Upgrading PaperCut NG in a Microsoft Cluster Environment

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If PaperCut NG is running in a Microsoft Cluster environment, the upgrade procedure is a little different from the standard upgrade procedure. The reasons for this include:

The installer needs to stop the PaperCut services before performing the install-over-the-top. In a cluster environment, these services are controlled by cluster management software rather than by the local system. The install will not have access to the cluster resources so for this reason, the services need to be manually stopped prior to the procedure.
A cluster is composed of 2 or more nodes. All nodes need to be upgraded at the same time.

This upgrade procedure is designed to compliment the standard upgrade procedure. The reader should familiarize themselves with the standard upgrade procedure before proceeding.

Step 1: BACKUP NOW! - an upgrade is a system change and like all major system changes should be conducted with care. We recommend taking time now to backup the PaperCut database using the system’s point-in-time backup procedure ( Options -> Backups -> Export Now ), as well as a general backup of the current PaperCut install directory (e.g. a Zip archive).

Step 2: Using the cluster manager, take down the cluster group managing the PaperCut NG services (e.g PaperCut Application Server and/or PaperCut Print Provider).

Step 3: On one cluster node, run the latest version of the PaperCut NG setup program and install into the same location as the current install on this node. Normally:

C:\Program Files\PaperCut NG\

Match the install options as per the origional install. i.e. If the cluster is Mode 1 installed the “Secondary Server” option, or if Mode 2, the “Standard Installation” option.

This will upgrade the current install with an install-over-the-top procedure. If prompted at the end of the install process, select the option to Open application and complete configuration. The browser should open to:

http://localhost:9191/

Step 4: The installer will start the application server. On first startup after an upgrade, the server may need to perform some data upgrade tasks. The browser window may inform you of this upgrade status - Keep pressing the browser’s refresh button to update the status. If/when you can see the standard login box, the upgrade has completed. Do not proceed to the next step until the data upgrade has completed. This may take a few minutes on large databases.

Step 5: Open the local system’s Service Manager via Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services and ensure that the following services are Stopped:

PaperCut Application Server

PaperCut Print Provider

Step 6: Repeat steps 3 through 5 undertaking the install-over-the-top procedure on each relevant node on the cluster.

Step 7: Open the cluster manager and bring online the cluster group hosting the PaperCut services.

Step 5: Log into PaperCut and ensure the system is working as expected. Testing should include performing simple administration tasks, testing printing and simulating node failure. Administrators may also find the post upgrade test plan useful.

Categories: Administration, Upgrading

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Article last modified on April 29, 2014, at 10:14 PM
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Upgrading PaperCut NG in a Microsoft Cluster Environment

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