5 1 0:Updating SEP sesam
Overview
This article provides information on the available update options and procedures that apply to all versions ≥ 4.4.3.84. Since updating SEP sesam is version-dependent, some of the update options and procedures described may not be available in earlier versions. If you are using an older version, refer to Updating SEP sesam in earlier versions.
Once you have set up your SEP sesam environment, SEP sesam provides free updates from previous to new versions and features of SEP sesam within the maintenance period. During this period, you can download bug fixes, patches, service packs, and the latest SEP sesam version(s) if you have a valid license. You always have to update the SEP sesam Server first before updating the client software.
Manual and auto update
The SEP sesam software update feature provides an easy way to control your updates. It can be used to either automatically or manually check for and install updates. The following options are available for updating the SEP sesam software.
- You can set your preferred update mode in GUI Install/Update as explained in the section Setting the preferred update mode. Depending on your selected mode, the displayed status details and the options available from the right-click menu in the Clients view may vary, see below Checking the update status.
- Alternatively, you can use the CLI sm_update_client command, as described in Updating SEP sesam Using CLI.
- You can also update your clients manually by copying the required package to the client and update directly on the client.
Update process
The SEP sesam software update functionality is designed to check the SEP sesam versions currently in use against the latest versions available from SEP and propose updates when a newer version is available. The process can handle everything needed to update the SEP sesam environment, including installing service packs for SEP sesam Server, SEP sesam Server UI update and clients update. Make sure that you always update the SEP sesam Server first and then the client machines.
The process of auto updating SEP sesam consist of the following:
- First, the index.txt file is checked to get the list of all available packages at SEP sesam repository. The file index.txt contains the list of all available packages. It is normally downloaded from the SEP Download Center. If you want to update your clients with the locally stored packages (e.g. if your SEP sesam Server has no access to the internet), you have to provide the index.txt file to the update manager manually, as described in Use custom package source. In case more than one package in the index.txt matches a given client, the update routine will always take the last match in the file.
- Depending on the selected update mode, SEP sesam packages may be downloaded and installed automatically or manually later by the administrator. Software packages can be downloaded from SEP Download Center.
Note | |
The automatic creation of the index file takes place only once. The file is created when you enable a local folder as package source (you normally do this only once). Then all packages in this folder are added to the index file (and only the files that are present in the folder). |
If you decide to stick to manual updates, you can download and install the relevant Windows- or Linux-specific distribution, as described in SEP sesam Quick Install Guide. For Linux systems, SEP provides special service pack (SP) executables that ease the installation of service packs and patches. Installing on Windows is easy; simply download the executable file for your version of SEP sesam and install it. On Linux, however, you must make the SP executable after downloading it. For details, see Applying Service Packs on Linux. SEP sesam software packages can be downloaded from SEP Download Center.
Setting preferred update mode
You can set your update mode in SEP sesam menu bar -> Configuration -> Defaults -> click the tab Install/Update. The displayed status details and the options available from the right-click menu in the Clients view depend on the selected update mode. By default, SEP sesam does not check, download and install updates.
The following options are available:
- Turn off (hide from all users): If selected, the install and update feature is not shown in the GUI. No install/update options are visible for any of the users, not even the administrator until this mode is switched on.
- Do not check or install automatically (default): If selected, updates are not checked, downloaded nor installed when a new version is available.
- Check automatically, but install manually: If selected, updates are checked by using index.txt to get the list of all available packages, but you have to download and install them manually.
- Check, download and install automatically: If selected, updates are automatically checked, downloaded and installed, based on SEP sesam NEWDAY when a new version is available from the SEP Download Center. This option may not be recommended depending on the configuration of your SEP sesam environment and its activity.
Tip | |
To start the download and update process in the background, select Update client from the context menu (Clients -> client -> right-click -> Update client). |
Note | |
This option is available only in advanced UI mode (formerly expert GUI mode). To use the option Check, download and install automatically, make sure your UI mode is set to advanced. For details, see Selecting UI mode. |
Use custom SEP sesam package source
By selecting this option, you can update your SEP sesam Clients by using a SEP sesam custom package source which may be stored locally, on the network drive, or is available at the specified URL. The advantage of using a custom package is that you have full control over the version that is getting installed.
For this, you have to browse for or specify the full path (a file system location) to the index.txt file for the specified custom package. How you specify the path depends on the file location and your OS, see examples below.
Generating index.txt
If the index.txt does not yet exist in the selected folder, it will be created automatically by SEP sesam, taking into account only the files in the specified directory (without subdirectories). This only happens when you activate the custom package source for the first time.
If the index.txt already exists, you have two options: you can either delete it, allowing SEP sesam to automatically regenerate the file when it is accessed, or you can manually recreate the file to update the list of relative paths for all available packages on your SEP sesam Server. The index.txt file must be recreated each time a new package version is downloaded to your custom source folder.
To create the index.txt file, open the command prompt and navigate to the directory with your downloaded packages. Depending on your operating system and the location of the packages, run the following command:
Windows
cd C:\temp\sesam_download dir /B >index.txt
Linux/UNIX
cd /tmp/sesam_download find . -name "*sesam*" -printf "%P %k %TY-%Tm-%Td %TH:%TM:%TM \n" >index.txt
Specifying path to the index file
- The package and index.txt are located in the local directory, e.g., in the directory <TEMP>/sesam_download/index.txt. On Windows, specify the path to the index file as:
file:///C:\temp\sesam_download
On Linux:
file:////tmp/sesam_download
Note | |
You have to use the syntax file:, followed by /// or //// and the path to the index file. On Windows, these first 3 forward slashes are mandatory, then also a backslash is allowed. On Linux, specify the path with 4 forward slashes: ////! |
.
- The package and index.txt are on a network share, e.g., on Windows: <win_share>\users\admin\sesam\4.4.3
file:\\<win_share>\users\admin\sesam\4.4.3
On Linux: <linux_share>/users/admin/sesam/4.4.3_beta
file://<linux_share>/users/admin/sesam/4.4.3
- To load the SEP sesam packages from the custom URL, simply enter the URL. For example, to install SEP sesam beta packages enter the SEP sesam beta download repository where the file index.txt is located:
http://beta.sep.de/
Tip | |
The latest index.txt file with all available packages can be retrieved from the SEP Download Center. |
Checking update status
You can enable the automatic check for updates in the Defaults -> Install/Update menu or you can check the update status manually by using the right-click menu -> option Check Update State. The availability of the latter option depends on your selected update mode, see above Setting preferred update mode.
Clients view – right-click menu
The displayed status details and the options available from the right-click menu in the "Clients" view depend on the selected "update mode". Here, all available check/update options are shown.
Hovering over a client displays information that may include its access state, update state, and info on backup execution, if it is turned off.
A message that a client is up to date is shown when there are no available updates. If an update is available, a yellow arrow will appear on the client. For more details on status icons, see Client status icons.
Performing mass update
You can simultaneously update all clients in the same location or update only the Linux or Windows clients that belong to the selected location. The mass update will update all existing clients in the selected location according to your selected option (all, all Linux or all Windows) except for the SEP sesam Server.
Note | |
You always have to update the SEP sesam Server first before updating the client software. For details on how to update the server, see the section SEP sesam Server update. |
For example, you may have a location that contains both, Windows and Linux clients and you only want to update the Linux clients. In this case, select your target location, right-click it and select Update all Linux Clients. The right-click update menu options are available in the Clients view if your update mode is not set to Turn off (hide from all users); for details, see Setting preferred update mode above.
Installing SEP sesam Service Pack
You can install SEP Sesam service packs by using the Update Client context menu. In the update message window, you can select the option Install SEP sesam client service pack (if available) and the service pack will be installed in addition to the new packages.
- If you check the update status and there is only a service pack available, the client is marked with New version available. Performing the update with service pack installation will install the service pack.
- SEP sesam service packs are cumulative and contain all released bug fixes for the corresponding SEP sesam version. SEP sesam sends notifications via RSS feeds to alert administrators of important issues affecting your SEP sesam environment, such as the availability of a service pack, the notification of the error, or the announcement of a new release. These notifications can be accessed in the Notification Center in the upper right corner in the GUI and Web UI.
SEP sesam Server update
SEP sesam Server cannot be automatically updated. It can only be updated manually by copying/downloading the required package to your SEP sesam Server and then executing it manually.
However, there are two special update options available in the GUI exclusively for the SEP sesam Server : Install UI Server Service Pack (a GUI SP for server) and Install Service Pack.
- SEP sesam service packs are cumulative and contain all released bug fixes for the corresponding SEP sesam version. SEP sesam sends notifications via RSS feeds to alert administrators of important issues affecting your SEP sesam environment, such as the availability of a service pack, the notification of the error, or the announcement of a new release. These notifications can be accessed in the Notification Center in the upper right corner of the GUI and Web UI.
Note | |
Whenever you update the server, you also have to update the GUI client because the GUI client and the SEP sesam Server have to work with the same GUI. |
SiS Server update
Si3 NG deduplication store requires dedicated SiS Linux server with SEP sesam RDS package installed. For security reasons SEP sesam Server has no remote access to the SiS Server, so it is not possible to update the SiS Server directly from the SEP sesam Server. Update of the SiS Server has to be performed locally on the server.
Note | |
Make sure to update the SEP sesam Server first, before you start update of the Sis Server. |
To update the SiS Server, download the SEP sesam RDS package from the SEP Download Center. Make sure you download the correct file for your processor type. Install the package on the Linux server (for instructions see Linux Installation).
Alternatively, you can download and update the si3.jar file from the sesam Server. Run the following command locally on the SiS Server:
#> sm_create_sds.sh -U -u 1
During the update you can also change the immutability period of the SiS storage. In this case run the following command:
#> sm_create_sds.sh -U -E <immutability period in days> -u 1
Verifying updates
You can easily check whether your update was successful by checking the log files or the client status in the Clients view, if you have enabled either of the following two modes: Check automatically, but install manually or Check, download and install automatically (see above Setting preferred update mode).
If you have selected the Turn off update mode and you want to check if the update was successful, proceed as follows:
- Check the connection between a GUI client and the SEP sesam Server. The connection should work.
- Open the SEP sesam GUI and from the menu bar select Help -> About SEP sesam. Both, SEP sesam GUI client and SEP sesam REST Server must have the same build versions.
See also
About Installation and Update – Remote Installation of Windows Clients – Applying Service Packs on Linux – SEP sesam Quick Install Guide – SEP sesam CLI - Antivirus Exclusions for SEP sesam