Server Recovery

How to restore a BigFix Server on Linux.

  1. Ensure that the new BigFix Server computer can be reached on the network using the same URL that is in the masthead file. For example, if you look at the field X-Fixlet-Site-Gather-URL, it contains something like http://192.168.10.32:52311/cgi-bin/bfgather.exe/actionsite or http://bigfixserver.company.com:52311/cgi-bin/bfgather.exe/actionsite.
    Note: To avoid issues when the BigFix clients connect to the BigFix Server before it is fully restored, ensure that it is not available on the network until the recovery is complete.
  2. When running the recovery procedure on the same computer that the BigFix Server was installed on, remove all the installed BigFix components, including any plug-in. Remove all BigFix files and folders. For a detailed guide about removing the BigFix components on Linux, see Removing the BigFix components from Linux. If you are performing a full restore, remember to remove the BigFix databases too.
  3. Restore the BigFix databases from your backups.

    If you are using DB2, restore the BFENT and BESREPOR databases. For example:

    su - db2inst1
db2 restore db BFENT from /Absolute/Path/Of/Backup/Folder
db2 restore db BESREPOR from /Absolute/Path/Of/Backup/Folder
db2 activate database BFENT
db2 activate database BESREPOR

    If you are using SQL Server, restore the BFEnterprise and BESReporting databases. For example:

    sqlcmd -U sa -S localhost,1433
RESTORE DATABASE BFEnterprise
FROM DISK = '/Absolute/Path/Of/BFEnterprise.bak';
GO
RESTORE DATABASE BESReporting
FROM DISK = '/Absolute/Path/Of/BESReporting.bak';
GO
  4. Restore the folders and files you previously backed up: 
    /var/opt/BESClient
/var/opt/BESCommon
/var/opt/BESServer
/var/opt/BESWebReportsServer
/var/opt/BESWebUI
  5. Remove the old password files: 
    /var/opt/BESClient/besclient.obf 
/var/opt/BESServer/besserver.obf 
/var/opt/BESWebReportsServer/beswebreports.obf
  6. If you had the WebUI, remove the folder that contains the WebUI certificates: 
    /var/opt/BESWebUI/cert
  7. Copy the old configuration files to a temporary directory, as they might contain custom settings that you use, then delete them:
    /var/opt/BESClient/besclient.config
/var/opt/BESServer/besserver.config
/var/opt/BESWebReportsServer/beswebreports.config
/var/opt/BESWebUI/beswebuiservice.config
  8. Go to the BigFix Download Center Platform Release page, find the same patch level of the original installation and go to the corresponding download page. Then download the "Server" setup file. Make sure to download the version for your database type (DB2 or MS-SQL).
  9. Run the BigFix Server installer passing it the option to reuse the existing databases. 
    ./install.sh -reuseDb
  10. When the installer asks you to "Select the BigFix features", choose the same BigFix components as your previous installation.
  11. When the installer asks you to "Select the database replication"
    • select the "Single or Master Database" option if you are restoring your only BigFix Server or the Primary/Master server of a DSA environment
    • select the "Replicated Database" option if you are restoring the Secondary/Replica server of a DSA environment
  12. When the installer asks you to "Choose the server's root folder", specify the path where you restored your BigFix Server folder.
  13. When the installer asks you to "Choose the Web Reports server's root folder", specify the path where you restored your Web Reports folder.
  14. When the installer asks you what port a BigFix component should use, specify the same port that component used in your previous installation.
  15. When the installer asks you to "Create the initial administrative user", specify the same BigFix master operator that you used for the installation you backed up.
  16. When the installer asks you to "Choose the type of setup", choose the option "I want to install with an existing masthead". Then, when it asks you the "Deployment masthead", specify the path to the masthead you backed up.
  17. Continue the installation procedure until completion.
  18. If you customized your previous BigFix installation by performing additional configuration procedures, you will have to perform them again for this installation. For example, remember to re-apply your custom HTTPS configuration and to re-configure your Web Reports email server settings, if you had them in your previous installation. Only edit the BigFix configuration (conf) files directly if a documented configuration step calls for it. Moreover, direct modifications of those files are better performed when the BigFix services are stopped. You can use the configuration files you backed up for verification purposes. 
    /var/opt/BESClient/besclient.config
/var/opt/BESServer/besserver.config
/var/opt/BESWebReportsServer/beswebreports.config
/var/opt/BESWebUI/beswebuiservice.config
  19. To avoid the duplication of the server computer entry on the BigFix Console, run the steps described in the Client data backup section in Avoiding duplicates when a Client is restored.
  20. Reinstall the BigFix components and plugins that were installed on the original BigFix Server by re-deploying the appropriate Fixlets. For example, reinstall the BigFix WebUI, the BES Server Plugin Service, and any plugins you had.