Replacing Gaia lite appliances

[jimm]

I will be replacing a HA pair of 1450 appliances (R77.20) with a pair of 3600 appliances (R80.40). Management is SMS R80.40.

Is there a best practice method to do such an upgrade with minimal gateway downtime?

Looking at the cluster object in Smartconsole, i cant change the platform hardware and version to what i need. Does that mean i have to create a new cluster object (with 2 new members)?

[emmap]

You'll have to create a new cluster object. If you can change an internal interface IP so that you can connect it to SmartConsole alongside the existing cluster, you'll be able to set it up side-by-side (the other interface IPs can be reused). 

Alternatively, if you delete the old cluster from SmartConsole it'll still run headless until you finish setting up the new one and move the cables over. Just make sure you take a snapshot of the SMS before you start so you can roll it back if you have to.

[Lesley]

Was typing something similar as emmap. Indeed new object in Smart Console.

The only thing I would recommend extra is to step away from R80.40 due soon EOL status. 

So upgrade first management and later gateways. 

[jimm]

Thanks for the quick replies. Its simple enough for me to assign new unused IPs to one of the interfaces on the new units so as to establish management.  In Smartconsole, is there no issue with two firewall clusters having many of the same ip addresses assigned to their interfaces?  Especially the management interfaces of the old gateways which will now also appear on the new gateways? SIC will establish to temporary IPs on the new gateways.

Also, when the time comes to commission the new firewalls, can cphastop/cphastart be used for a quick changeover?

For example, remove the old standby gateway from the rack. Active old gateway still in service.  Power up new standby gateway and ensure cphastop is run before connecting to the network. Connect to the network and confirm visibility in management.

Run cphastop on the old active gateway and cphastart on the new standby. the new gateway should become active.

Then replace the remaining old gateway.