From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jan 10 17:54:02 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B74711065676 for ; Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:54:02 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from martin@dc.cis.okstate.edu) Received: from dc.cis.okstate.edu (dc.cis.okstate.edu [139.78.103.93]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8D5E58FC14 for ; Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:54:02 +0000 (UTC) Received: from dc.cis.okstate.edu (localhost.cis.okstate.edu [127.0.0.1]) by dc.cis.okstate.edu (8.14.2/8.13.8) with ESMTP id o0AHrn6k004764 for ; Sun, 10 Jan 2010 11:53:49 -0600 (CST) (envelope-from martin@dc.cis.okstate.edu) Message-Id: <201001101753.o0AHrn6k004764@dc.cis.okstate.edu> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-ID: <4761.1263146029.1@dc.cis.okstate.edu> Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2010 11:53:49 -0600 From: Martin McCormick Subject: Re: Upgrading Standing Systems from 6.3 to 8.0 X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:54:02 -0000 Robert Huff writes: > Hot swap would be great, but I was referring to regular swap: > human being with a screwdriver and a clue. Reliable outside > contractor, if you absolutely can't send someone in-house. You actually gave me a really good idea. We've got people who I do trust to put in a CDROM or hook up a serial cable. I think I will make up a headless installation CD and send it and a serial communications server to our two remote campuses and have them connect the CS and pop in the CDROM on the system in question. Each FreeBSD box is half of a redundant pair so we can get along without one for a few hours which is probably less time than the upgrade to 7.0 and then to 8.0 would take, assuming nothing went wrong during either of those upgrades. I have seen cvs upgrades take anywhere from 2 to 8 hours, depending on the speed of the system, etc. We can ask them to hook up the CS, make sure it is working, and then have them install the CDROM. I actually did that once before and it worked. When done, we call them back and have them remove the CDROM. That way, it stays in the rack, in one piece with all cables connected and the remote staff is not asked to do as much. Thanks for helping me think through a solution. Martin McCormick