SnTT - Moving BES to Another Server11/15/2007 10:15:45 PM
Things change.
For example, your initial installation of the Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) has outgrown the server and needs room to grow. You installed BES on a server that shared several other applications. Whatever. In any case, you need to move your existing BES to another server.
This is strictly a Domino-based installation of BES. Exchange installations will differ.
Also, this is here because I never seem to find the information when I need it. If you have ever visited the RIM support pages, you know of what I speak.
First, do your normal Domino Admin stuff: Create a new server ID, modify the Server Document, setup replication and mail routing, install and configure the Domino server (to make this easier, keep the same directory structure), test replication and routing. Everything good? Change the Domino Server task to Manual. Okay, take the new Domino server down. Take the old server down.
Copy the Blackberry Profiles database to the new server, to the same directory as the old one.
Copy all State databases.
Copy the notes.ini (but give it a new name on the new server, so you have something to compare/contrast)
Install the BES code on the new machine.
Configure BES, keeping the same settings as you had on the old one.
If you've upgraded to the latest release of BES, be sure to apply the proper Fix Packs, to get you up to the proper release.
Once done, stop all of the BES tasks on the old server and the new one.
You should be ready to use the Blackberry TechNote KB04261. I have skipped around that document, but you are now prepared to pick up the TechNote and finish the cutover. The document is very thorough.
Remember not to bring up the old server until you have removed all traces of the Blackberry code. If you don't you'll end up with either two servers using the same SRP (which results in your servers being locked out of sending messages to the handhelds, or you end up with the new server referring all of its configuration settings to the old server). Both of those end badly, with a call to RIM.
Link: Perform a cutover to another Blackberry Enterprise Server in an IBM Lotus Domino environment
Technorati tag: SnTT Show-n-Tell Thursday
Comment posted by JYR11/16/2007 08:09:00 AM
Hi Gregg,
Thanks for this very useful informations,
JYR
Comment posted by Gregg Eldred11/18/2007 09:08:33 PM
Homepage: http://www.ns-tech.com/blog/geldred.nsf
I'm glad that you found this to be useful, JYR.
I also might add, that if you don't take your time and think about this, you might find that the new BES will be using the old one for its configuration and routing. So, not only do you have to worry about bringing up 2 BES' at the same time with the same SRP, if you don't stop the old one, the new one will be looking to the old one for its config.
Whew - a lot going on. 
Gregg
Comment posted by John03/10/2008 02:06:33 PM
Gregg -
The scenario you mentioned with the SRP happened to me.
I upgraded my BES from a pilot program into production. The pilot program was run on a desktop pc and once the production server was in place the pilot pc was shelved for 90 days before being repurposed. The pilot PC was labeled DO NOT USE, but someone found the shelved PC and powered it up to see what was on it.
An SRP conflict ensued and I spent time on the phone with RIM technical support trying to find out why my BES had quit working.
Once the RIM tech told me that there was a duplicate SRP detected I knew what had happened...
Not a fun experience... I learned to set services to manual before shelving PCs...
Comment posted by Gregg Eldred03/10/2008 03:38:25 PM
Homepage: http://www.ns-tech.com/blog/geldred.nsf
@John: Your issue is an annoying one. Even if you plan your BES migration carefully, you have to be aware that RIM doesn't take too kindly to the same SRP being used twice. While it is easy for them to fix, you have to actually make the call, which won't happen until you've exhausted all of your troubleshooting skills.
It looks like you figured it out during RIM's normal business hours, which is nice.
Thanks for the comment.
Comment posted by Paul03/15/2008 10:37:35 PM
Please help. I am installing a new BES server for Domino (2 separate servers) and am getting stuck at the very beginning where it says it cannot find the Lotus\Domino id file. What am I doing wrong? Do I need to copy Domino server id files over to the BES server?
Thank you!
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