 9/10: Migrating a Physical Solaris System Into a Zone (Tasks) - System Administration Guide: Oracle Solaris Containers-Resource Management and Oracle Solaris Zones

https://blogs.oracle.com/vreality/entry/oracle\_solaris\_zones\_physical_to

5

Solaris 10 05/09 u7

Moving from a V440 to a T2000.

Yes. Thinking about the zone idea.....

6

I think your initial impulse to create a flash archive is going to be easiest for you. Just create the flar on a NFS share that the new hardware can also get read access to, boot the new machine from DVD, and navigate the installer questions to perform the flash install from NFS. (note: NFS server must support NFSv4).

7

That might be slightly easier but less interesting than the P2V approach I suggested. In the latter case, the T2000 is able to consolidate other servers and the fact they are relocated in zones allow them to be moved easily to other servers should it is needed again in the future.