How do I upgrade from NetIQ Group Policy Administrator 3.0 to NetIQ Group Policy Administrator 4.x? (NETIQKB41724)

  • 7741724
  • 02-Feb-2007
  • 04-Jun-2008

Resolution

goal
How do I upgrade from NetIQ Group Policy Administrator 3.0 to NetIQ Group Policy Administrator 4.x?

goal
Will version 3.0 Consoles work with a version 4.X database?

goal
How do I downgrade from NetIQ Group Policy Administrator 4.X to NetIQ Group Policy Administrator 3.0?

fact

NetIQ Group Policy Administrator 3.x



fact
NetIQ Group Policy Administrator 4.x

fix

Upgrading is handled automatically by the .msi, however, one should generally follow the installation order of: database, server, and then console to minimize any possible issues.

NetIQ recommends installing in this order for the following reasons:

  • The database is centralized and also backwards compatible so doing it first makes sense.
  • The server requires reference to the database during the install so it makes sense to do this second, although it is optional
  • The consoles may be the most work and it makes sense to perform this step last. In the interim (while consoles are being upgraded), the version 3.0 functionality should still work.

To upgrade from GPA 3.0 to GPA 4.x, consider the following ?best practices? method:

  1. Prerequisite Steps
    1. Check in all Group Policy Objects (GPOs) into the Repository.
      • Check all categories in each Repository domain to ensure that no GPOs are checked out.
    2. Shut down all Group Policy Administrator (GPA) Consoles.

  2. Upgrade the database
    1. Backup the Repository database with the SQL Enterprise Manager.

    2. Run GPA4x.msi on the database server. Select Custom > Database in the feature selection window.

    3. The same user credentials are required as with a regular database install...the install user should have SQL admin privileges in the SQL Server. All GPO data and security will be retained during the upgrade.

  3. Install the GPA server (optional).
    1. If you need to install the GPA server, run GPA4x.msi and select Custom > Server in the feature selection window.

    2. Note: Steps 2b and 3a may be combined if the Repository and GPA server components reside on the same computer. This is usually the case with installations from trial downloads. In this case, choosing ?Complete? in the feature selection screen can be done.

  4. Upgrade the version 3.0 Consoles.
    1. Upgrade the version 3.0 Consoles by running the GPA4x.msi on each console computer.



note

Known Compatibility issues

Version 3.0 Consoles will work with a version 4.x database (the v4 database is a superset) however, no advanced features will be available in the version 3.0 console.

Of particular note are the server features (event logging, notification, and export override). These server features could potentially be installed and turned on while existing version 3.0 Consoles are still being used. Because these features may be critical from an auditing, workflow, or security perspective, one should not run in production with a mixed version install since user actions would not be audited in this case or the export override would not be used if configured. It is suggested that a mixed environment (version 3.0 consoles with version 4.x server) only exist during the transition period associated with the upgrade process itself. Currently, there are no explicit code checks for a mixed environment, so this should be included as a best practice for upgrading.



Additional Information

Formerly known as NETIQKB41724