When deciding which components to upgrade, it is important to consider the features available with version 9.x and the requirements for using those features.
To eliminate the requirement for a Microsoft SQL Server license, for small environments with all components on one computer, AppManager 9.x supports hosting the AppManager repository (QDB) and Control Center repository (CCDB) on Microsoft SQL Server Express.
To host a repository on SQL Server Express, you must install a new version 9.x repository. For information about installing a new repository, see the Installation Guide for AppManager, available on the AppManager Documentation page.
Architectural changes with version 9.x allow for increasing the capacity of the QDB and management server by approximately three times using your existing configuration. As a general guideline, it is now possible to have approximately 2500 agents per management site (one QDB and one management server), with 20 jobs per agent running every five minutes and generating events and data with each job iteration.
In test environments, increasing the workload on the management server rarely caused the persistent IO cache to fill to capacity. In scenarios that were designed to cause the cache to fill, the cache cleared quickly without causing performance issues.
AppManager 9.x reduces the amount of disk space that the QDB requires by implementing a streamlined method of collecting and storing data.
Previously, AppManager stored collected data for use in short-term charts and graphs in the Data table for eight days, and stored data for long-term reporting in the ArchiveData table indefinitely (by default). If a Knowledge Script generated data details in addition to data points, AppManager automatically stored the details in the Data table.
Now, AppManager stores all of the data that it collects on a given day in Data_yyyymmdd tables for immediate display in real-time charts and graphs for 30 days (by default), and each day removes tables that are more than 30 days old. A new option in the Control Center console, Remove old data after, allows you to change the default retention period. For more information, see Global Preferences Options in the Control Center User Guide for AppManager. For long-term reporting needs, NetIQ Corporation recommends using NetIQ Analysis Center.
NOTE:When you upgrade, data that was archived before the upgrade will no longer be available.
In addition, AppManager no longer automatically collects data details with data points. The Collect data details with data point repository preference in the Operator Console allows you to select whether to collect data details by default. If you do collect data details, AppManager stores them in the Data_yyyymmdd tables.
NOTE:When you upgrade, the upgrade does not change the current setting for Collect data details with data point. If you previously collected details and no longer want to collect them, you must manually change the setting.
Previously, it was necessary to periodically archive and aggregate data in the QDB to prevent the ArchiveData table from becoming too large. With this streamlined method of collecting and storing data, archiving is no longer necessary.
AppManager 9.1 includes a command line tool, MigrateQ.exe, that automates migrating existing Windows and UNIX agents to a new QDB and allows you to migrate multiple agents simultaneously, if needed. You can migrate version 7.0.2 and later agents to new QDBs. For more information about using the tool, see Section 3.8, Migrating an Agent to a New QDB.