Migrating your existing configuration to a newer ArcGIS Server AMI

Esri supplies Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) for each release of ArcGIS Server, including service packs. One way to migrate to a new release or service pack is to create a new instance using the AMI, then bring over the data and configuration files from your previous instance.

Tip:

The workflow described below involves extensive administrative work with the AWS Management Console. An alternative workflow for applying a service pack, which you may find easier, is applying the service pack directly to an existing deployment of ArcGIS Server. Both workflows are included in the help so you can choose the one that best fits your situation.

Steps:

1. Make a backup of your unmigrated instance by creating an AMI from it. This action also creates snapshots of all your attached EBS volumes. You'll use these snapshots to restore your data.
2. Use the newer ArcGIS Server AMI to launch a new EC2 instance.
3. Detach then delete the EBS volume included on the instance you just created.
4. Create volumes from the snapshots of your EBS volumes. Make sure you create these volumes in the same availability zone where you launched your new instance.
5. Attach the new volumes to your new instance.
6. If necessary, open the Windows Disk Management console and assign the new volumes back to the drive letters they originally had. (See these steps for attaching a drive if you need help.) If you use the same Windows devices (example: xvdg) where the now-deleted EBS volume was assigned, you may not have to do this extra step.
7. From your unmigrated instance, copy your <ArcGIS Server installation directory>\server\system folder and your <ArcGIS Server installation directory>\server\user\cfg folder to the corresponding locations on the new instance, overwriting the existing files and folders there. You may have to stop your services on the unmigrated instance for this to work correctly. You may also have to copy the files to a "neutral" location first, such as your desktop computer, instead of trying to copy directly between instances.

   If you were storing anything else on the C drive of the unmigrated instance, you must also copy it to the corresponding location on the new instance.

8. On your new instance, open each service configuration file in a text editor and replace the public IP address of the unmigrated instance with the IP of the new instance. These IPs are located in URLs such as that of the virtual output directory.
9. On your new instance, give the SOC account read and write permissions to your ArcGIS Server directories, located at D:/arcgisserver by default.
10. On your new instance, give the SOC account read (and optionally write permissions) to your GIS data folders.
11. On your new instance, complete the Software Authorization Wizard to authorize ArcGIS Server.
12. Test your services and applications to verify that your new instance works as expected.
13. Create an AMI from your new instance. Use it to launch as many instances as you need.
14. Remap your Elastic IP to point at the new instance, or remove your unmigrated instances from the Elastic Load Balancer and replace them with your new migrated instances.

    At this point, you are running the newer version or service pack of ArcGIS Server. The remaining steps are for cleanup purposes.

15. Terminate your unmigrated instances.
16. Delete the EBS volumes that were attached to your unmigrated instances. These were not automatically deleted when you terminated the instances.
17. Optionally delete the snapshots of the EBS volumes that were attached to your unmigrated instance.
18. Optionally, deregister the AMI you made as a backup in step 1.