Contents
Abstract
SUSE® Linux Enterprise provides the option of updating an existing system to the new version without completely reinstalling it. No new installation is needed. Old data, such as home directories and system configuration, is kept intact. During the life cycle of the product, you can apply Service Packs to increase system security and correct software defects. Install from a local DVD drive or from a central network installation source.
Follow the steps outlined in this section, if you want to upgrade from SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP3 or 11 GA to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP1. For an automated upgrade from 10 SP3 to 11 SP1, see Chapter 22, Automated Upgrade from SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP3 to 11 SP1. Make sure you update the old system to the most recent patch level first.
![]() | System Version Requirement |
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For exact system version requirements, from which you can upgrade to this version, refer to the release notes coming with the update product. In the release notes you can find additional information about upgrade procedures. |
Software tends to “grow” from version to version. Therefore, take a look at the available partition space with df before updating. If you suspect you are running short of disk space, secure your data before you update and repartition your system. There is no general rule regarding how much space each partition should have. Space requirements depend on your particular partitioning profile, the software selected, and the version numbers of the system.
Before updating, copy the old configuration files to a separate medium
(such as tape device, removable hard disk, or USB flash drive) to secure
the data. This primarily applies to files stored in
/etc
as well as some of the directories and files
in /var
. You may also want to write the user data
in /home
(the HOME
directories) to a
backup medium. Back up this data as
root
. Only
root
has read permission
for all local files.
Before starting your update, make note of the root partition. The
command df / lists the device name of the root
partition. In Example 7.1, “List with df -h”, the root partition
to write down is /dev/sda3
(mounted as
/
).
Example 7.1. List with df -h¶
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on /dev/sda3 74G 22G 53G 29% / tmpfs 506M 0 506M 0% /dev/shm /dev/sda5 116G 5.8G 111G 5% /home /dev/sda1 44G 4G 40G 9% /data
If you update a default system from the previous version to this version, YaST works out necessary changes and performs them. Depending on your customizations, some steps (or the entire update procedure) may fail and you must resort to copying back your backup data. Check the following issues before starting the system update.
Before updating the system, make sure that
/etc/passwd
and /etc/group
do
not contain any syntax errors. For this purpose, start the verification
utilities pwck and grpck as
root
to eliminate any
reported errors.
Before updating PostgreSQL
(postgres
), dump the
databases. See the manual page of pg_dump. This is
only necessary if you actually used PostgreSQL prior to your update.
Following the preparation procedure outlined in Section 7.1.1, “Preparations”, you can now update your system:
Optionally, prepare an installation server. For background information, see Section 14.2.1, “Setting Up an Installation Server Using YaST”.
Boot the system as for the installation, described in Section 6.5, “System Start-Up for Installation”. In YaST, choose a language and select in the dialog. Do not select . Also add repositories to make sure to get all available software updated whenever possible. Find more information about installation repositories in Section 6.10.1, “Add-On Products”.
YaST determines if there are multiple root partitions. If there is
only one, continue with the next step. If there are several, select
the right partition and confirm with /dev/sda3
was selected in the example in
Section 7.1.1, “Preparations”). YaST reads the old
fstab
on this partition to analyze and mount the
file systems listed there.
![]() | Persistant Device Names |
---|---|
All entries in |
Check the previously used repositories, if there are any. Enable all the repositories you still want to use and from where you want to update third-party software. Click the
for every list item, if appropriate.If you add repositories during the upgrade procedure as recommended above, you can now activate those you are actually interested in.
In the
dialog, adjust the settings according to your requirements. Normally, you can leave most default settings untouched. In the consider to select . If you intend to enhance your system further, check the software offered in the submenus, or add support for additional languages. However, those adjustments can also be made later with YaST.You also have the possibility to make backups of various system components. Selecting backups slows down the upgrade process. Use this option if you do not have a recent system backup.
Confirm the upgrade by clicking
.Once the basic upgrade installation is finished, test the Internet connection as offered by the YaST dialog. Finally, YaST updates the remaining software and displays the release notes. Click
to write the YaST configuration.With the zypper command line utility you can upgrade to the next version of your distribution. Most importantly, you can initiate the system upgrade process from within the running system.
This feature is attractive for advanced users who want to run remote upgrades or upgrades on many similarly configured systems. Inexperienced users will prefer the upgrade with YaST as described in Section 7.1.3, “Updating with YaST”.
To avoid unexpected errors during the upgrade process using zypper, minimize risky constellations.
Upgrade from the last version (SUSE Linux Enterprise 11) to this version (SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 SP1)—do not skip any service pack version inbetween; this means, neither upgrade from SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP3 or earlier to this service pack (SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 SP1, nor from SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 to SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 SP2 once available) in one go. Make sure all available online updates are successfully applied before starting the system upgrade.
Close as many applications and unneeded services as possible and log out all regular users.
Disable third party repositories before starting the upgrade, or lower the priority of these repositories to make sure packages from the default system repositories will get preference. Enable them again after the upgrade and edit their version string to match the version number of the distribution of the upgraded running system.
![]() | Check Your System Backup |
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Before acutally starting the upgrade procedure, check that your system backup is up-to-date and restorable. This is especially important because you must enter many of the following steps manually. |
Run the online update to make sure the software management stack is up-to-date. For more information, see Chapter YaST Online Update (↑Administration Guide).
Configure the repositories you want to use as an update source. Getting this right is essential. Either use YaST (see Section 9.3, “Managing Software Repositories and Services”) or zypper (see Section “Using Zypper” (Chapter 4, Managing Software with Command Line Tools, ↑Administration Guide)).
![]() | Repository Names |
---|---|
The name of the repositories as used in the following steps could vary a little bit depending on your customizations. |
Consider to prepare or update your own installation server. For background information, see Section 14.2.1, “Setting Up an Installation Server Using YaST”.
To view your current repositories enter:
zypper lr -u
Increase the version number of the system repositories from 11 to 11-SP1; add the new 11_SP1 repositories with commands such as:
server=http://download.example.org
zypper ar $server/distribution/11-SP1/repo/oss/ SLE-11-SP1
zypper ar $server/update/11-SP1/ SLE-11-SP1-Update
And remove the old repositories:
zypper rrSLE-11
zypper rrSLE-11-Update
Disable third party repositories or other openSUSE Build Service repositories, because zypper dup is guaranteed to work only with the default repositories:
zypper mr -d repo-alias
Alternatively, you can lower the priority of these repositories.
![]() | Handling of Unresolved Dependencies |
---|---|
zypper dup will remove all packages having unresolved dependencies, but it keeps packages of disabled repositories as long as their dependencies are satisfied. |
zypper dup ensures that all installed packages come from one of the available repositories. It does not consider the version, architecture, or vendor of the installed packages; thus it emulates a fresh installation. Packages that are no longer available in the repositories are considered orphaned. Such packages get uninstalled if their dependencies can not be satisfied. If they can be satisfied, such packages stay installed.
Once done, check your repository configuration with:
zypper lr -d
Refresh local metadata and repository contents with zypper ref.
Pull in zypper from the 11 SP1 repository with zypper in zypper.
Run the actual distribution upgrade with zypper dup. You are asked to confirm the license of SUSE Linux Enterprise and of some packages—depending on the set of installed packages.
Perform basic system configuration with SuSEconfig.
Reboot the system with shutdown -r now.
Use Service Packs to update a SUSE Linux Enterprise installation. There are several different ways in which you can apply a Service Pack. You can either update the existing installation or start a whole new installation using the Service Pack media. Possible scenarios for updating the system and setting up a central network installation source are described in Section 14.2, “Setting Up the Server Holding the Installation Sources”.
![]() | Installation Changes |
---|---|
Read the installation instructions on the Service Pack media for further changes. |
![]() | |
To upgrade an existing SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 system to a SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 Service Pack (SP), see Section 7.2.2, “Upgrading to a Service Pack (Migration)”. |
Installing a SUSE Linux Enterprise Service Pack is very similar to installing the original SUSE Linux Enterprise media. As with the original installation, you can choose to install from a local DVD drive or from a central network installation source.
Before starting a new installation of a SUSE Linux Enterprise SP, ensure that all of the Service Pack installation media (DVDs) are available.
Procedure 7.1. Booting from the Service Pack Medium¶
Insert the first SUSE Linux Enterprise SP medium and boot your machine. A boot screen similar to the original installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 is displayed.
Before starting a network installation of an SUSE Linux Enterprise SP, make sure that the following requirements are met:
A network installation source set up according to Section 14.2, “Setting Up the Server Holding the Installation Sources”.
A working network connection both on the installation server and the target machine that includes a name service, DHCP (optional, but needed for PXE boot), and OpenSLP (optional).
The SUSE Linux Enterprise SP DVD 1 to boot the target system or a target system set up for PXE boot according to Section 14.3.5, “Preparing the Target System for PXE Boot”.
To perform a network installation using the SP DVD as the boot medium, proceed as follows:
Insert the SUSE Linux Enterprise SP DVD 1 and boot your machine. A boot screen similar to the original installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 is displayed.
Select F3 to select a type of network installation source (FTP, HTTP, NFS, or SMB).
to boot the SP kernel then useProvide the appropriate path information or select
as the installation source.Select the appropriate installation server from those offered or use the boot options prompt to provide the type of installation source and its actual location as in Section 6.1.2, “Installing from a Network Source without SLP”. YaST starts.
Finish the installation as outlined in Chapter 6, Installation with YaST.
To perform a network installation of a SUSE Linux Enterprise Service Pack via network, proceed as follows:
Adjust the setup of your DHCP server to provide the address information needed for PXE boot according to Section 14.3.5, “Preparing the Target System for PXE Boot”.
Set up a TFTP server to hold the boot image needed for PXE boot.
Use the first CD or DVD of your SUSE Linux Enterprise Service Pack for this and otherwise follow the instructions in Section 14.3.2, “Setting Up a TFTP Server”.
Prepare PXE boot and Wake-on-LAN on the target machine.
Initiate the boot of the target system and use VNC to remotely connect to the installation routine running on this machine. See Section 14.5.1, “VNC Installation” for more information.
Accept the license agreement then select a language, default desktop, and other installation settings.
Click
to start the installation.
Continue as usual with the installation (entering a password for
root
, completing the network configuration, testing your
Internet connection, activating the Online Update service, selecting
the user authentication method, and entering a username and
password).
For detailed instructions for installing SUSE Linux Enterprise, see Chapter 6, Installation with YaST.
There are two preferred ways to upgrade the system to the Service Pack (SP) feature level. One way is to boot from the SP medium. The alternative is to run Wagon. By updating to the new feature level, additional features like new drivers or software enhancements are available to your system.
Other upgrade ways are running zypper commands manually, using the Patch CD, or making use of a locally installed SMT system.
![]() | |
On System z systems, the Patch CD update option is not available. |
Boot from the SP medium and choose Section 7.1.3, “Updating with YaST”.
as the installation mode in YaST. For more detailed information and finishing the update, seeYaST Wagon is the automated YaST Online Migration procedure. Before initiating YaST Wagon to upgrade to the SP feature level, make sure that the following requirements are met:
The system must be online throughout the entire update process, because this process requires access to the Novell Customer Center.
If your setup involves third party software or add-on software, test this procedure on another machine to make sure that the dependencies are not broken by the update.
Make sure that the entire process is completed successfully. Otherwise the system becomes inconsistent.
![]() | |
During upgrade migration using Wagon, the update stack is updated. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid using any other software management tools such as zypper or desktop update applets. It is recommended to stop the desktop update applets during the migration. |
If the migration patch (root
with
wagon.
![]() | Migration Patch Notification |
---|---|
On the GNOME desktop a notification message appears in the bottom right corner when the migration is available. Click the link in this notification message to initiate the migration procedure. |
Confirm the
dialog.If not already installed during the regular YaST Online Updates, wagon at first installs the preselected migration patch ( ). The patch contains updates of the package management stack, and—if necessary—a new kernel. Therefore, a system reboot is required.
For more information about YOU, see Chapter YaST Online Update (↑Administration Guide).
Reboot the system, and wagon continues the migration with the . Keep the preselected setting. Enable , if you want to verify any third-party related repository configuration later on. Confirm this dialog.
Register the migration status in the ). instead of
and confirm the updated software repositories (The
now follows only, if you enabled .is the final dialog, before the actual migration procedure takes place. Check all the settings carefully—after confirmation, no roll-back will be possible.
Package installation and system configuration (SuSEconfig) will run automatically. Also rebooting is necessary.
Register the new version in the
. Confirm the once again updated software repositories, where now the are enabled.Finally confirm the
dialog and boot the system.Use zypper, if you need a scriptable solution for the update.
Before initiating the online update using zypper to progress to the SP feature level, make sure that the requirements are met as listed in Section 7.2.2.2, “Using YaST Wagon”.
This it the minimal command sequence needed to migrate the system to the SP1 patch level:
zypper ref -szypper up -t patch
zypper up -t patch
grep '<product>' /etc/products.d/*.prod
zypper in -t product SUSE_SLES-SP1-migration
suse_register -d 2 -L /root/.suse_register.log
zypper ref -s
zypper mr --disable
repo-alias
zypper mr --enable
repo-alias
zypper dup
suse_register -d 2 -L /root/.suse_register.log
reboot
Refresh all services and repositories. | |
Update patches, esp. the package management stack. | |
Update the remaining patches using the just updated package management stack. | |
Read the migration product information... | |
...and use the previously retrieved name to install. | |
Register the product. | |
Refresh all services and repositories. | |
Disable old repositories (GA). | |
Enable new repositories (SP1). | |
Distribution upgrade with zypper. | |
Register the new products again. It replaces the old GA with the new SP1 update repositories. |
The Atomic Update is based on tools that manage two copies of the system and allow easy recovery after an update failure. The delivered tools require a special disk partition setup. Every copy of the system resides on a primary partition of its own. If an update fails, you can always switch back to the previous state of the system, which is available on the other partition.
![]() | Strict Partitioning Requirements |
---|---|
The implementation has strict requirements on disk partitioning: the
first root partition is
The size of the complete disk minus size of
|
Install the system with /dev/sda1
as the single
root partition and with less than half of the entire disk size.
Customize the installed system as needed. Make sure to have the
multi-update-tools
package installed.
Run multi-update-setup --partition, which creates
the system's second root partition (/dev/sda2
) of
the similar size.
Partition the rest of the disk as needed and continue with customizations(*).
Run multi-update-setup --clone to copy the system to
the other partition. With this command you also change the
/
(root) entry in /etc/fstab
of the target system.
If needed, do further customizations(*).
Run multi-update-setup --bootloader to initialize the bootloader setup. The bootloader menu will then contain an entry to boot the other system.
![]() | GRUB Bootloader Mandatory |
---|---|
Installation of the GRUB bootloader is mandatory. The tools are not compatible with other bootloaders. |
If there are no customizations to be done as marked with (*), run multi-update-setup --complete which performs all the three steps.
Run multi-update. This command runs
zypper in a chroot
environment and updates the other system— it does not matter which
one is active. Its boot menu will be offered as the default at boot time.
If the updated system has a damaged bootloader after the update, you must change the “Active” flag and set it for the root partition of the other system in order to boot it.
If the updated system does not boot at all, you need access to the bootloader menu to select the other system.
For more information about GRUB, see Chapter The Boot Loader GRUB (↑Administration Guide).
For more information, see
/usr/share/doc/packages/multi-update-tools/README
coming with the multi-update-tools
package.
![]() | Software Changes from SLES 11 to SLES 11 SP1 |
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For a detailed list of software and configuration changes from SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP1, refer to the release notes of the service pack. View them in the installed system using the YaST release notes module. |