Re: [gentoo-user] Updating our live servers. I'm scared!

[Nick Khamis <symack@gmail.com>]

So basically rsync configs and databases first? When issuing updates
to world and so no. What is the safest process/order to sync portage,
and update world? I have seen a number of flags various example use,
and was wondering if someone can give me the safest and equally
effective commands with flags included.

Thanks again,

Nick.

On 3/28/13, Joshua Murphy <poisonbl@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 11:38 AM, Nick Khamis <symack@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hello Everyone,
>>
>> Just got a ticket assigned to me where we need to update our production
>> servers.
>>
>> uname -a
>> Linux noun 3.4.9-gentoo #2 SMP Sat Oct 13 09:35:07 EDT 2012 x86_64
>> Intel(R) Xeon(TM) CPU 3.60GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux
>>
>> eselect
>> [18]  hardened/linux/amd64 *
>>
>> I don't think they have been updated since the initial install and
>> wanted to get a little feedback on some safe practices and methods
>> that should be performed before and while doing so.
>>
>> Thanks in Advance,
>>
>> Nick.
>>
>>
> Personally, I would recommend pulling an rsync (databases and such might
> cause a hiccup with that) of one of them to a nonessential system and
> testing updating there, building packages (assuming matching use flags,
> etc, across your systems), documenting the pitfalls you run into as you go.
> After you're up to date there, run through and test it again from a base
> copy, then test the actual services to ensure changes to them don't hose
> your environment's configuration, and once that's good, it then depends
> entirely on what failover, or downtime allowances you have available. If
> you have no failover to rely on, and can't afford enough downtime to update
> the system in place from the packages you've built, clone each off, update,
> then migrate the changes that've occured in the time between... time
> consuming, and requires a lot of care, but doable.
>
> --
> Poison [BLX]
> Joshua M. Murphy
>