SystemLink Server Pre-Upgrade Shutdown and Backup Procedures

Issue Details

How can I be as careful as possible when upgrading SystemLink Server, so that I make sure I don't lose any data or configuration information?

Solution

To upgrade SystemLink Server with maximum safety, follow these steps:

1. Check server’s general health (SystemLink Server Resource Requirements)
   1.  Verify ample disk space
   2.  Verify SystemLink Server licenses are not near expiration
   3.  Verify SSL web certificates are not near expiration
2. Export backup (config only) files for all TDM instances
   1.  DataFinders (.bakdf), Analysis Automation (.bakas), Data Preparations (.bakdpp)
   2.  Record the configured SystemLink TDM User Account in use
3. Stop all TDM instances (DataFinders, Analysis Automation, Data Preparations)
4. Stop the NI Web Server
   1.  Open the NI Web Server Configuration UI
   2.  Switch to the Control tab
   3.  Click the Stop button
5. Turn off the SystemLink Service Manager and NI System Message Bus
   1.  Open the Windows Services dialog box
   2.  Right-click the "NI SystemLink Service Manager" service and select Stop
   3.  Right-click the "NI SystemLink Message Bus" service and select Stop
   4.  Verify in the NI SystemLink Server Configuration dialog that all services have stopped
6. Turn off other (TDM or client) Windows Services in Windows “Services” dialog
   1.  “NI CORBA Naming Service”
   2.  “NI PCP Service Locator”
   3.  “NI Salt-Minion” (if present)
   4.  “NI SystemLink Forwarding Service” (if present)
   5.  “NI SystemLink TDM Account Service”
   6.  “NI SystemLink TDM Database Service”
7. Back up the following key SystemLink config directories:
   1.  C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\Skyline\Certificates
   2.  C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\Skyline\Config
   3.  C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\Skyline\HttpConfigurations
   4.  C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\Skyline\Install
   5.  C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\Skyline\RabbitMQ
   6.  C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\Skyline\SkylineConfigurations
   7.  C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\salt\conf\pki\master
8. Back up the following key Web Server config directories
   1.  C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Shared\Web Server\certs
   2.  C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Shared\Web Server\conf
   3.  C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\Web Server\config
9. Take a system snapshot (if possible, say if the server is a VM or in the cloud)
10. Back up the Postgres data directory—the default location is:
    1.  C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\Skyline\PostgreSQLDatabase
11. Back up the Mongo data directory—the default location is:
    1.  C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\Skyline\NoSqlDatabase
12. Run SystemLink Server software upgrade using NI Package Manager. This will take ~30 minutes.
13. Restart the SystemLink Server computer
14. Verify all services come up Live in the NI SystemLink Server Configuration dialog
15. Troubleshooting
    1.  Contact NI Support with Logs and configuration backups
    2.  Do not run NI Package Manager repair unless directed to by NI support 

Additional Information

None of these steps is strictly speaking required.  In general an in-place SystemLink Server upgrade is quick, safe and usually succeeds without these extensive preparations.  For users who are wanting to be extra careful, though, these are steps you can take to safeguard the current status of your SystemLink Server.  The more of these steps you choose to do, the less risk that data or configuration info will be lost during the upgrade.