Move a Peer Agent to another Windows server

Moving a Peer Agent to a new Windows server involves several critical steps to ensure the process is smooth and the Agent continues to function correctly.  This article presents a step-by-step guide to help you with the process.

Moving non-clustered Peer Agents is a more streamlined process than moving clustered environments. The process described in this article does not apply to moving clustered Agents.

Step-by-step guide

Task 1:  Provision the new Peer Agent server

1. Ensure that the new Agent server meets all the requirements specified in Peer Global File Service - Environmental Requirements.  Requirements vary depending on the type of license.
2. If moving a Peer Agent on a Windows file server (versus an Peer Agent that is working with a NAS device), it's crucial to ensure that all data, users, and applications are successfully migrated to the new server before disabling and uninstalling the old Peer Agent.

Task 2:  Stop the Peer Agent and on the old server (Only if using the same IP, FQDN, and/or hostname as the old server)

1. Open the Peer Management Center client and stop all jobs that reference the Peer Agent to be moved.  This step is necessary only if the new server will use the same IP address, hostname, or FQDN as the old server. 
2. Connect to the old server remotely, and then stop the Peer Agent Service.  After stopping the Agent service, the Agent will appear in red and disconnected in the PMC's Agents view.

Task 3:  Install Peer Agent on the new server

1. Connect to the new server remotely.
2. Download the Peer Agent installer to the new server.   A download link can be found in your PeerGFS registration email.
3. Run the installer on the new server as an administrator and follow the installation wizard to complete the installation:
   1. Accept the license agreement, and then click Next.
   2. Choose a location for the Peer Agent installation folder.  The default location is C:\Program Files\Peer Software\Peer Agent.
   3. Configure the connection to Peer Management Broker, and then click Next:
      1. In the Hostname field, enter the IP address, FQDN, or DNS name of the Peer Management Center server.  
      2. Select a communication protocol:  SSL or TCP.
      3. Enter a port number:  61617 for encryption or 61616 for non-encryption.
   4. On the Agent Service Account page, enter the appropriate the Agent Service credentials, and then click Next.
   5. Accept the default location for the Peer Agent shortcut in the Start menu, and then click Next.
   6. Click Finish to complete the installation of the Agent on the new server.
4. Verify that the Peer Agent Service is running in Windows Services.
5. Open the Peer Management Center client and verify that the new Peer Agent appears connected in the Agents view.  Once the new Peer Agent appears as connected in the Agents view, you are ready to modify the jobs, replacing the old Agent with the new Agent.
6. Ensure that the proper firewall rules and security exemptions are in place on the new server.

Task 4:  Replace the old Agent with the new Agent in the applicable jobs (only if using a new IP, FQDN, hostname, or a combination of these)

If the new Peer Agent server uses the same IP address, hostname, or FQDN as the old one, no replacement is required. If not, update each job involving the old Agent by removing it and then adding and configuring the new one.

To replace the old Agent with the new Agent:

1. Open Peer Management Center, if it's not already open.
2. Select the job in the Jobs view, right-click the job, and then select Edit Job.
3. In the Edit dialog that appears, select Participants from the navigation pane.
4. On the Participants page, select the Agent to be replaced.
5. Click the Delete button, and then confirm by clicking OK in the message.
6. If the Agent being deleted is defined as a master host for Metadata Conflict Resolution, a warning message will redirect you to the File Metadata page.  Deselect the Enable synchronizing file security information with master host during scan option and then return to the Participants page.
7. On the Participants page, click the Add button.
8. Complete the Add New Participant wizard with the requested information.
9. If the new host is to be used as as a master host for Metadata Conflict Resolution:
   1. Go to the File Metadata page in the navigation pane.
   2. Check the Enable synchronizing file security information with master host during scan option .
   3. Select the new master host.
10. Click OK.
11. Repeat Steps #1-10 for each job involving the old Agent.

Task 5: Fully decommission the old Agent

1. On the old server, uninstall the Peer Agent either through Programs and Features or by running the uninstaller in the Agent's installation directory,
2. When prompted, check the Delete all custom configurations and log files from the disk? checkbox.
   
3. Open Peer Management Center.
4. In the Agents view, remove the old Peer Agent by right-clicking on the Peer Agent and selecting Remove.

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