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Upgrading from GroupWise 5.2 to 5.5

Articles and Tips: article

HOWARD TAYLER
Advanced Project Engineer
Novell SWAT Team

TAY KRATZER
Primary Support Engineer
Novell Premium Support

01 Oct 1999


The latest version of GroupWise is definitely worth the upgrade, and a simplified process makes it easier than ever. Here are some tips on how to upgrade to 5.5 most efficiently.

Introduction

The purpose of this document is to assist the GroupWise 5.2 system administrator, as well as resellers and consultants, in the process of upgrading a GroupWise 5.2 system to version 5.5 with the full set of patches. It is advisable to read this entire document and any associated documents before beginning the upgrade process.

The process of upgrading from GroupWise 5.2 to 5.5 involves the installation of new software which extends the NDS schema, updates the GroupWise administration databases, and updates address book information in GroupWise user databases. The process is complex, but it is much less worrisome than the GroupWise 4.x-to-5.x migration process. The fundamental GroupWise architecture has not changed between versions 5.2 and 5.5, and Novell has taken pains to engineer the 5.5 upgrade to be as easy and error-proof as possible.

As a result, many GroupWise 5.5 upgrades come off trouble-free. However, there are a few pitfalls to be aware of. This document has been prepared to help administrators work around those pitfalls, helping Novell customers keep their support costs at a minimum. This document covers the following areas:

  • System-wide preparations

  • Installing new GroupWise software

  • Understanding the database and agent upgrade processes

  • Upgrading the primary domain

  • Upgrading any secondary domain

  • Upgrading any post office

For information about migrating from GroupWise 4.x to 5.5, see the online GroupWise 5.5 Migration Guide at:

http://www.novell.com/products/groupwise/administration/gw55/us/gwmigrat.html

System-Wide Preparations

The major changes to GroupWise 5.5 that affect or are affected by the GroupWise 5.2 to 5.5 migration are:

  • The use of the new NetWare Administrator 32 and the new GroupWise snap-in

  • Native Internet Addressing

  • New views in the GroupWise 5.5 32-bit Client

  • Message Transfer threads in the Post Office Agent (POA), allowing it to talk directly to the Message Transfer Agent (MTA)

  • Administration threads in the POA and the MTA (no more ADA process)

These changes necessitated additional NDS schema extensions, new fields for agent settings, and additional interfaces for working with Native Internet Addressing. Between the removal of the ADA process and the addition of Internet Addressing, the changes to the GroupWise databases were significant enough that the database version for GroupWise 5.5 was incremented from 5.0 (for GroupWise 5.0 through 5.2) to 5.5.

To prepare for an upgrade from GroupWise 5.2 to 5.5, you need to apply server patches, adjust server parameters, and verify the health of your Novell Directory Services (NDS) tree. Guidelines are given in the sections below.

Applying Server Patches

At some point during the installation and upgrade process, new GroupWise Agents must be installed. These GroupWise agents require that CLIB.NLM be patched to at least version 4.11n. A copy of LIBUPH.EXE, which contains CLIB version N, is located on the GroupWise 5.5 CD in the ADMIN\AGENTS\CLIB directory. However, Novell recommends that you install the latest NetWare patches, as listed on the minimum patch list for NetWare at:

http://support.novell.com/misc/patlst.htm

Adjusting Server Parameters

Prior to the upgrade, you should make all necessary server tuning adjustments per the recommendations in the GroupWise sizing document (TID 2946201), which is located at:

http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/tidfinder.cgi?2946201

The general NetWare server tuning recommendations are found in the appendix of that document. Other recommendations in the document, especially those regarding system architecture, number of post offices per server, and number of active users per post office, should be carefully evaluated and implemented.

Note: After applying patches and setting new parameters per the GroupWise sizing document, you will need to down and restart the file server. Make sure to patch and correctly configure (per the sizing document) all NetWare file servers that will house GroupWise 5.5.

Verifying the Health of Your NDS Tree

Prepare the NDS tree by making sure the NDS databases are clean, synchronized, and stable.

Note: The NDS schema is further extended when you install GroupWise 5.5. These extensions are additional properties for existing GroupWise object classes.

Installing New GroupWise Software

There are four major objectives in installing the GroupWise 5.5 software. The first is to create a fully-patched version of the complete GroupWise 5.5 CD. The second is to create a new software distribution directory from which to begin the upgrade of your GroupWise system. The third is to distribute the latest NetWare Administrator software (NWAdmin32), as well as the snap-ins, to all servers. The fourth objective is to disable the GroupWise snap-ins in older versions of NetWare Administrator (NWAdmin95 and NWAdminNT).

Creating a Patched GroupWise 5.5 CD

Most administrators don't do this; they simply run the installation on the CD and then patch the files on the network. After all, that's how the "official" instructions read. The process below is preferred because it speeds up the installation, simplifies the patch process, and in the final step gives you a useful tool you won't get any other way: an installable patched CD.

  1. Copy the entire GroupWise 5.5 CD to a local drive. The files will take up about 300 MB of disk space, but you ought to do this on a drive with at least 800 MB of free space.

  2. Obtain and apply the latest GroupWise 5.5 patch. This patch is available at: http://support.novell.com/misc/patlst.htm#gw

    Note: The patch may include a download assistant which will examine your GroupWise software and determine which online patch file should be applied.

  3. During the patch process, you will "point" the patch at the copy of the CD on your local drive. At the appropriate prompts, choose not to copy the software locally (it is already local) and not to make a backup (if the patch fails, you have a backup on the CD).

  4. When the process has completed, you will have a patched version of the GroupWise CD on your local drive. If you have access to a CD burner, you can create an installable patched CD from this image, which would be a very handy tool to have.

Creating a New Software Distribution Directory

We recommend that you create a new software distribution directory for GroupWise 5.5 instead of updating the old one. The main reason behind this recommendation is that the GroupWise 5.5 client cannot connect to a GroupWise 5.2 post office or POA. If you upgrade the 5.2 software before upgrading the POA, users could receive the new software and end up locked out of their mailboxes until you've finished the Post Office upgrades. Your objective, then, is to create a new software distribution directory, leaving the old 5.2 directory alone.

  1. Make sure you have Read, Write, Create, Erase, Modify, and File Scan rights (or equivalent rights) in the SYS:\PUBLIC directory and to the location where you are going to create the new GroupWise 5.5 software distribution directory.

  2. Copy the entire patched GroupWise 5.5 CD (the one on your local drive) to the appropriate destination on the network. It may be adjacent to an existing 5.2 software distribution directory, but do not overwrite an existing 5.2 software distribution directory.

  3. From a Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 workstation, launch INSTALL.EXE from the root of the new 5.5 software directory on the network.

  4. Follow the prompts to install the GroupWise Administrator DLLs to a NetWare server. This process will create or update the SYS:\PUBLIC\WIN32 directory structure. You should choose to overwrite read-only files, and you should choose not to update newer files. Newer files will likely be present only on patched NetWare 5 servers.

  5. There is a prompt for software installation that asks whether you want to create a directory on the file server, or run from the CD as a mounted volume. Choose "CD as a mounted volume," as this option requires no product option selections beyond those for NetWare Administrator installation. (The "Directory on the file server" option will ask for several product option selections and then copy software from this directory to a new location.)

  6. At the "Determine Next Step" dialog, click on the Exit button. Do not proceed with the Installation Wizard. Do not install the GroupWise Agents as prompted by the Installation Wizard. You'll take care of this later.

Distributing the New NetWare Administrator

Now that you have created a new software distribution directory and installed NetWare Administrator 32 with the GroupWise 5.5 snap-ins to one server, you need to replicate NWAdmin32 to the remaining servers where GroupWise administration is performed. The easiest way to do this is simply to copy SYS:\PUBLIC\WIN32 from the server you installed to in step 4 above to every other SYS volume. Bear in mind, however, that NetWare 5 servers and servers where ZENworks snap-ins have been installed may be running newer versions of some NWAdmin32 snap-ins.

In a heterogeneous environment with NetWare 4.x, 5.x, and ZENworks, the following steps should be performed:

  1. Compare the contents of SYS:\PUBLIC\WIN32 from several servers. Look at file dates, and especially review the contents of the WIN32\SNAPIN subdirectory.

  2. Create a "master" WIN32 directory structure with all the latest files, including the GroupWise files installed in step 4 above.

  3. Copy the contents of SYS:\PUBLIC\WIN32 and all subdirectories to every SYS volume.

Disabling the Old GroupWise 5.2 Snap-Ins

Now that the latest administration software is available, it is wise to disable GroupWise 5.2 snap-ins. GroupWise 5.2 snap-in software does not recognize the schema extensions for GroupWise 5.5, but it is okay to use the GroupWise 5.5 snap-ins against a GroupWise 5.2 domain or post office.

  1. Delete the file GWADMA32.DLL from all PUBLIC directories. This is the GroupWise 5.2 snap-in, which should not be used once you have upgraded to GroupWise 5.5. The file is located in the PUBLIC\WIN95 and/or PUBLIC\WINNT directories.

  2. Once this file has been removed, if you run NetWare Administrator for Windows 95/NT you will get a "cannot find gwadma32.dll" error. This error is not critical. It simply means that GWADMA32.DLL is registered to be loaded with NWAdmin, but NWAdmin cannot find the DLL, and hence cannot administer the GroupWise system. It may still be used to administer other NDS objects.

    To prevent this error on any given workstation, you should:

    • Run REGEDIT.EXE.

    • Issue a find on the GWADMA32.DLL file.

    • Delete the reference to the file.

Understanding the Upgrade Processes

With the GroupWise 5.5 administration software in place and the 5.5 agent software ready to be installed, you are ready to begin the actual upgrade of the domain and post office databases. Before beginning, however, it is important to understand exactly what is going to happen both in the database upgrade process and in the agent upgrade process.

The Database Upgrade Process

The database upgrade process consists of upgrading the domain and the post office.

The Domain Upgrade Process. A domain upgrade occurs as follows:

  1. The domain is "connected to" with the 5.5 NWAdmin32 snap-ins.

  2. The 5.5 snap-ins extract new DC files and place them in the domain directory and in the <domain<<WPOFFICE directory.

  3. The 5.5 MTA is run against this domain. It checks for the following conditions:

    • The "upgradeable" bit must be set (indicating that step 1 is complete)

    • New DC files must be present (indicating that step 2 is complete)

    • All post office links must be open

  4. The 5.5 MTA then executes a "recover" operation against the domain database. This operation is similar to a rebuild, but open connections to the database may remain with no difficulties. The database is now a 5.5 database, and will appear as such when the domain details are viewed from NWAdmin.

  5. The domain version information is replicated to the post offices. This becomes important during the post office upgrade process below.

The Post Office Upgrade Process. The process of upgrading the post office occurs as follows:

  1. The parent domain must be upgraded. This is indicated in the post office's parent domain record.

  2. The 5.5 POA is run against this post office. It checks for the following conditions:

    • The parent domain is version 5.5 (indicating that step 1 is complete)

    • The new GWPO.DC and NGWGUARD.DC files must be present in the post office directory

  3. The POA is not likely to find the new DC files yet, as they exist in the domain directory. The POA will therefore request the files from the domain.

  4. When the files are received, the POA will execute the same sort of recover operation against WPHOST.DB as in step 4 of the Domain Upgrade Process. The database is now a 5.5 database.

  5. The post office version information is replicated to the domain, and will appear as a 5.5 database when the post office details are viewed from NWAdmin.

The POA will check the software distribution directory to which it has been assigned for the presence of new *.VEW files, and will copy any such files to the <post office<<OFVIEWS directory structure.

Preventing Potential Problems. There are several places where the upgrade process can be stopped, either accidentally or by design. These places, referred to as "break points," are as follows:

  • Extraction of the new DC files may fail, or the extracted files may be damaged. This is probably a workstation-specific issue, perhaps related to virus scanning software.

  • Post office links may be closed. There are numerous reasons for this.

  • The post office link may "break" when the new POA is run. The POA will not be able to request DC files.

  • GroupWise 5.5 post offices assigned to 5.2 software distribution directories will not automatically obtain the new view files required by the client. This problem is not critical and does not impede the upgrade, but does affect end users of GroupWise 5.5.

Working around these problems is fairly simple, and recovering from them in the event they have not been correctly worked around is also simple. Each of the actions below is also listed under the applicable upgrade procedure for domains or post offices.

The first preventive action is an obvious one. The DC files may be manually copied to every location on the network where they will be required. This includes domain directory roots, <domain<<WPOFFICE directories, and post office directory roots. Don't copy the files too far in advance of your upgrade, though (no more than a few days ahead of time). If you need to run a database rebuild, it would be better to use the same DC files that the database was created with.

The next fix is to make sure that the post office links are open from the domain's 5.2 MTA before installing the 5.5 MTA. Verify the links again after the 5.5 MTA is running. Nothing should have changed.

The most complicated step is to make sure that IP-linked post offices have their Message Transport Port field updated before the new POA is run against them. This is discussed in more detail under "Upgrading Any Post Office" below.

Finally, the view file distribution problem is solved by copying view files from the CLIENT\OFVIEWS\WIN subdirectory of your 5.5 software distribution directory to the post office OFVIEWS\WIN directory. Assigning each PO to the 5.5 software distribution directory will also ensure that the files come across. However, this should not be done until the post office has been upgraded to 5.5. Otherwise, users will be prompted to upgrade to 5.5 and will be \locked out\ of the 5.2 post office until you can upgrade it.

The Agent Upgrade Process

GroupWise Agents typically exist in the SYS:\SYSTEM directory on a NetWare file server. The filenames for the agents are the same between GroupWise 5.2 and GroupWise 5.5, with the exception of the Engine Library NLM: for 5.2 it is GWENN1.NLM, and under 5.5 it is GWENN2.NLM. There is also a hybrid engine library used only by the 5.5 GroupWise Internet Agent called GWENN15.NLM.

This fact becomes critical if you have domains or post offices that must remain at the 5.2 level sharing the server with domains or post offices that are to be upgraded. Updating the SYSTEM directory will update all of the 5.2 agents to 5.5. If you need to run 5.2 agents alongside 5.5 agents, you should follow the procedure listed below under "Manual Agent Installation for 5.2 Coexistence". If you don't need 5.2 agents running on the same server as 5.5 agents, follow the procedure in "Using the Agent Installer" below.

Another item to be aware of is that under GroupWise 5.5, the Administration Agent is no longer a separate module. Do not run a 5.2 ADA (GWADA.NLM) against a 5.5 domain or post office. Doing so will result in data loss. The Agent installation program will prompt you, asking you to check a box for the removal of obsolete ADA references and files. The default is checked, and you should stay with the default. Be sure to follow the procedure under "Disabling the GroupWise 5.2 GWADA.NLM" below.

Manual Agent Installation for 5.2 Coexistence

  1. Copy the contents of the GroupWise 5.5 software distribution directory (AGENTS\NLM) to a newly-created directory under SYS:\SYSTEM called GW55.

  2. Copy the contents of the AGENTS\NLM\ language directory to SYS:\SYSTEM\GW55.

  3. Create startup files for the 5.5 agents. Templates for these files can now be found in the software distribution directory under AGENTS\STARTUPS\ language. The first switch, \/home-\\[server]\[volume]\[directory ]", is required for all agents. Name the startup files after their corresponding domain or post office, and copy them to SYS:"SYSTEM.

  4. Create appropriate entries in GRPWISE.NCF to load the 5.5 agents with their new startup files. The LOAD line for each such entry should read something like this:

    LOAD SYS:\SYSTEM\GW55\GWMTA.NLM @DOM1.MTA

Using the Agent Installer

  1. Unload all GroupWise agents (POA, MTA, ADA) from the target server.

  2. Run INSTALL.EXE from the AGENTS directory of your 5.5 software distribution directory.

  3. Select the appropriate SYS:\SYSTEM directory.

  4. When prompted for domains and post offices, click Add.

  5. In the prompt for adding domains and/or post offices, the Name will be used to name the startup file. For clarity's sake, it is best to enter the exact name of the entity to be serviced. The path must be the exact path to the domain or post office. A Browse button is provided.

  6. Review the summary and click Next. The software will be copied to the server.

  7. The final check-box prompt asks whether you want to update the AUTOEXEC.NCF file, delete old ADA references, and/or launch the agents now. If the agents have not previously been unloaded (step 1), unload them now or do not check the box for loading the agents. Otherwise the agents will contend for ports, and old ADA software may still be running, even if GWADA.NLM has been deleted.

  8. Click Finish.

Disabling GWADA.NLM

This procedure should only be followed if the ADA will no longer be needed for GroupWise 5.2 entities on this server.

  1. Delete SYS:\SYSTEM\GWADA.NLM. If the source file is not present, then it has been correctly deleted by the installer.

  2. Edit the NCF file that loads the GroupWise ADA (probably GRPWISE.NCF) and remove the load statement for GWADA.NLM.

Upgrading the Primary Domain

With all of the software upgrades and theory understood, you are ready to proceed with the actual data upgrades. The following is a complete procedure for upgrading the primary domain.

  1. Look at the Configuration Status on the 5.2 Domain MTA console, and verify that all domains and post offices are open. Do not proceed until you have resolved the conditions that cause your domain MTA to not see a domain or post office as open.

  2. Copy the primary domain's WPDOMAIN.DB file to WPDOMAIN.50 for safe keeping in case something goes wrong.

  3. Run NetWare Administrator 32 from a NetWare server where you installed the GroupWise snap-in DLLs. You should see a dialog box warning you about the GroupWise 5.2 ADA.

  4. Open the GroupWise view and confirm that you are connected to the Primary domain. If you are not connected to the Primary domain, connect to it at this point (Tools | GroupWise System Operations | System Connection).

  5. View the details of the primary domain. The database version should read "5.0" not "5.x". If it says 5.x you are using NetWare Administrator NT or 95. You must run NetWare Administrator 32 with the GroupWise 5.5 snap-ins to flag the primary domain database to indicate that it can be recovered by the GroupWise 5.5 MTA.

  6. Expand the primary domain view so that you see the GroupWise ADA, MTA, and so on. Delete the GroupWise ADA object below the domain.

  7. Copy the *.DC files from the 5.5 software distribution directory's DOMAIN subdirectory to the primary domain's root directory (where the WPDOMAIN.DB file resides). Overwrite the existing *.DC files. (When you entered NetWare Administrator, the GWADMB32.DLL file extracted the new GroupWise 5.5 GWDOM.DC and GWPO.DC files. Remember, however, that the extraction process fails on occasion. Copying the *.DC files from the software distribution directory ensures the DC files are clean.)

  8. Copy the NGWGUARD.DC file from the 5.5 software distribution directory's PO subdirectory to <domain<<WPOFFICE. (Again, this is to ensure that the DC files are clean, even though the extraction is usually successful.)

  9. Unload the GroupWise 5.2 and the GroupWise 5.2 ADA running against the primary domain.

  10. Install the agent software to this server using one of the procedures listed under "Understanding the Agent Upgrade Process" above.

  11. Load the GroupWise 5.5 MTA against the GroupWise 5 primary domain. If you are using INSTALL.EXE for agent installation, this may be done as part of that installation process.

  12. If your file server houses both GroupWise 5.2 and GroupWise 5.5 agents, make sure to run the GroupWise 5.5 MTA against your primary domain only. This would also be a good time to edit the startup file that loads the GroupWise MTA to ensure it is running the GroupWise 5.5 MTA vs. the GroupWise 5.2 MTA, if in fact you have kept the GroupWise 5.2 MTA on this file server. The GroupWise 5.5 MTA is called GWMTA just like the GroupWise 5.2 MTA. You will also want to confirm that there are no references in any NCF files to the GroupWise ADA loading against this GroupWise 5.5 domain.

  13. Attempt to unload GWENN1.NLM. If the primary domain is the only GroupWise entity on this server, GWENN1 should unload. If there is a 5.2 POA on this server, GWENN1 will still be in use, and can be unloaded after the PO is upgraded.

Confirming that the Primary Domain Has Been Upgraded

Once the new agent software is in place, it may take a few minutes before the database recovery takes place. To confirm that the primary domain has been successfully upgraded, do the following:

  1. Launch NWAdmin32.EXE.

  2. Highlight the primary domain (from either the NDS or GroupWise view) and select Details.

  3. Look at the Database Version field. It should read "5.5". If the domain has not been successfully upgraded yet, the Version field will read "5.0".

Upgrading Any Secondary Domain

After you have upgraded the primary domain, follow the steps below to upgrade your secondary domains. With a few exceptions, these steps are identical to the ones for upgrading the primary domain:

  1. Look at the Configuration Status on the 5.2 Domain MTA console, and verify that all domains and post offices are open. Do not proceed until you have resolved the conditions that cause your domain MTA to not see a domain or post office as open.

  2. Copy the WPDOMAIN.DB file to WPDOMAIN.50 for safe keeping in case something goes wrong.

  3. From NWAdmin32 open the GroupWise view and confirm that you are connected to the domain you want to upgrade. If you are not, connect to it at this point (Tools | GroupWise System Operations | System Connection).

  4. View the Details of this domain. The database version should read "5.0" not "5.x".

  5. Expand the primary domain view so you see the GroupWise ADA, MTA, and so on. Delete the GroupWise ADA object below the domain.

  6. Copy the *.DC files from the 5.5 software distribution directory's DOMAIN subdirectory to this domain's root directory (where WPDOMAIN.DB resides). Overwrite the existing *.DC files. (For secondary domain upgrades, the files are not extracted; they are requested from the primary domain. Copying them saves time.)

  7. Copy the NGWGUARD.DC file from the 5.5 software distribution directory's PO subdirectory to <domain<<WPOFFICE.

  8. Unload the GroupWise 5.2 ADA running against this domain.

  9. Install the agent software to this server using one of the procedures listed under "Understanding the Agent Upgrade Process" above.

  10. Load the GroupWise 5.5 MTA against this domain. If you are using INSTALL.EXE for agent installation, this may be done as part of that installation process.

  11. If your file server houses both GroupWise 5.2 and GroupWise 5.5 agents, make sure to run the GroupWise 5.5 MTA against your primary domain only. This would also be a good time to edit the startup file that loads the GroupWise MTA to ensure it is running the GroupWise 5.5 MTA vs. the GroupWise 5.2 MTA, if in fact you have kept the GroupWise 5.2 MTA on this file server. The GroupWise 5.5 MTA is called GWMTA just like the GroupWise 5.2 MTA. You will also want to confirm that there are no references in any NCF files reference to the GroupWise ADA loading against this GroupWise 5.5 Domain.

  12. Attempt to unload GWENN1.NLM. If this domain is the only GroupWise entity on this server, GWENN1 should unload. If there is a 5.2 POA on this server, GWENN1 will still be in use, and can be unloaded after the PO is upgraded.

Upgrading Any Post Office

Before a post office may be upgraded, its parent domain must have been upgraded. It is also critical that the clients be running the latest GroupWise 5.2 software (patch 4, as of this writing) to prevent possible server utilization problems in Client/Server access mode. If client software will be upgraded immediately following the post office upgrade, it is not necessary to patch the 5.2 clients at this time.

  1. If this post office is connected to via TCP/IP:

    • Open the POA object from NetWare Administrator.

    • From the Network Address tab, verify that this POA is assigned an IP address.

    • Edit the Message Transfer Port field.

    • Enter the port number currently being used by this post office's 5.2 MTA. It will probably be 7100. (This value will be ignored by the 5.2 POA, but will be required by the 5.5 POA for continued connectivity.)

  2. Copy the contents of the 5.5 software distribution directory \CLIENT\ OFVIEWS\WIN to the post office's OFVIEWS\WIN directory, and overwrite existing files. If these files are not present, when the 5.5 client is loaded (step 8 below) the POA will report several non-critical 8209 errors, and users will not have access to the new views available in GroupWise 5.5.

  3. Copy the GWPO.DC and NGWGUARD.DC files from your 5.5 software distribution \PO directory to the root of the post office directory. The root of a post office is where the WPHOST.DB file for the post office is located.

  4. Install the agent software to this server using one of the procedures listed under "Understanding the Agent Upgrade Process" above.

  5. Load the POA, which should now be a 5.5 level POA. If you are using INSTALL.EXE for agent installation, this may be done as part of that installation process.

  6. Confirm that the GroupWise post office has been converted. Use the following procedure for doing this:

    • From NWAdmin32, highlight the post office that you are upgrading and select Details.

    • Look at the Database Version field. It should read "5.5". If the post office has not been successfully upgraded yet, the Version field will read "5.0". Do not proceed to step 7 until the Database Version field reads "5.5".

  7. From Tools | Mailbox/Library Maintenance, perform an "Analyze/Fix Databases" with options for Contents and Fix Problems on all user databases in this post office. This prevents a prompt users would otherwise see the first time they load the 5.5 client saying "Address book information in the user database is being updated."

The post office is now ready for GroupWise 5.5 clients, although GroupWise 5.2 clients may be run against it indefinitely. However, one major issue exists with the 5.2.3 and earlier client, as explained in the next section.

Running 5.2 Clients Against 5.5 Agents

If a 5.2.3 or earlier client is run against the 5.5 POA and the user runs Notify and uses the "Read Now" feature, the 5.5 POA will open more application connections than it should. These connections tie up memory. If enough users do this enough times, the server utilization will climb to the point that performance will suffer. The server utilization histogram will show that the TCP_HANDLER processes are the ones taking up the CPU.

Distributing the 5.2.4 (or later) or the 5.5 client code will resolve the problem. The problem may also be resolved if the users simply never use "Read Now" from Notify. If necessary, NOTIFY.EXE may be removed from all 5.2.3 workstations. However, Novell recommends that either the 5.2.4 or 5.5 client be used as a solution to the problem.

Client Software Distribution

Client software distribution may be handled in several ways. TID 2940720 discusses using SETUP.CFG to create a "silent" installation process. Many Novell customers employ the Novell Application Launcher or ZENworks in this circumstance with great success. However, the use of these tools is beyond the scope of this document.

For those who want to let their users be prompted for installation of new software, those steps are listed here:

  1. From NetWare Administrator, select Tools | GroupWise System Operations | Software Directory Management.

  2. Create a new software distribution directory referencing the 5.5 directory created under "Installing New GroupWise Software" above.

  3. Edit the 5.5 post office object.

  4. Reassign it to the new software distribution directory.

  5. Back under Software Directory Management, highlight the new directory and check the "Force auto-update check..." option.

  6. The next time users log in to GroupWise, they will be prompted to install the new GroupWise client.

Conclusion

This document has outlined the basic concepts, procedures, and point to be aware of when upgrading from GroupWise 5.2 to 5.5. For more information, see the online GroupWise 5.5 Upgrade Guide at:

http://www.novell.com/products/groupwise/administration/gw55/us/gwupdate.html

* Originally published in Novell AppNotes

Disclaimer

The origin of this information may be internal or external to Novell. While Novell makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information, Novell does not make explicit or implied claims to its validity.

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