Apply an ArcGIS update to a Windows multiple-machine site
This topic describes how to apply an ArcGIS update to a Windows multiple-machine ArcGIS Server site running on Amazon Web Services (AWS). In the context of this topic, a multiple-machine site is a site that includes more than one EC2 instance running the GIS server component.
To upgrade the site, you need to apply the update on two machines, then use those machines to create a template from which you launch your final updated site.
To minimize downtime, it's recommended that you apply the update on a copy of your site, which you can also make using site templates. The optional step 2 below explains how to do this. Once you have applied the update, you can redirect traffic into your updated site.
If you do not want to perform the steps below, you can launch a new site using the latest version of Cloud Builder and redeploy your data, services, and applications on it.
Follow the steps below to update a multiple-machine site to the latest version of ArcGIS. Do not stop your site at any time while performing these steps.
- Install the version of ArcGIS Server Cloud Builder on Amazon Web Services that corresponds to the update you want to apply. Be aware that when you do this, you will not be able to access your sites with an older version of Cloud Builder.
- Optionally, to minimize downtime during the update, use Cloud Builder to create a template of your site. Then launch a new site from the template.
When you launch this site, configure it to have exactly two EC2 instances running the GIS server component. In other words, you should set the Number of instances property to 2 and uncheck Enable auto-scaling.
You'll apply the update to this copy of your site. Once you are ready, you can switch your incoming traffic to the updated site.
- If you did not perform step 2 above, edit your site in Cloud Builder so that it contains exactly two EC2 instances. In other words, you should set the Number of instances property to 2 and uncheck Enable auto-scaling.
- Log in to the EC2 instance containing the ArcGIS Server configuration store and server directories. This instance is marked SITEHOST in the AWS Management Console.
- On the SITEHOST, download the updates for ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS for Server, and (optionally) ArcGIS Web Adaptor.
- On the SITEHOST, set your ArcGIS Server account (arcgis) password to a known value. By default this password is random, but when you apply the update, you need to enter the password. If you need instructions on how to reset the password of a Windows operating system login, see the Microsoft documentation.
- On the SITEHOST, install the updates in the following order: ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS for Server, and ArcGIS Web Adaptor. Further information about installing the updates is available in the installation guides.
Note:
ArcGIS for Server and ArcGIS for Desktop must be at the same version. Uninstall or upgrade the previous version of ArcGIS for Desktop before applying ArcGIS for Server updates.
- On the other instance, set your ArcGIS Server account (arcgis) password to the same password you set on SITEHOST.
Note:
Be sure to set the ArcGIS Server account password to the same value on all instances.
- On the other instance, download updates for ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS for Server, and (optionally) ArcGIS Web Adaptor.
- Install the updates in the following order: ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS for Server, and ArcGIS Web Adaptor.
Be sure to provide the arcgis user's new password.
For authorization, you can use the file in this location or use your new license file:
C:\Program Files:\ArcGIS\Server\framework\etc\license.ecp
- Test and configure your updated site. Make sure it is working exactly the way you want.
If you were to leave your site in its current state, the second EC2 instance would be lost the next time you stopped your site using Cloud Builder. Therefore, continue with the following steps to preserve your work as a template and launch a site with the desired number of instances.
- Use Cloud Builder to create a template from your newly updated site.
- Using the template you created in the previous step, launch a site with the desired number of EC2 instances and auto-scaling rules.
- Switch your organization's address mapping to point at your updated site's URL. If your apps were referencing the site URL directly, you'll need to modify any URLs in your apps to incorporate your new Elastic Load Balancer (ELB) address. You can get the ELB address by looking at the Manager URL in the list of site details in Cloud Builder.
Once you verify that the updated site is working, you can delete your original site and the templates you created in steps 2.