Recommendations on View 4.6 upgrade strategy.

[BearHuntr]

We currently have a View environment architecture that is exactly like the diagram attached.  We have 2 load balanced Connection servers for internal access, and 2 Connection servers with 2 load balanced Security servers in the DMZ for external access.  All 6 servers are currently running Windows 2003 R2 SP2 Standard with View 4.0.

Ideally, I would like to upgrade all 6 servers to Windows 2008 R2 SP1, but I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that.  At a minimum, I believe that I only need to upgrade the Security servers to 2008 R2 to gain the new PCoIP external access feature, but I would rather get everything up to date.  Let me also add that working with our network team to open ports and set up load balancing is a huge undertaking, so I would like to continue using all of the same IP addresses if possible.

So, what I'm thinking of doing is building 6 new 2008 R2 servers with new names and prepare them for installing View.  At the time of my actual scheduled upgrade, I would just set the IP address of these new servers to what the old servers were and make sure that the old servers are shut down.  So, I have a few questions about this process.

1. Will this process even work, or do I have to do something else altogether?
2. Can I install and configure View 4.6 on each server before changing the IP, or do I have to wait until after the IPs are switched?
3. Should these servers be set up as replicas of the old servers, or do I import the backup files from the old servers?
4. Any other thoughts on what I should be asking?

Thanks so much for your help!

Scott.

[mittim12 · Accepted solution]

1:   It should work for you.  You are correct that only the security server needs to be 2008 R2 for the PCOIP external access to function correctly.   Don't forget to enable the PCOIP gateway on the paired connection broker though.

2:   As long as DNS is working correctly I don't see a problem with installing before you change the IP

3:   I think a replica is fine for what you are doing.

I just went through my upgrade this weekend.   I didn't feel like swapping out the entire environment to 2008 R2 at this time so I upgrade my existing connection brokers (Windows 2003) to 4.6,  removed my old security server ( Windows 2003),  built a new security server (Windows 2008 R2) and paired it with one of my internal connection brokers. 

At a later time I will build a new 2008 R2 connection broker as a replica to my existing internal infrastructure and then start replacing those as 2008 X64.

[BearHuntr]

I came up with another question.

  5.  If I add all the new connection servers as replicas and I shut down all the old servers, how do I promote one of the new replica servers to be a primary?

[mittim12]

You should not have to promote one since they all replicate to each other. 

[BearHuntr]

Thanks for your help!  So far, I've started bulding the Connection servers as replicas and everything is working well.