519 - How to migrate a Storage Platform to a new IP address or DNS name

Background

You might need to migrate your Storage Platform (SP) to new IP addresses or DNS names if you are required to move your SP from one network to another (e.g. moving data centre), or if the existing network is modified and the SP addresses need to be changed.

Changing the StorageServer IP

Changing the addresses of StorageServers is a two-step process:

1. After the StorageServer has been moved to its new address, stop the Redstor Pro StorageServer Service (using the Windows Services menu).

2. Navigate to the StorageServer service folder (default location is C:\ProgramData\Attix5 Pro\SS_Service but may differ if multiple services are installed.

Note: The default path for StorageServers on Windows 2003 is C:\Documents and Settings\AllUsers\ApplicationData\Attix5 Pro\SS_Service).

3. Open the Settings.xml file using Notepad.

4. Edit the public and private IP bindings. For example, to change the bindings from:
192.168.2.10 to 172.16.2.3

From:
<PRIVATEIP default="0.0.0.0">192.168.2.10

5. Save and close the settings.xml file, and restart the service.

6. In the Storage Platform Console, navigate to the Storage Platform Configuration view. Right-click the appropriate old StorageServer entry (e.g. 192.168.2.10), select Advanced > Change StorageServer address, and enter the new IP address details.

Changing StorageServer IPs accessed as DNS names

If your StorageServers are accessed using DNS names, for example ss1.attix5cloud.com, but the IP addresses used by the StorageServers need to change, the IP addresses can be changed in the settings.xml file as described above. Once changed, DNS settings will need to be updated to resolve to the new IP.

The StorageServer DNS address will not need to be changed on the Storage Platform as this will automatically resolve to the new IP. The command "ipconfig /flushdns" will clear DNS caches, forcing a faster update.

If changing IP and also switching to a DNS name, ensure the DNS name resolves as expected before changing this using Advanced > Change StorageServer address on the Console.

 

Changing the StorageServer DNS names

1. If you need to change DNS names for StorageServers but IP addresses remain the same, the easiest method is to configure both the old and the new name to resolve to the same IP. For example:

Current DNS name = tempss.attix5cloud.com
Current DNS name resolved IP = 192.168.2.10

New DNS name = ss1.attix5cloud.com
New DNS name resolved IP = 192.168.2.10

2. When both old and new names resolve to the same address, the name can be switched over using Advanced > Change StorageServer address from the SP Console. You can also use this method to switch between a DNS name and an IP address.

Changing the AccountServer IP

Note on AccountServer DNS: It is strongly recommended to use a DNS name for the AccountServer even if DNS names are not used for StorageServers. The AccountServer DNS or IP address is included in deployed Agent settings. If a static IP address changes, Agents will need to be reconfigured in order to contact the AccountServer and successfully backup. 

By contrast, Agents using a DNS name will be able to resolve the name to the new IP and continue backing up without requiring reconfiguration. 

To change the AccountServer IP after the AccountServer has been moved to its new address: 

1. Stop the Redstor Pro AccountServer Service (using the Windows Services menu).

2. Navigate to the AccountServer service folder (default location: C:\ProgramData\Attix5 Pro\AS_Service).

3. Open the Settings.xml file using Notepad.

4. Edit the public and private IP bindings. For example, to change the bindings from:

192.168.2.9 to 172.16.2.4

From: <PRIVATEIP default="0.0.0.0">192.168.2.9