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Cluster Upgrade Tool, ClearPass 6.4 | Tech Note | 1

Tech Note: Cluster Upgrade Tool, W-ClearPass 6.4

This Tech Note provides instructions for upgrading a W-ClearPass cluster using the Cluster Upgrade Tool.

The Cluster Upgrade Tool is a simple user interface that automates the upgrade procedure for a ClearPass

cluster. When the Upgrade is initiated, no manual actions are required until all selected nodes have been

upgraded. This tool can be used to upgrade W-ClearPass 6.2 and 6.3 systems to 6.4.0.

This Tech Note includes the following information:

l "Process Overview" on page 1

l "Before You Upgrade" on page 1

l "Sample Times Required for Upgrade" on page 2

l "Installing the Cluster Upgrade Tool" on page 2

l "Opening the Cluster Upgrade Tool" on page 3

l "Upgrading the Cluster" on page 4

l "Viewing Upgrade Status" on page 5

l "Steps in the Tool’s Automated Workflow" on page 6

l "Troubleshooting" on page 7

Process Overview

1. If necessary, download the upgrade image to the Software Updates portal.

2. Install the Cluster Upgrade Tool.

3. Launch the Cluster Upgrade Tool and specify the nodes to be upgraded.

4. Click the Upgrade button. The tool automatically performs the upgrade.

5. After the upgrade, verify that all nodes in the cluster are back in sync and all services are accessible.

Before You Upgrade

l Review this Tech Note and the latest Release Notes for 6.4.x.

l Plan for adequate downtime for the upgrade. Use the upgrade time estimates in "Sample Times Required

for Upgrade" on page 2 as a guide.

l Install the Upgrade Tool on the publisher node of your 6.2 or 6.3 version.

l Verify that the following ports are in an open state between the cluster nodes:

n port 80 (HTTP)

n port 443 (HTTPS)

n port 22 (SSH)

l Confirm that all nodes in the cluster are in sync before starting the upgrade.

l On the publisher, download the 6.4.0 upgrade image from the Software Updates portal. The tool

automates the process of copying over the upgrade image to the other nodes in the cluster.

Summary of content (7 pages)

PAGE 1
Tech Note: Cluster Upgrade Tool, W-ClearPass 6.4 This Tech Note provides instructions for upgrading a W-ClearPass cluster using the Cluster Upgrade Tool. The Cluster Upgrade Tool is a simple user interface that automates the upgrade procedure for a ClearPass cluster. When the Upgrade is initiated, no manual actions are required until all selected nodes have been upgraded. This tool can be used to upgrade W-ClearPass 6.2 and 6.3 systems to 6.4.0.
PAGE 2
Sample Times Required for Upgrade To help you estimate how much time the upgrade might take, Table 1 shows representative numbers for upgrade times under test conditions. Remember that the figures here are only examples. The actual time required for your upgrade depends on several factors: l Your hardware or virtual appliance model. In the case of VM installations, upgrade times vary significantly based on the IOPS performance of your VM infrastructure.
PAGE 3
To install the Upgrade Tool if the publisher node is not set up to display available updates: 1. On the Support site (https://download.dell-pcw.com), manually download the Upgrade Tool. 2. On the publisher’s Software Updates portal, use the Import Updates link to upload it. 3. Install the tool as described above. Opening the Cluster Upgrade Tool After the Cluster Update Tool is installed, you can open the tool either from the Software Updates portal or through your Web browser.
PAGE 4
This page includes the following information: Table 2: Information on the Cluster Upgrade Utility Page Field Description Publisher Details Information for the publisher node and for all subscriber nodes in the cluster. Information includes the node’s management IP address, version number, zone, Insight database size, last upgrade step completed, and its upgrade status. Subscriber Details Database Info Shows the size of the Configuration database.
PAGE 5
3. When the 6.4 upgrade image is available locally and all subscribers have been patched, the Start Upgrade link is available in the upper-right corner. Click Start Upgrade. The Start Cluster Upgrade window opens. 4. You can upgrade the entire cluster or just a subset of nodes. In the Start Cluster Upgrade window, use the check boxes to select the subscribers to upgrade, and then click Upgrade. The tool begins the automated upgrade process.
PAGE 6
l For detailed progress information for each node, click the View Logs button in the node’s row. The Logs window opens. This window includes tabs for the Patch, Download, Upgrade, Reboot, and Onboot logs. You can view detailed status in these logs during and after the upgrade. (This option is not available while the publisher node is rebooted and data migration is in progress. It is available again when the publisher upgrade is complete.
PAGE 7
HTTP, or they must be able to access the publisher over HTTPS using its hostname and validate the certificate that is presented (trust the issuer and match the hostname in the certificate CN). 2. After you select subscribers and click Upgrade, the upgrade image is copied to the subscribers you selected. The subscribers copy the upgrade image over an HTTPS connection to the publisher.