Proxmox major upgrade 2.1-->4.4

[luk23]

Hello,

I want to instal a new proxmox instance on new hdd`s
is it possible to move everything at once - so backup VM`s on 2.1 and restore in 4.4 like described:

• Backup all VMs and containers to external media (see Backup and Restore)
• Backup all files in /etc You will need various files in /etc/pve, as well as /etc/passwd, /etc/network/interfaces, /etc/resolv.conf and others depending on what has been configured from the defaults.
• Install Proxmox VE from ISO (this will wipe all data on the existing host)
• Rebuild the cluster if you had any
• Restore the file /etc/pve/storage.cfg (this will re-map and make available any external media you used for backup)
• Restore firewall configs /etc/pve/firewall/ and /etc/pve/nodes/<node>/host.fw (if relevant)
• Restore full VMs from Backups (see Backup and Restore)
• Restore/Convert containers (see Convert OpenVZ to LXC)

or should I go step by step ?
2.1-->2.3-->3.0-->4.0-->4.4 ?

or is it worth to go to 5.0b ?

I know it is simple question but I cannot find that information
Thank you !

 

[aPollO]

I don't see any reason for going over each release. By using the described way you only backup you VMs and restore the VMs within the new version. There is no migration or something else. So i don't know why you want to go step by step.
The only important thing is to migrate the OpenVZ to LXC Containers if you have any. I never tried this from <3.0

 

[luk23]

Ok, thanks
So I have to migrate my OpenVZ to LXC containers
Anyone can confirm if it is possible directly from 2.1--> 4.4 ?

 

[aPollO]

Have you read the wiki article linked in you first thread? https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Convert_OpenVZ_to_LXC
If you have the vzdump command in 2.1 it should work. This create only an tar archiv with the whole content of your container and some additional information. The settings have to be restored manually (by hand). So it have to work if the tools are aviable.

 

[t.lamprecht]

Anyone can confirm if it is possible directly from 2.1--> 4.4 ?

If you mean direct upgrading the whole system from 2.2 to 4.4, then no. Making the backups first, installing Proxmox VE 4.4 and then restoring the backups would be the suggested way.

I'd strongly suggest to test the import of the (a few) VMs and CTs first. For that you could even make a VM with PVE 4.4. on your current PVE 2.2 node, if you do not have a (small) test server to spare.
Once your family with the backup/restore process and see that all VMs/CTs still work as expected I'd do the actual re-install of the physical host and restore the backups there.

 

[fortechitsolutions]

Hi, just to join the chorus,

- backup, clean install, restore - is definitely the safe path.
- Just for giggles, I once did a test-box upgrade from 2>3>4 and .. I don't recommend it.
- since you are using new clean HDDs for the new proxmox install, it is even easier, you can sort-of skip the backups-dump step if you want and manually copy over VM Disk images from <old filsystem> to <new filesystem>. after first manually create new VM 'place holders' in the new environment that mimic what you want (in terms of VM CPU:RAM allocation, etc). Of course if you go this way be very careful since you run the risk of "oops, deleted my only copy of the vm! haha isn't that funny <sad face>"

Tim

 

[luk23]

guys,

with your advice, I successfully made a test unit with proxmox 4.4
almost everything was fine:
backup, install, restore/conversion
but now I wanted to install another instance of proxmox on same unit(just to exercise with grub) and I'm getting an error:
unable to create volume group pve : a volume group called pve already exist
is the only way to instal second instance on the same unit - remove hdd0 install on hdd1 and then put hdd0 back ?
thanks

 

[fortechitsolutions]

Hi, sounds to me like the old proxmox install / disk has VGs present which block automated new-clean install. So, either use a different disk, or, destroy the content of that disk first (ie, clobber disk slices) so it is empty before trying the new automated install. I'm not clear if this exercise you are trying, you wish to preserve the disk content or not. So that would decide your preferred route. Note that if you temporarily remove this disk, install to clean disk, and attach this later, there might be 'confusion' if you have 'identical' VG info on 2 separate disks (ie, same name LVM configs ?) but I am not sure / and would leave that to you to test and determine

Tim