Overview - NEC Express5800/R320a-E4 User Manual

5-96 Installing and Using Utilities

Overview

Active Upgrade technology allows you to upgrade system and application software on an NEC
Express5800/ft series system with minimal downtime.
Instead of taking your system offline to run upgrade procedures, you can use Active Upgrade
technology to split the system into two independently running systems, one "side" of which you
upgrade while the other "side" continues to run your applications without interruption.
To learn more about Active Upgrade technology, see the following topics:
•
"Features" on this page.
•
"Active Upgrade Process" on page 5-97
Features
Active Upgrade technology enables the following:
•
Install software updates with minimal disruption to your critical applications.
The applications required for the server operation continue to run on one side of the system while
you install software on, and even restart, the other side. There is only a brief disruption when you
are finished installing updates, as your critical applications are restarted on the upgraded software.
•
Test the latest software updates in your environment before making the updates permanent.
After your critical applications are restarted on the upgraded software, you can verify the success of
your software updates in a production environment, with real users and system load. If you want to
keep the changes, there is no additional downtime. Otherwise, as quickly as your system can restart,
you can abort the upgrade to go back to the original version of your software.
•
Abort the upgrade process at Split mode or Merge mode until you commit the changes.
If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with an upgrade, you can abort the upgrade session to return
the system to its original state. Nothing is permanent until you choose to commit the changes. (Also,
there is no disruption to your critical applications if you abandon the upgrade in the split mode,
before testing the software in your production environment).
TIPS:
Active Upgrade Process, page 5-97
Software Upgrade Support, page 5-104
Prerequisites, page 5-106