Steps for Upgrading to Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

  • Article

Updated: August 2011

Applies To: Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

The following table lists and describes the steps to upgrade your HPC cluster from Windows® HPC Server 2008 to Windows HPC Server 2008 R2.

Important
  • Notify cluster users that the HPC cluster will be unavailable during the upgrade process

  • Before starting the upgrade process, make sure that no cluster jobs are running or waiting to run. If necessary, stop all running and waiting jobs.

  • Take offline all nodes in your HPC cluster before starting the upgrade process.

  • The nodes in your HPC cluster can stay powered on if you will be manually upgrading them. If you will redeploy them, you can turn them off before starting the upgrade process, or wait after the upgrade to restart them.

  • Before starting the upgrade process, remove any commas (“,”) in node group names. Any node groups that have a comma in their name will fail to be recreated during the upgrade process.
Task Description

Step 1: Install Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 1

If you have not yet installed Microsoft® HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 1 on the head node, install it before upgrading to Windows HPC Server 2008 R2.

Step 2: Install Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 2

If you have not yet installed Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 2 on the head node, install it before upgrading to Windows HPC Server 2008 R2.

Step 3: (Important) Ensure that Windows Deployment Services is not configured to respond to all PXE requests

Ensure that Windows Deployment Services on the head node of your HPC cluster is configured to respond only to PXE requests that come from existing nodes.

Caution
Failing to perform this step can cause the head node to temporarily respond to PXE requests that come from computers on the enterprise network.

Step 4: Upgrade the Operating System

Upgrade the operating system on the head node to Windows Server® 2008 R2 HPC Edition, or to another edition of Windows Server® 2008 R2.

Step 5: Upgrade the HPC database to SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 or later

If you installed an edition of Microsoft® SQL Server™ other than the SQL Server 2005 Express edition that is installed with HPC Pack 2008, upgrade the HPC database instance to SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 or later.

Step 6: Upgrade the head node to Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 R2 with SP2

Run the installation wizard for HPC Pack 2008 R2 on the head node, and ensure that all service packs are installed.

Step 7: Provide new credentials for deployment and templates

Provide new installation credentials, and credentials for job templates and node templates.

Step 8: Upgrade Compute Nodes and WCF Broker Nodes

Redeploy compute nodes and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) broker nodes, or upgrade them manually.

Step 1: Install Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 1

If you have not yet installed Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 1 on the head node of your HPC cluster, install it before upgrading to Windows HPC Server 2008 R2.

Important
You do not need to install Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 1 on the compute nodes or WCF broker nodes because they will need to be redeployed, or if you prefer to upgrade them manually you will need to uninstall HPC Pack 2008.

To install Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 1 on the head node, see the installation instructions that are included in the Windows HPC Server 2008 Service Pack 1 Release Notes (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=198127).

Step 2: Install Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 2

If you have not yet installed Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 2 on the head node of your HPC cluster, install it before upgrading to Windows HPC Server 2008 R2.

Important
You do not need to install Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 2 on the compute nodes or WCF broker nodes because they will need to be redeployed, or if you prefer to upgrade them manually you will need to uninstall HPC Pack 2008.

To install Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 2 on the head node, see the installation instructions that are included in the Windows HPC Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Release Notes (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=198128).

Important
Before continuing with the upgrade, confirm that Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 2 is installed on the head node. To view the version number in HPC Cluster Manager, on the Help menu, click About. If Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 2 is installed, the server version number and the client version number shown are similar to 2.2.xxxx.x.

Step 3: (Important) Ensure that Windows Deployment Services is not configured to respond to all PXE requests

Before upgrading the operating system on the head node of your HPC cluster, you must ensure that Windows Deployment Services on the head node is configured to respond only to PXE requests that come from existing nodes. If it is configured to respond to all PXE requests, after upgrading the operating system on the head node, Windows Deployment Services will respond to PXE requests on all cluster networks, including the enterprise network. This condition is corrected when you complete the upgrade of the head node to HPC Pack 2008 R2, but in the interim the head node could respond to PXE requests that come from computers that are not part of your HPC cluster. Performing this important step avoids this temporary condition.

To configure Windows Deployment Services to respond only to PXE requests that come from existing compute nodes

  1. On the head node, open HPC Cluster Manager.

  2. In the menu bar at the top of HPC Cluster Manager, click Options, and then click Deployment Settings. The Deployment Settings dialog box appears.

  3. Click Respond only to PXE requests that come from existing compute nodes, and then click OK.

Step 4: Upgrade the Operating System

After Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Service Pack 2 is installed on the head node of your HPC cluster, you need to upgrade the operating system to Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC Edition, or to another edition of Windows Server 2008 R2.

Caution
  • Before upgrading the operating system on the head node, back up any valued data on the head node.

  • Before upgrading the operating system on the head node, ensure that Windows Deployment Services is not configured to respond to all PXE requests, as explained in the previous step in this guide.
Important
As explained in Requirements for Upgrading to Windows HPC Server 2008 R2, earlier in this guide, you can only upgrade the operating system on the head node of your HPC cluster to an edition of Windows Server 2008 R2 that is a supported upgrade path from the edition of Windows Server 2008 that is currently installed.

To upgrade the operating system on the head node

  1. On the head node, close HPC Cluster Manager and any other programs that are running.

  2. Insert the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media, or browse to the network location where the installation files are available.

  3. Start the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation wizard by running setup.exe, and then click Install Now.

  4. Follow the installation wizard until you are asked which type of installation you want to perform.

  5. Click Upgrade, and then continue to follow the installation wizard to complete the upgrade process.

Step 5: Upgrade the HPC database to SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 or later

After the operating system on the head node has been upgraded, if you installed on your HPC cluster an edition of SQL Server other than the SQL Server 2005 Express edition that is installed with HPC Pack 2008, you need to upgrade the COMPUTECLUSTER instance to SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 or to SQL Server 2008 R2.

For information and step-by-step instructions about how to upgrade to SQL Server 2008, see Upgrading to SQL Server 2008 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=198129).

Important
  • You also need to perform this step if you installed any additional features or components, performed any upgrades, or made any other changes to the SQL Server 2005 Express edition that is installed with HPC Pack 2008.

  • You do not need to perform this step only if you did not make any changes to the SQL Server 2005 Express edition that is installed with HPC Pack 2008. The upgrade program for HPC Pack 2008 R2 will also upgrade the COMPUTECLUSTER instance of SQL Server 2005 Express to SQL Server 2008 R2 Express.

Step 6: Upgrade the head node to Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 R2 with SP2

After installing all service packs for HPC Pack 2008, upgrading the operating system, and upgrading SQL Server (if it was required), you need to run the HPC Pack 2008 R2 installation wizard to complete the upgrade process.

Important
  • The current version of HPC Pack 2008 R2 is HPC Pack 2008 R2 with Service Pack 2. It is recommended that you install HPC Pack 2008 R2 with Service Pack 2 using integrated (or slipstream) installation media.

  • If you do not have integrated installation media for HPC Pack 2008 R2 with Service Pack 2, first install the release to manufacturing (RTM) version of HPC Pack 2008 R2. Then, install HPC Pack 2008 R2 Service Pack 1, and then install HPC Pack 2008 R2 Service Pack 1. For more information about installing the service packs, see Release Notes for Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 and Release Notes for Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 R2 Service Pack 2.

To install Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 R2

  1. On the head node, insert the installation media for HPC Pack 2008 R2 with Service Pack 2 (or, if you do not have integrated installation media available, for HPC Pack 2008 R2), or browse to the network location where the installation files are available.

  2. To start the installation wizard, run setup.exe.

  3. Follow the installation wizard to select the installation options, and in the Install Required Components page, click Upgrade.

A series of scripts will finish the upgrade process by installing the necessary features and programs for HPC Pack 2008 R2, and importing data and configuration settings from the previous version.

After the upgrade process is complete, the following folder on the head node will contain all the data, files, and other information from the previous version: %CCP_DATA%\Backup. For example: C:\Program Files\Microsoft HPC Pack\Data\Backup. Although most of the files in that folder have already been imported during the upgrade process, some files might be of use to you, so consider preserving them or moving them to a different storage location if disk space on the head node is a concern.

Important
  • Some configuration settings are not imported from the previous version. This includes installation credentials and credentials for templates. The next step in this topic explains how to provide these credentials again. Heat map customizations are also not imported. You will have to customize the heat map again, using the new customization features in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2, which include the ability to create multiple tabs with different metrics.

  • If you did not install the integrated HPC Pack 2008 R2 with Service Pack 2, you must now install HPC Pack 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 followed by HPC Pack 2008 R2 Service Pack 2. After doing this, confirm that HPC Pack 2008 R2 SP2 is installed on the head node. To view the version number in HPC Cluster Manager, on the Help menu, click About. If HPC Pack 2008 R2 SP2 is installed, the server version number and the client version number shown are 3.2.3716.0.
Note
The CcpPower.cmd script, which performs the power control operations that come from HPC Cluster Manager or HPC PowerShell, is also imported as part of the upgrade process, and replaces the default CcpPower.cmd script in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2. The default CcpPower.cmd script is still available, but it is renamed to CcpPowerV3.cmd. For more information about this script, see Appendix 5: Scriptable Power Control Tools in the Design and Deployment Guide (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=194718).

Step 7: Provide new credentials for deployment and templates

For security reasons, all credentials in your Windows HPC Server 2008 cluster are not exported and imported during the upgrade process. After the head node of your HPC cluster is upgraded, you need to provide new installation credentials for node deployment and system configuration. You also need to set permissions for job templates. Optionally, if you want to deploy nodes from bare metal, you can specify a password for the local Administrator account on the nodes.

To provide new credentials for deployment and templates

  1. On the head node, open HPC Cluster Manager.

  2. To provide new installation credentials:

    1. In the Deployment To-do List, click Provide installation credentials. The Provide installation credentials dialog box appears.

    2. Type the user name, including the doMayn (DOMayN\User), and then the password for the doMayn user account you will use to deploy nodes.

      Important
      • The account must be a doMayn account with enough privileges to create Active Directory computer accounts for the nodes and to join the nodes to the doMayn. If the policies of your organization restrict you from using a doMayn account that can add new computers to the doMayn, you will need to ask your doMayn administrator to pre-create the computer objects for you in Active Directory DoMayn Services before you deploy your nodes. For more information, see Deploy Nodes with Pre-created Computer Objects in Active Directory (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=194363).

      • If part of your deployment requires access to resources on the enterprise network, the account should have the necessary permissions to access those resources.

      • If you want to restart nodes remotely by using HPC Cluster Manager, the account must be a member of the local Administrators group on the head node. This requirement is only necessary if you do not have scripted power control tools that you can use to remotely restart the nodes.

    3. To save the specified credentials, click OK.

  3. To set permissions for job templates:

    1. In Configuration, in the Navigation Pane, click Job Templates.

    2. In the list of job templates, double-click a job template. The Job Template Editor appears.

    3. Click Permissions. The Permissions dialog box appears.

    4. To add a user or group, click Add, type the name of the user or group, and then click OK.

    5. To remove a group or user, select the group or user name from the list, and then click Remove.

    6. To set permissions for a group or user, select the group or user name from the list, and then select the Allow or Deny check box for each of the following permissions:

      • Submit Job. Specifies if the user or group can submit jobs to the cluster using the job template.

      • Modify. Specifies if the user or group can edit the job template.

      • Full Control. Specifies if the user or group can delete and copy the job template. It includes Submit Job and Modify permissions.

      • Special permissions. To set this type of permissions, click Advanced.

    7. To set the new job template permissions, click OK.

    8. Repeat the previous steps until you have set permissions for all job templates.

  4. If you want to specify a password for the local Administrator account on the nodes that are deployed from bare metal:

    • In Configuration, in the Navigation Pane, click Node Templates.

    • In the list of node templates, double-click a node template that includes a step to deploy an operating system image. The Node Template Editor appears.

    • In the list of node template tasks, under Configuration, click the Install Windows task.

    • In the properties for the Install Windows task, click Input password. The Password dialog box appears.

    • Type the password for the local Administrator account on the nodes that are deployed with the node template, and then click OK.

    • To save the new password, click Save.

    • Repeat the previous steps until you have specified a password for all node templates that include a step to deploy an operating system image.

Step 8: Upgrade Compute Nodes and WCF Broker Nodes

After the head node of your HPC cluster is upgraded, all the Windows HPC Server 2008 compute nodes and WCF broker nodes are listed as Unapproved. They are no longer associated with a node template, but their original node template is listed in the following backup node XML file: %CCP_DATA%\Backup\Configurations\Cluster_Nodes.xml. For example: C:\Program Files\Microsoft HPC Pack\Data\Backup\Configurations\Cluster_Nodes.xml.

The upgrade process for compute nodes and WCF broker nodes in your HPC cluster depends on how you added them to your Windows HPC Server 2008 cluster. Also, the upgrade paths are slightly different for compute nodes and WCF broker nodes. This section lists the options that are available to you for upgrading compute nodes and WCF broker nodes.

Caution
Before upgrading compute nodes and WCF broker nodes, back up any valued data on all nodes.

Upgrading compute nodes

  • Compute nodes in a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 cluster can be running Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC Edition, another edition of Windows Server 2008 R2, or a 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008. For this reason, you do not have to upgrade the operating system on compute nodes if you prefer not to.

  • If you deployed compute nodes from bare metal, you can redeploy them by using a node template that includes a step to deploy an operating system image for an edition of Windows Server 2008 R2, or the operating system image for Windows Server 2008 that you previously used to deploy them. All operating system images that were available in your HPC cluster before the upgrade are imported and made available after the upgrade. To add a new operating system image for an edition of Windows Server 2008 R2, use HPC Cluster Manager.

  • If you added preconfigured compute nodes to your cluster or if you prefer to manually upgrade the compute nodes, you need to manually uninstall HPC Pack 2008 on each compute node, and then install HPC Pack 2008 R2 with Service Pack 2. Optionally, you can upgrade the operating system on the compute nodes to Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC Edition, or another edition of Windows Server 2008 R2, before installing HPC Pack 2008 R2 with Service Pack 2.

Upgrading WCF broker nodes

  • WCF broker nodes in a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 cluster must be running Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC Edition, or another edition of Windows Server 2008 R2. For this reason, you need to upgrade the operating system on all WCF broker nodes in your cluster.

  • If you deployed WCF broker nodes from bare metal, you can redeploy them by using a node template that includes a step to deploy an operating system image for an edition of Windows Server 2008 R2. To add a new operating system image for an edition of Windows Server 2008 R2, use HPC Cluster Manager.

  • If you added preconfigured WCF broker nodes to your cluster or if you prefer to manually upgrade the WCF broker nodes, you need to manually uninstall HPC Pack 2008 on each WCF broker node, upgrade the operating system to Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC Edition or another edition of Windows Server 2008 R2, and then install HPC Pack 2008 R2 with Service Pack 2.