Upgrade From SAV Enterprise 8 to 9 - Questions 1

[dstcroix]

We have 800 clients currently connected to our SAV server. This server is running version 8.1.0.825.

We have a freshly built server upon which I am going to install SAV Enterprise 9.

I have an idea about how to approach this installation but I could really use some feedback. What I am wishing to do is install SAV SCC on the new server, plus the SAV server product, Quarantine Mgr and AMS server. Then copy an almost blank grc.dat file to three IT workstations so that these stations show unmanaged. I then plan on pushing the client via NT Rollout to these three computers.

1) What are the chances the computers will upgrade to 9 in this manner?

2) After we upgrade the three computers, what is the very best way to add the other 700 plus clients already on 8 and pointing to the old server, to point to the new server?

I know this seems a bit unorthodox but we want to start from 9 fresh.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Stiddy]

Not unorthodox. Here is what I may do. Install SAVCE 9 on your new server. Name it the same thing with the same ipaddress. The 8.1.0.825 clients will al login to him again, assuming that he was the only parent server you had. 800 clients should not overwhelm just one parent server. I have not tested this yet. But you can enable an option within the SSC console to automatically upgrade clients upon next login. If it works like it is suppose to then great. If not then I guess you are stuck with running:

\\servername\vphome\clt-inst\win32\setup.exe from each machine to upgrade them. This can be very easily scripted in a batch file which I will be happy to help with. What do you think?

 

[dstcroix]

Why Stiddy I think that may just work!! I'll have to test the 8 to 9 on a couple test computers but yeah, sounds great. I may also consider using Altiris to push the clients out.

You rock babe!!

 

[Stiddy]

The only problem is from the SSC console using the NT client install utilty, the parent server, at least from my experience, will not upgrade the clients to 9.x.x if 8.x.x is already installed. Hopefully I am wrong. That is why I was suggesting that you would have to remote command prompt into each wks and map to the server and run setup.exe. That is not that hard. Like I was saying I have already written batch jobs to do it.

 

[dstcroix]

Stiddy, again much appreciated. If you want to share your batch files, that would be amazing. I noticed there is no Private Message function on the forums.

Unless I am missing something......

 

[Stiddy]

Sure. I actually use 5 batch files to do the upgrade. I could be shorter. This is just the way I have chosen to do it. I will step it out for you.

1.) copy the grc.dat of the parent server to a local directory.
2.) create the SAVCE.bat file to run on each remote system. (NOTE: We will copy the SAVCE.bat and the grc.dat to the temp directory on each remote system and execute later)
3.) use (Auto_CP_NAV_FIles.bat) and (CP_NAV.bat) to copy SAVCE.bat and grc.dat to each remote system.
4.) use (Auto_RUN_SAVCE.bat) and (RUN_SAVCE.bat) to execute the SAVCE.bat on each remote system.



REM ##### Auto_CP_NAV_Files.bat #####
for /f "tokens=1-2" %%a in (d:\SAV\Upgrade_WKS\sites\BLIS\BLIS.txt) do call d:\SAV\Upgrade_WKS\sites\BLIS\CP_NAV.bat %%a


REM ##### CP_NAV.bat #####
del \\%1\c$\temp\*.* /Q
xcopy d:\sav\upgrade_wks\sites\BLIS\files\*.* \\%1\c$\temp /S /E /I
xcopy rcmdsvc.exe \\%1\c$\windows
sc \\%1 create "Remote Command" binpath= c:\windows\rcmdsvc.exe
sc \\%1 config "Remote Command" start= auto
sc \\%1 start "Remote Command"


REM ##### Auto_RUN_SAVCE.bat #####
for /f "tokens=1-2" %%a in (d:\SAV\Upgrade_WKS\sites\BLIS\BLIS.txt) do call d:\SAV\Upgrade_WKS\sites\BLIS\RUN_SAVCE.bat %%a



REM ##### RUN_SAVCE.bat #####
rcmd.exe \\%1 d:\temp\SAVCE.bat



REM ###### SAVCE.bat #####################
NET USE \\server\VPHOME /USER:domain_name\user.name Passw0rd
\\server\VPHOME\CLT-INST\WIN32\SETUP.EXE & NET USE * /DELETE /Y
net stop "Symantec Antivirus Client"
xcopy D:\TEMP\grc.dat "d:\docume~1\all users\applic~1\symantec\norton~1\7.5"
net start "symantec Antivirus Client"





As u can see from my exampple, I was working with Fort bliss army base in this example. The (Auto_CP_NAV_FIles.bat) will read in each workstation one at a time and pass it to (CP_NAV.bat). Likewise the (Auto_RUN_SAVCE.bat) will pass each workstation to (RUN_SAVCE.bat) and run the SAVCE.bat file on every workstation and perform the upgrade for you. Each workstation depending on its connectivity to the server should take between 5-7 minutes. So lauch it all, go home have a glass of wine, and come in tommorrow and tell the boss you did it all overnight. HAHA, o my bliss.txt would have looked something like:

workstationA
workstationB
workstationC
workstationD
workstationE
workstationF
workstationG
.....
800 machines

 

[dstcroix]

Again, thanks. This has been most informative!! You probably just saved us a lot of time.

*cyber toast to you*

 

[Stiddy]

Glad I could help. Hopefully the SSC option to automatically upgrade under Client Login and Scan Installation option will prove useful to you.

 

[oggywan]

Quote from Stiddy: "Glad I could help. Hopefully the SSC option to automatically upgrade under Client Login and Scan Installation option will prove useful to you."

Stiddy. This option requires you to have an active login-script on either Windows NT/Windows 2000 Active Directory or Netware. It requires more effort than just specifying options in the Symantec System Center.

For more info:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ent-security.nsf/docid/2004041513300748

I hope this helps.

 

[dstcroix]

We have decided to incorporate Stiddy's idea into our deployment plan.

We will be using Altiris to uninstall version 8, reboot and reinstall version 9 through the same package.

Here's to me not staying here 24 hour weekends!!

 

[Stiddy]

oggywan,

Great catch. Like I said earlier in this post, I have never attempted this option. I prefer scripting or batching upgrades like some of the above batch code. Anyway, star for you.

dstcroix,

Glad you have a plan. But,you do not have to uninstall SAV to upgrade it. Hope all goes well.