5.1 Migrating Service Desk 7.4 to Service Desk 8.0

Based on your existing Service Desk implementation perform the required migration steps.

5.1.1 Migrating Standalone Service Desk

This section contains information about migrating your existing standalone Service Desk 7.4 to Service Desk 8.0 Appliance.

For migrate information, see the following:

IMPORTANT:

  • Service Desk supports no more than two major versions behind the latest release (N-2). Since the latest version is Service Desk 8.0 (N) the 7.5 (N-1) and 7.4 (N-2) versions are also supported.

Pre-Migrate

Prior to migrating to Service Desk 8.0, ensure that you perform the following:

  • If you are using Custom Banners in Service Desk, then back up the contents from <installtion_directory>/servicedesk/Server/webapps/LiveTime/images/banners/custom folder to an external storage.

  • IMPORTANT:Take backup of Service Desk database.

  • If any configuration is changed in the Tomcat server such as the web.xml and server.xml files, then ensure that you note the changes.

  • If any configuration is changed in catalina.sh such as Java Heap configuration, then ensure that you note the changes.

  • If SSL is configured and you want to use the same certificates, then back up the certificates and keys.

  • The network or DNS related configuration will not be migrated. Hence, you need to note the details.

  • IMPORTANT:Stop Service Desk service before migration.

Migrating to the Service Desk

Service Desk will be migrated by bringing the new appliance.

To migrate Service Desk:

  1. Deploy the Service Desk Appliance on a Hypervisor. For information, see Section 3.0, Appliance Deployment.

  2. IMPORTANT:Stop the Service Desk services in the current and existing appliance.

  3. From the old Service Desk server, copy the LiveTime folder located at <installtion_directory>/ServiceDesk/ into the current appliance /vastorage folder.

  4. Start the Service Desk service of current appliance (8.0).

  5. Connect to Service Desk Appliance 8.0 through a browser.

    NOTE:In case of any UI related issues, press Ctrl+F5 to refresh the browser cache.

  6. Connect to the database:

    1. On the Service Desk Appliance home page, in the Service Desk Appliance section, click Service Desk Configuration.

    2. Click Database Configuration, choose External Database and then click OK.

    3. Go to the Appliance Home page, click Service Desk, and configure the external database.

      The Application Setup page is displayed.

  7. On the Application Setup page, specify the database details.

  8. Click Test to ensure that the database is connected.

  9. Click Upgrade to complete the process.

    A confirmation message is displayed after upgrade is completed.

  10. Power off the old Service Desk server.

Post Migrate

After you migrate to Service Desk 8.0 Appliance, ensure that you perform the following:

  • If you have made any changes in the Tomcat server such as the web.xml and server.xml files, then update the changes.

  • If you have made any changes in Java such as the catalina.sh file, then update the same changes in the /etc/init.d/servicedesk.server file. Modifications to the catalina.sh file is not longer required.

  • Verify the NTP related configuration in the ZENworks Service Desk 8.0 Appliance. You must be logged into appliance console as root to configure the NTP settings.

    To configure network settings, go to the Appliance Configuration and click Network.

  • If you have customized the CSS, then the backup of CSS is available in the /vastorage/LiveTime/Style location.

    After completing the migration process, replicate the same changes in the following UI location:

    Setup > Customize > Classic Portal > CSS

  • IMPORTANT:Register for Online Updates and Configure settings according to your company standards. For more information, see Online Update.

NOTE:After upgrade, full text search might not work immediately as re-indexing of Service Desk will be in progress. Depending on the database size, it might take few minutes to hours to complete the re-indexing.

5.1.2 Migrating the Service Desk Appliance

This section contains information about migrating your existing Service Desk 7.4 Appliance to Service Desk 8.0 Appliance.

For migrating information, see the following:

IMPORTANT:

  • Service Desk supports no more than two versions behind the latest release (N-2). Since the latest version is Service Desk 8.0 (N) the 7.5 (N-1) and 7.4 (N-2) versions are also supported.

  • From Service Desk 8.0, the directory structure has been changed as follows:

    • Resource directory: /vastorage/LiveTime

    • Application related logs: /vastorage/LiveTime/Logs

    • Service Desk installation location: /opt/novell/servicedesk

    • For logs, see Section 7.3, Logs

Pre-Migrate

Prior to migrating to Service Desk 8.0, ensure that you perform the following:

  • If you are using Custom Banners in Service Desk, then back up the contents from /opt/novell/nsd/servicedesk/Server/webapps/LiveTime/images/banners/custom folder to an external storage.

  • If any configuration is changed in the Tomcat server such as the web.xml and server.xml files, then ensure that you note the changes.

  • If any configuration is changed in the catalina.sh file such as Java Heap configuration, then ensure that you note the changes.

  • If SSL is configured and you want to use the same certificates, then back up the certificates and keys.

  • The network or DNS related configuration will not be migrated. Hence, you need to note the details.

  • IMPORTANT:Stop Service Desk services in the older appliance before migration.

Migrating the Service Desk Appliance

Service Desk Appliance will be migrated by bringing the new appliance. The Service Desk configuration and data is transferred to the new appliance which then becomes your production environment.

To migrate the Service Desk Appliance:

  1. Deploy the Service Desk 8.0 Appliance on a Hypervisor. For information, see Section 3.0, Appliance Deployment.

  2. On the Service Desk Appliance home page, in the Service Desk Appliance section, click Migration.

  3. On the Migrate Appliance (Service Desk v7.4) page, specify the following information:

    • IP Address: The IP address of your existing Appliance Server.

    • Root Password: The root password for existing Appliance Server.

    IMPORTANT:If you are using an embedded database, ensure that the Database Server Host is set to 127.0.0.1.

  4. Click Migrate to complete the migration process.

    Depending on the data size, the migration time varies.

    The migration status message is displayed in Appliance home page.

    IMPORTANT:Ensure that you do not perform any configuration changes during migration.

  5. If migration is successful, power off the existing Appliance Server.

  6. Connect to Service Desk Appliance 8.0 through a browser.

    NOTE:In case of any UI related issues, press Ctrl+F5 to refresh the browser cache.

  7. Connect to the database:

    1. Go to the Appliance Home page, click Service Desk.

      Service Desk opens in a new browser tab.

    2. Click Edit, and then Advanced.

    3. Click Upgrade to complete the process.

      A confirmation message is displayed after upgrade is completed.

  8. Power off the old Service Desk appliance.

Post Migrate

After you migrate to Service Desk 8.0 Appliance, ensure that you perform the following:

  • If you have made any changes in the Tomcat server such as the web.xml and server.xml files, then update the changes.

  • If you have made any changes in the catalina.sh file such as Java Heap configuration, then update the same changes in the /etc/init.d/servicedesk.server file. Modifications to the catalina.sh file is not longer required.

  • Verify the NTP related configuration in the ZENworks Service Desk 8.0 Appliance. You must be logged into appliance console as root to configure the NTP settings.

    To configure network settings, go to the Appliance Configuration and click Network.

  • If you have customized the CSS, then the backup of CSS is available in the /vastorage/LiveTime/Style location.

    After completing the migration process, replicate the same changes in the following UI location:

    Setup > Customize > Classic Portal > CSS

  • IMPORTANT:Re-register Online Updates and Configure settings according to your company standards.

NOTE:After upgrade, full text search might not work immediately as re-indexing of Service Desk will be in progress. Depending on the database size, it might take few minutes to hours to complete the re-indexing.