I have read conflicting ways to upgrade Hyperic clients to 4.x

[hypermike]

I have read places were it says to copy the agent.properties file to the home directory of hyperic, and then I see documentation that says the agent properties cant be used to upgrade too hyperic 4.x since its changed. The later option says to copy the agent.properties
file to the Hyperic $home directory /conf . Which is correct.. ??

I am upgrading 1st to the latest 3.x.y version and then to 4.x as suggested in an earlier question.

Is the upgrading to Hyperic clients 4.x where I have to use the conf file and NOT the agent.properties file ??

[MarieMcGarry]

Hi Mike,
Sorry that the instructions are confusing. I'll review the upgrade info and see if I can make it clearer.

In 4.0 the agent directory structure has changed, and the default location of agent.properties has changed as well. Here are the facts:

Prior to 4.0, agent.properties was installed in the Agent home directory.

In 4.0, agent.properties is installed in the /conf directory below the Agent home (not the Hyperic home.)

In 3.2.x AND in 4.0, on Unix-based systems you can, if you wish, put agent.properties in the .hq directory under the home directory of the user that runs the agent. The agent honors this location in preference to the "where installed" location. Keeping agent.properties file in the .hq directory under user home is a way to ensure that the file isn't overwritten if you do a fresh install of the agent.

If you have property settings in in your 3.2.x agent.properties file that you want to replicate in your 4.0 installation, you should copy them into the 4.0 properties file, rather than simply copying your 3.2.x file into the 4.0 installation, because there are new properties in the 4.0 version.

Please let me know if you have additional questions.

m

[hypermike]

You said that I could put my old agent.properties file that had constant info in it under the users home directory(.hq )directory thats runs or starts the agent on client machines. Does this file append to the conf file under 4.0 when I install the new 4.0 agent ???

I understood everthing until you got to the last paragraph.. You state below that I should copy them into the 4.0 properties file which is called conf now.? Is that file conf empty or do I append my old agent.propertirs there??? when will just putting it in the .hq directory work?

If you have property settings in in your 3.2.x agent.properties file that you want to replicate in your 4.0 installation, you should copy them into the 4.0 properties file, rather than simply copying your 3.2.x file into the 4.0 installation, because there are new properties in the 4.0 version.

[MarieMcGarry]

Hi Mike, Sorry you are still having trouble. Here are some clarifications:

/conf is a directory, not a file. When you install HQ 4.0, here is where your properties file is.
agent-4.x.n/conf/agent.properties. Here is an excerpt from the 4.0 documentation that may help:

Supported Locations for agent.properties

When you install the HQ 4.0 Agent, agent.properties is placed in AgentHome/conf.

On Unix-based platforms, the agent honors an external (from the agent installation) location for the properties file: an .hq directory under the home directory of the user under which the agent runs.

Storing agent.properties external to the agent installation directory is useful, because some upgrade scenarios will overwrite the /conf directory. Specifically, upgrading an agent by installing a full agent package will overwrite your previous agent installation. This is relevant when you first upgrade an agent from 3.2.x or 3.1.x to 4.x, or if you choose to upgrade a 4.x agent to a later version by installing a full agent package. In these cases, if you don't keep the properties file in the .hq/ directory, back it up prior to upgrade, and restore it after upgrade.

The agent looks for the properties file first in the .hq directory, then in the /conf directory. If it finds the file in the prior location, it uses the configuration there, and doesn't look in the /conf directory. If you choose to persist the properties in the .hq directory, you need to copy from the /conf directory to the .hq directory.

Then, you can compare the contents of your 3.2.x agent.properties file to the contents of the 4.0 file. If you have previously added optional properties to the 3.2.x file, or changed the values of the properties to reflect your configuration preferences, you should replicate those differences in the 4.0 propertes file.

Hope this helps.

m

[hypermike]

First I thank you for trying to help..BUT

First I read that the agentproperties file in 4.0 is different than the 3.x.y version.
Second I read that if I have my old agentproperties in the .hq directory a new agent
install will use it and NOT the one in the conf directory .. Am I correct so far ??

Then you say :

f you choose to persist the properties in the .hq directory, you need to copy from the /conf directory to the .hq directory. So after I install the agent (do I start it ??) and then copy the /conf/agentproperties4.0 file to the .hq directory as a different temp name and cpmpare the 2 files adding to the 4.0 and changes that I may have made to my original.. Then do I have to move the combined agent.properties file back into the /conf directory and start the agent??

[hypermike]

I have NOT received any more info on this and am upgrading today to 4.0.2.

The questionstill arises and from what I have read.

In 4.x in the conf direectory there will be a agent.propertirs file that is differnt than in 3.2.x.
If I have my old agent.properties file in the old ..hq directory ZI believe it says the upgrade will use it.

I would like to see a agent.propertirs files for 4.x NOW before I upgrade. IS there a sample
anywhere showing its new content??

and I see that for future upgrades I nned to update the one in the 4.x agent directory CONF.

When do I do this ?

If I could see a 4.x agent.properties file NOW before I upgrade I might understand better
whats going on here.

Sorry for all the confusion .!!! Pllease help.

[excowboy]

Hi Mike,

why don't you download and untar a recent HQ Agent, run something like a diff command to compare your agent.properties and the new 4.0 agent.properites and if there are conflicting parameters we discuss them here ?

Mirko