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Date: Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:46:10 -0600
From: Martin McCormick <martin@dc.cis.okstate.edu>
Subject: Upgrading Standing Systems from 6.3 to 8.0
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	Can one upgrade a standing system from 6.3 to 8.0?

	We do have a few sacrificial systems to try the big
upgrade on,  but the actual systems are scattered through 3
towns over 200 miles. Not a one is just down the hall so it is
all going to have to be done remotely.

	I am familiar with the process of pointing the
cvs-supfile to the target branch and then rebuilding the world.
This got us from 5.x to 6.3 with no real issues so how far can
one take this and not end up with a brick later?

	The main thing that can happen which gives nightmares is
a situation in which the upgraded system comes up but has
insidious problems that don't bite until 03:00 on Sunday
morning. Imagine the OS isn't freeing inodes or some other
creeping menace that might not be obvious when your newly-built
system comes up awith a login prompt and seems ready for
business.

	Thanks.

Martin McCormick WB5AGZ  Stillwater, OK 
Systems Engineer
OSU Information Technology Department Telecommunications Services Group