Upgrading from Pre-4.3 NorthStar with Analytics

Export Existing Data from the NorthStar Application Server (Recommended)

This procedure involves running a utility called es_export_import_util.py on the NorthStar application server to export and save your existing data prior to upgrade.

The utility exports data to a file called exportdata.tar.Z in the /opt/northstar/northstar_bundle_x.x.x/db_migration directory. Ensure that this directory has available space equivalent to at least 10% the size of your Elasticsearch database. For example, a 10GB Elasticsearch database would require 1GB in the /opt/northstar/northstar_bundle_x.x.x/db_migration directory. When you begin this procedure, the script will tell you how much memory is required and give you the option to stop the procedure if you do not have enough space to continue.

The amount of time required for the export utility to complete depends on the number of export days and Elasticsearch cache memory/CPU cores you have. You can use the utility’s -l option to reduce the number of export days.

You can use the following command to see the utility’s full set of supported export options:

1. Log in to the NorthStar application server.
2. Navigate to the db_migration directory:
3. Launch the export utility and type yes to continue if you agree with the setup information provided. An example follows:

Upgrade Procedure with NorthStar Application and NorthStar Analytics on the Same Server

1. Download the NorthStar software and untar the NorthStar_Bundle. See Installing the NorthStar Controller.
2. Navigate to the NorthStar directory:
3. Uninstall analytics:
4. Upgrade the NorthStar application:
5. Reinstall NorthStar analytics:

Upgrade Procedure with NorthStar Application and NorthStar Analytics on Separate Servers

1. Download the NorthStar software and untar the NorthStar_Bundle. See Installing the NorthStar Controller.
2. On the NorthStar application server, navigate to the NorthStar directory and upgrade the NorthStar application:
3. On each analytics server, uninstall and reinstall NorthStar analytics:
4. On the NorthStar application server, prepare and redeploy HA analytics data collector settings:

   Select G (Analytics Data Collector Setting) from the main menu, and then B (Prepare and Deploy HA Analytics Data Collector Setting) from the Analytics Data Collector Configuration Settings menu. See Installing Data Collectors for Analytics for more information.

5. On the NorthStar application server, ensure that analytics data collector connectivity is UP. From the net_setup.py utility main menu, select G (Analytics Data Collector Setting), and then select 9 (Test Analytics Data Collector Connectivity) from the Analytics Data Collector Configuration Settings menu.

Update the Netflow Aggregation Setting

The netflowd process analyzes traffic from the router and displays it in the Demands tab in the network information table. By default, Netflow aggregates traffic by PE, but for some applications (such as EPE), you would want the traffic aggregated by prefix. The Netflow aggregate by prefix setting controls how traffic is aggregated. If the parameter is enabled, Netflow aggregates all traffic from a specific ingress PE router to a specific destination (prefix) within the defined period of time.

Between NorthStar Controller Releases 4.2.0 and 4.3.0, the possible values for the Netflow aggregate_by_prefix parameter changed. If you are upgrading from Release 4.2.0 or earlier, you must modify the setting to reflect a valid value for your post-4.2.0 release. See Table 1

Import Existing Data (Recommended)

1. Log in to the NorthStar application server.
2. Navigate to the db_migration directory:
3. Launch the import utility: