Upgrading Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server on a single server system

About this task

This procedure provides instructions on how to install a supported version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server.

Before you begin

Important:

If you are upgrading to Experience Portal 8.1 from Experience Portal 6.x or 7.x, you must do a fresh installation of a supported version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server.

If you have installed a co-resident Application server on the original Experience Portal server and:

If the operating system is upgraded in a way which preserves data, such as a minor OS upgrade, then the original co-resident Application server is preserved. In this scenario, although it is not mandatory to update the co-resident Application server, it is recommended that the application server is upgraded to pick up the latest Tomcat features and security fixes.
If a fresh install of the operating system was performed, such as performing a new installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 64-bit to replace the 32-bit system, or the operating system was otherwise upgraded in a way that does not preserve data on the system, then the original co-resident Application server is not preserved and must be manually upgraded to restore Application server functionality. In such a scenario, prior to upgrading the operating system, manually back up any configuration files, data files, Web applications and components, libraries, and binaries that you want to preserve from the original Application server. These files may then be restored as needed when the new Application server is installed. For more information about the required backup files, contact the application developer.

Ensure that you backup all the Experience Portal data, including the database.

Important:
For more information on creating a backup, see Backing up data
Verify that the prerequisites have been met. For more information, see Prerequisites checklist for upgrading Experience Portal.
Log on to the EPM Web interface.
From the MPP Manager page, stop the MPP.
Perform the steps described in Preventing loss of reporting data prior to upgrading MPP.
Take the MPP offline before you upgrade the operating system as described in Taking an MPP offline using the EPM web interface.
Log in to Linux on the Experience Portal server and turn off the automatic process restart feature for the MPP service by entering the chkconfig mpp off command.
Turn off the automatic process restart feature for Tomcat by entering the chkconfig tomcat off command.

Procedure

Reboot the server so that it boots from the media of a supported version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server.

The system displays the Welcome to Red Hat Enterprise Linux screen.
Select the Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux option.
Select English as the language to use during the installation process.
Select the U.S. English keyboard option.
Select Installation Destination and select the disk to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux..
Select Network and Host name.
Enter the host name and select Apply.

Note:
All network configuration including the hostname and IP (and other properties specified in steps 7 and 8) must remain the same.
To configure the network:
1. Ensure that eth0/ens192, the main Ethernet interface, is enabled.
2. On the IPv4 Settings tab, configure the following settings using the values specified on the installation worksheet:
  - Static IP address
  - Netmask
  - Gateway
  - DNS servers
  - Search domains
Enter the applicable timezone.
Select Begin Installation.
Enter the root password. Ensure that you enter the value that you have specified in the installation worksheet.
Complete the installation and reboot the system.
After the system reboots, complete the post-installation configuration procedures.
1. Accept the License Agreement and Finish Configuration (RHEL 8.x).
2. Set the system clock.
3. Create a non-root account. Ensure that you use the value that you have specified in the installation worksheet.
  
  Note:
  After the Experience Portal software is installed, use a non-root account to log in and then change to root account by using the su — command.
4. Disable the firewall.
5. Set default umask to 027 in the /etc/profile and /etc/bashrc scripts.
6. Configure a yum repository that has required Experience Portal packages.