A new update is available for the procedure generator.  If you've already installed the NPG, the next time you open up the application you will be prompted to perform a repository update. If you have NOT downloaded NPG previously you can get it on EMC Powerlink at Home>Support>Product and Diagnostic Tools>Procedure Generators>NetWorker Procedure Generator.

New Content added in this release:

Eric,

Are there any plans or possibilities to supplement this great tool for those who might still be dealing with upgrading from a 7.2.2 environment?

Cheers,

I can check on that.  I would say probably not - but I'll look into it.  We encounter enough 7.2.x customers still that could benefit from it.

In the meantime though - check out this combo of docs from Powerlink.  These were designed to shed some light on changes for those who are upgrading.  Maybe it has tips/tricks that will be helpful to you?

http://powerlink.emc.com/km/live1/en_US/Offering_Technical/Technical_Documentation/300-008-997.pdf

http://powerlink.emc.com/km/live1/en_US/Offering_Technical/Technical_Documentation/300-010-410.pdf

Regards,

Eric

Hi,

  NPG does include 7.2.x upgrade scenarios but if you are looking for a direct 7.2.x -> 7.6.x what you would need to do it run 7.2.x -> 7.4.x (or 7.5.x) then 7.4.x/7.5.x -> 7.6.x.  We are working on putting all the docs in place to go straight from 7.2.x -> 7.6.x via NPG but we are not quite there yet...

Debbie

As much as I enjoy working with the NPG, I would also like to see a section on how to migrate from:

• old hardware to new (same name)
  
• old hardware to new (new name for new server)
  

I have used the NPG to do more than a dozen migrations.  The instructions it has generated have been correct almost every time.

For those of us who use Alphastor it would also be nice to see a similar thing for Alphastor.

- Charles

Hi Debbie,

I hope this does not mean, that I actually have to upgrade 7.2 -> 7.4 -> 7.6?  If not, Is there a 7.2 -> 7.6 documented anywhere else on powerlink?

Thanks,

Eugene

Hi,

  Unfortunately it does.  There were a number of changes between 7.2.x & 7.6.x and an interim step of going to 7.4.x (or 7.5.x) is what is recommended.  Depending on your OS, it is also recommended that the jb be deleted and recreated after the ugprade to 7.6.x (this is covered in NPG)

The Technical Guidance upgrade doc on Powerlink also calls out this recommendation on page 2:

....Note: This technical note applies primarily to upgrades from NetWorker releases 7.4.x and 7.5.x to NetWorker 7.6.x. A direct upgrade from a 7.2.x release to 7.6 and later is not recommended due to the change increases for each version. Instead, a step upgrade or new parallel deployment is recommended.....

Link to Technical Guidance doc

Technical Guidance for Upgrades to EMC NetWorker 7.6 Technical Note

Debbie

Thank you.

Hmm, I could swear that I was told that clientpaks were recently eliminated but the first note I see in that document is:

Message was edited by: evilensky

Hi Eugene,

  The requirements for clientpaks were eliminated with 7.4.2 and higher....   I'll request it be removed from the doc on Powerlink.  NetWorker Procedure Generator is not impacted.

Thanks

Debbie

Does the NPG give detailed steps as to how we migrate server X to server Y (with server X and server Y having different names)?

Also, We need better coverage of Alphastor in the NPG.  Has anyone looked into this?

Running Networker in a small environment is a cake-walk.  Running it with multiple Networker servers, dedicated and non-dedicated storage nodes, and thousands of clients in multiple zones is quite another matter.  Add to that multiple libraries (each with its own media type) and multiple Alphastor servers to ensure that the offsite tape rotation can be tracked.  Now we are in a whole different league.

I find the guys who answer the phones at EMC run away from these types of calls, don't understand the difference between Alphastor and Replistor, don't know Avamar, and should they have anything out of the ordinary - I hear them sweating at the other end.

Anyhow, I really would like to have a good script to move Networker from one server to another (same platform) with servers having different names, and have Alphastor recognise it all as a working solution.  In this particular scenario I am replacing a Sun 5.8 server with a SUN 5.10 server but the 5.8 server has to remain in place for a legacy app.  I am also going to a new tape library (STK LTO3 to IBM LTO4).  It would be nice if AS had LTO4 in the pick list but my understanding is that it isn't and that this will cause headaches.

Any help on all this would be much appreciated.