Server Recovery

Procedure for the server recovery.

  1. When running the recovery procedure on the same computer on which the installation or the upgrade failed, the previous BigFix installation must be completely removed using the BESRemove.exe utility.
  2. Using either the previous BigFix Server computer or a new computer, install SQL server (use the same version of SQL server as was previously used). Remember to enable Mixed Mode Authentication for your new SQL installation if you were using it on the previous BigFix server installation.
  3. Ensure that the new BigFix server computer can be reached on the network using the same URL that is in the masthead file. (For example: http://192.168.10.32:52311/cgi-bin/bfgather.exe/actionsite OR http://bigfixserver.company.com:52311/cgi-bin/bfgather.exe/actionsite).
    Note: To avoid issues when the BigFix clients connect to the BigFix server before it is fully restored, ensure that the BigFix server is not available on the network until the recovery is complete.
  4. Restore the BFEnterprise and BESReporting databases from backup.
  5. Restore the backed up files and folders creating the directory structure.
  6. Use the ServerKeyTool.exe tool and run the steps documented in this page to encrypt the decrypted configuration keys. The decrypted keys are stored in files with filename prefix Decrypted*.

    All the decrypted keys are encrypted at once, and the files containing the encrypted configuration keys are stored in the specified destination folder, by default C:\Program Files (x86)\BigFix Enterprise\BES Server\, with the filename prefix Encrypted*.

  7. To install the BigFix server components use the "Installer Generator" executable. Go to the BigFix Enterprise Suite Download Center Platform Release Information page and select the same patch level of the original installation, then download the "Installer Generator" executable. Install the BigFix server components through the "Installer Generator" using the masthead file and specifying the same path used in the original installation option.
    • If migrating the Primary/Master server, on the Select Database Replication page of the server installer, select “Single or Master Database”, and proceed through the installer screens as usual.
    • If migrating the Secondary/Replica server, on the Select Database Replication page of the server installer, select “Replicated Database”, and proceed through the installer screens as usual.
    Note: A pop-up message, showing the text "The user name MyUserName already exists in the database" having used the same BigFix Admin user that is defined in the backed up data, is normal and can be ignored.
  8. Reinstall the UAImporter, BES Server Plugin Service, and any plugins or components that are currently installed on the original BigFix server by re-deploying the appropriate Fixlets.
Note: If you have HTTPS enabled, ensure that you restore the server settings for Web Reports.
Note: Any configuration involving registry keys is neither saved nor restored. To recover these values, you must restore them after the recovery procedure successfully completes by running the appropriate configuration processes. For example, email server settings must be set up again on recovered Web Reports. Furthermore, clients are registered as new computers.