Applying a service pack to an Ubuntu multiple-machine site

This topic describes how to apply a service pack to an Ubuntu multiple-machine ArcGIS Server site running on Amazon Web Services. In the context of this topic, a multiple-machine site is a site that includes more than one EC2 instance running the GIS server component.

To upgrade the site, you need to apply the service pack on two machines, then use those machines to create a template from which you launch your final upgraded site.

To minimize downtime, it's recommended that you apply the service pack on a copy of your site, which you can also make using site templates. The optional Step 1 below explains how to do this. Once you have applied the service pack, you can redirect traffic into your upgraded site.

Follow the steps below to upgrade a multiple-machine site to the latest service pack. Do not stop your site at any time while performing these steps.

If you do not want to perform the steps below, you can launch a new site using the latest version of Cloud Builder and redeploy your data, services, and applications on it.

Steps:
  1. Install the version of ArcGIS Server Cloud Builder on Amazon Web Services that corresponds to the service pack you want to apply. Be aware that when you do this, you will not be able to access your sites with an older version of Cloud Builder.
  2. Optionally, to minimize downtime during the upgrade, use Cloud Builder to create a template of your site. Then launch a new site from the template.

    When you launch this site, configure it to have exactly two EC2 instances running the GIS server component. In other words, you should set the Number of instances property to 2 and uncheck Enable auto-scaling.

    You'll apply the service pack to this copy of your site. Once you are ready, you can switch your incoming traffic to the upgraded site.

  3. If you did not perform Step 2 above, edit your site in Cloud Builder so that it contains exactly two EC2 instances. In other words, you should set the Number of instances property to 2 and uncheck Enable auto-scaling.
  4. Download the ArcGIS for Server service pack.
  5. First, log in with the arcgis user to the EC2 instance containing the ArcGIS Server configuration store and server directories. This instance is marked SITEHOST in the AWS Management Console.

    Remember that to log in to an instance, you must open the SSH port in the site's security group.

  6. Copy or ftp the service pack tar file to the SITEHOST instance.
  7. Untar the service pack setup.
  8. Run the installation.
    ./Setup
    
  9. Restart ArcGIS Server.
    cd /arcgis/server
    stopserver.sh
    startserver.sh
    
  10. After you apply the service pack to SITEHOST, apply it to the second machine.
  11. Log in as the arcgis user to the second machine in your site.
  12. Copy or ftp the service pack installation files to the second machine instance.
  13. Repeat steps 7, 8, and 9 to install the ArcGIS for Server service pack.
  14. If your site includes a PostgreSQL database cluster on SITEHOST or on EGDBHOST, upgrade your geodatabases. See Upgrading geodatabases in PostgreSQL in ArcGIS Server for Amazon Web Services for instructions.
  15. Test and configure your upgraded site. Make sure it is working exactly the way you want.

    If you were to leave your site in its current state, the second EC2 instance would be lost the next time you stopped your site using Cloud Builder. Therefore, continue with the following steps to preserve your work as a template and launch a site with the desired number of instances.

  16. Use Cloud Builder to create a template from your newly upgraded site.
  17. Using the template you created in the previous step, launch a site with the desired number of EC2 instances and auto-scaling rules.
  18. If you had data replicated to a geodata service on your original site, you must change your replicas to point to the geodata service on the new site.
    1. Open one of the .mxd files that contains data you replicated to your original site.
    2. Under the GIS Servers node In the Catalog window, create a connection to the new site.
    3. Click the Manage Replicas Manage Replicas button on the Distributed Geodatabase toolbar.

      The Replica Manager opens.

    4. Right-click the replica in the list that you need to point to the new site and click Properties.
    5. Click the Open Open button next to the Relative Replica Connection.
    6. Navigate to the new site, choose the geodata service, then click Open.
    7. Click OK to apply changes and close the Replica Properties dialog box.
    8. Close the Replica Manager.
    9. Restart your geodata service.

    Repeat these substeps for every replica you created that includes geodatabases in your original ArcGIS Server for Amazon Web Services site.

  19. Switch your organization's address mapping to point at your upgraded site's URL. If your apps were referencing the site URL directly, you'll need to update any URLs in your apps to incorporate your new Elastic Load Balancer (ELB) address. You can get the ELB address by looking at the Manager URL in the list of site details in Cloud Builder.

    Once you verify that the upgraded site is working, you can delete your original site and optionally the templates you created in Steps 2 and 11.

Related Topics

12/10/2013