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Clean install OSX+S 10.9 then migrate data from 10.6 Server?

Howdy All,

I've had OSX Server from the first release but stopped at Snow Leopard Server waiting for the "new server" to mature a bit. I think it is time now to move to OSX Server 10.9 but also for a clean install to clear out the crud that has collected over all these years.

I have two main partitions: one for the OS with the Mail store and Wikis and another for user home directories and other files. Again this is going from Snow Leopard Server 10.6.last to 10.9 Mavericks and then Mavericks Server

My question is: If I clean install Maverick and then Mavericks server on another partition will I be able to migrate data and services over manually?

Of course, I will need to setup users and directory services again from scratch (but that is part of the plan to clean out the unused stuff that has collected over the years). I don't mind setting up fileshares, Web sites, DNS, and similar again.

However, when this is done will I be able to copy the mail store (i.e. all users email) over and will it be detected, updated if needed, and work? Similarly, when I copy over the wikis, will they be detected, updated if needed, and work?

Further, when I setup the symbolic links for home directories again (onto the other partition), will the home directories be updated (if needed) and work? I'm not sure what could have changed with regards to home directories but you never know.

In summary, I guess my question is about what migration only happens when you update as opposed to what happens when an older version of a resource or service is detected after an update. Hopefully there is more of the latter than the former.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.

Cheers,

Ashley.

Posted on Dec 21, 2013 7:00 PM

Best reply

Strontium90

Level 5

4,833 points

Posted on Dec 22, 2013 3:30 AM

The task ahead of you is a potentially daunting one. From your message, you listed the following active services:

Mail

Wiki

Home Folders

File Services

Web

DNS

Open Directory

I am a strong supporter of the "nuke and pave" option. However, you are running a number of on demand services that will be missed during an upgrade/migration (read Mail and home folders). I would recommend the purchase or use of a spare device to test the migration before you actually do it. This way, you can continue to run your production device while you build the new system in parallel. Move over one service at a time. This way, you produce as little impact to the environment as possible. Use DNS to assist you and limit client side modification.

Perform a backup before you start! This is often overlooked. Don't skip that part. Repeat the backup before each major step. This allows you to fallback should something fail.

Also, when you are about to do mail, shut down your firewall rules. Block external access to the mail server. Trust me, the last thing you want to sort out is the mail that was delivered during an attempted upgrade that failed, forcing your to revert to a backup. Messy. Some messages in an updated mail store, but not in the backup. Yuck.

Migrating Wiki data. Read this http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5585 I've done enough of these to know that it usually works. However, there are a few areas of concern. The first is GUID values. If you have users in 10.6.8, they all have GUIDs based on when the account was created. If you rebuild a new system and create all accounts from scratch, you will have new GUIDs. These will not match up to the GUIDs recorded in the wiki data. I've manually modified small wikis and I've used sed to find old GUIDs and replace them with new ones on the raw export data. This is definitely doable but there are some areas that may bite. Oh, and if you have attachments, you may need to edit the page and then save the page (without doing any actual change) and then the attachment will work again.

As for users, you can use Workgroup Manager to export users and groups. This will give you standard record format files containing GUID values. You might be able to import this cleanly. However, you will not have passwords so they will need to be reset. I've had mixed results when importing accounts with GUID values. Mavericks has been better but I still get nervous.

Best recommendation is to find about $1200 USD and buy a new server. Then slowly moved one service at a time. If this is not possible, then find a spare device, clone your server to it, and then attempt the update on the clone. See what breaks and what works. These methods ensure that you do not rush into an upgrade on the production system without planning and testing. Trust, but verify.

R-

Apple Consultants Network

Apple Professional Services

Author "Mavericks Server – Foundation Service" :: Exclusively available in the Apple iBooks Store

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16 replies

Dec 31, 2013 9:25 PM in response to Ashley Aitken

I should have also said: Happy New Year to everyone (at least it is 2014 downunder in Aus)!

Clean install OSX+S 10.9 then migrate data from 10.6 Server?