Upgrading Ultra 5 Solaris 2.6 to V280 with Solaris 8 or 9
Our Ultra 5 still runs Solaris 2.6. What's the easiest way to upgrade this box (hardware and OS), without having to re-install all apps? We're looking at used V280s, but I figure they will not run Solaris 2.6, so an upgrade is needed. Should I first upgrade to 8 or 9 on the Ultra 5, and then move the dump files (or disks?) on to the the V280? This sounds like it's not going to work. Otherwise, what's a smooth hardware transition for an Ultra 5, for us to get newer harware and OS?
Budget is limited. I can't try out many scenarios.
[553 byte] By [
hydrocct] at [2007-11-26 9:30:41]
# 1
The 280R ( is that the system you are referring to? ) does not support Solaris 2.6:
http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub/Systems/SunFire280R/SunFire280R.html
It would be straight forward enough to migrate to this platform, but you would have to check the application documentation to see if it is supported on Solaris 8 or 9. Can you post more information about the applications in question?
# 2
Yes it is the 280R. many are available used at very low prices.
Isn't Solaris downward compatible, i.e Solaris 8 can run Solaris 2.6 code. The application uses an Informix database, I'll have to check the version and see if there are any issues with Solaris 8+. Backups are done with online ufsdumps of each partition.I really would like to avoid having to mess with the code (recomplie, etc..) and I suspect that the app supplier is no longer supporting its Solaris-based version, otherwise my client should have contacted them for the upgrade. This is a case where the hardware/OS/application are obsolete but critical and no knowledgable sys admin is available, neither is the budget.Managers are seeking a disaster recovery plan. My first advice is to upgrade everything.
Message was edited by:
hydrocct
# 3
Solaris is backward compatable, perhaps you should try to migrate on a test platform first, shouldn't be too difficult to get another SPARC system. I use 220R for this, cheap on parts, very reliable and has a broad range of supported OS releases, limited only in performance compared with newer systems.
http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub/Systems/E220R/E220R.html
I agree with you on the hardware upgrade, Ultra 5 is a platform with many limitations. I am not 100% with Informix, my experience with it is on the HU-UX platform, however IBM released version 10 in 2005.
http://safari.oreilly.com/0130122475
One thing is sure though, if you approach IBM regarding the upgrade, you may be looking a new/upgrade licenses, this may be the reason the managment have not taken that option.
Another suggestion would be to consider another server that supports Solaris 2.6 instead of the 280R, this would make life much easier, Sun Enterprise 420R may suit, at least you will find a fully loaded system to perform much better than the Ultra 5 ( supports up to 4 CPUs and 4GB RAM ).
http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub/Systems/E420R/E420R.html
For more expansion ( CPUs and Memory ), but more complicated there is a E4500 as well:
http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub/Systems/E4500/E4500.html
Moving to a new platform is not going to be cheap either way, but software migration will be the more expensive route.
Sun offer both of the above mentioned systems with full as new warranty in the remanufactured program:
http://www.sun.com/remanufactured/
# 4
The 420r is a good cheap choice and indeed, considering the budget, staying at 2.6 is attractive. How do I go about restoring the ultra-5 ufsdumps onto 420R disks? I should first install solrais 2.6 to get all the proper drivers and then what? I don't have CD for all the apps. Can I simply copy over dirctories? What about the package database?
I've done this with HP-UX using ignite, i.e running an image created from different hardware and I've been lucky. Unfortunately, the only solaris tool that comes close to ignite is Jumpstart, but for a one-off job, its use is rediculous.
Also, my main concern with 2.6 is security vunerabilities. Are security patchsets still being released for 2.6?
Message was edited by:
hydrocct
# 5
Something I would think about if I was faced with this task... Start a written record of ALL installed packages and patches and any other 3rd party tools and applications on the current production system ( Ultra 5 ), then record all the software you have available with the system. Make SURE you have the Operating system installation media and the database software media kit. Without this, you won't be able to do the job and I'd say the database vendor would not provide this unless you had a current license agreement.
You will be unable to download the latest patches for Solaris 2.6 without a current sunsolve support contract. What I would consider is an eventual migration to Solaris 10, with that statement in mind, purchase an aditional server ( 220R or E250 ), along with the 420R. This system would be a testbed server to be used with Solaris 10 migration R & D platform. You can purchase a 1 - 2 socket Solaris 10 license, it is roughy 250USD, this will give you access Sun Solve, there you can obtain the latest patch cluster for Solaris 2.6. You will also have access to SRDBs and InfoDocs applicable to your hardware.
Are you dumping the filesystem to tape? There is no migration tool to go between platforms.
# 6
As I suspected, this seemingly simple task turns out to be almost impossible, especially if the client does not wish to invest more than a few grands(hardware and labour). As they've been promised a windows-based version of their application for years, they do not want to invest, yet they are nervous at the thougth of seeing this critical machine crashing for good!
A recent power failure which rendered the server unbootable (an fsck was needed) retriggerd the alarm.
# 7
I think this would be possible to pull off for a grand ( 2 * servers and a 1 - 2 socket license 600 - 700GBP for the hardware and the cost of the Solaris license, plus depends what you are willing to charge ). You would have to buy used systems with a limited warranty, I could provide you with some tips for testing the hardware through this forum, but without the database installation media it would be almost impossible to move it to the 420R. Is that the issue, missing software? I once sourced some EOL software media for a HP-UX migration on ebay. The Informix platform was developed from Ingres, as PostgreSQL was. Perhaps a migration to the opensource DBMS might be worth testing, at least it won't cost very much. BTW patch clusters for all Solaris releases are now only available through contract Sun Solve.
