HCL Domino 11 on CentOS Linux 8 Step-by-Step Swing Upgrade / Installation

Mindwatering Incorporated

Author: Tripp W Black

Created: 03/11/2020 at 01:15 AM

 

Category:
Domino Upgrades / Installations
Software Upgrade

CentOS 7.7 to CentOS 8 and HCL Domino 11 Server Step-by-Step Installation/Upgrade (Swing Upgrade)

Important Notes:
- We started this upgrade from a CentOS 7.7 VM. We set up a new VM running CentOS 8, with 3 virtual disks: one for /, the second for /local/, and the third called local2 for transaction logs.
- We did not need to install any additional libraries. This Domino server was "swung" from CentOS 7.7 to CentOS 8 with its Domino 11.0 NSFs and NTFs.
- We kept and migrated only the /local/notesdata/ disk. (We copied the the actual disk VMware files.) We removed all the system sub-folders from the /local/notesdata/ folder, like etc, xsp, IBM_Tech..., etc except for a like IBM_Vault and the icl apps. We also removed all full-text folders (app.ft folders).
- We performed the Domino installation in console mode.

CentOS installation and OS prerequisite steps are included in this document if doing a "swing" upgrade type installation.

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HCL Domino 11.0 or
HCL Domino 11.0.1 Installation:

_____________________________________


Domino 11.0.1 / Domino 11.0.1 Installation:
Copy the installation file to the Domino server:
- Domino_1101_Preview_Linux64_Eng.tar

In our case, we used FileZilla to transfer to a temporary location:
/home/myadmin/tmp/dom11

2. Started SSH Terminal to server.
$ ssh myadmin@myserver.mindwatering.com
<enter password>

Extract and run the install:
$ cd /home/myadmin/tmp/dom11/
$ tar -xvf Domino_1101_Linux_English.tar
<watched files extracted>
$ cd linu
$ sudo ./install
<go through the prompts>
- <Enter> to continue with default number 3. English locale (or change)
- <Enter> to continue
- "0" to skip to end of HCL Master License Agreement
- "Y" to agree
- <Enter> to continue
- <Enter> for NO (Data Directories Only Partitioned Domino Server
- <Enter> to continue
- <Enter> for default: /opt/hcl/domino
- <Enter> to continue
- <Enter> to NO (partitioned server)
- <Enter> to continue
- <Enter> for nothing/null (Data Files Directory Name)
- User Name: notes
- Group Name: notes
- <Enter> to continue
- <Enter> for default: Manual
- <Enter> for default: Domino Enterprise Server
- <Enter> to continue
- <Enter> to continue after reviewing all questions answered
< wait for the install >
- <Enter> to exit the installer

Note:
- The steps/questions are the same. But the navigation is a bit different as the new installation program is InstallAnywhere. So you click <enter> instead of <tab> to accept a setting, and you have to use "0" to get to the end of the license fine print page.
- Since my server has been upgraded over the years, the executable path still shows an IBM based one. Update if yours if different. We also use /local/notesdata for our data path. Also, our Domino server user id is notes.
- If this server is the "main" Domino server that manages the Domino Directory, you must start the server manually to answer "Yes". Major releases always have a directory upgrade, the server "hangs" waiting on the answer. So our first boot into 11 will be manually.
- If you changed to the hcl/domino path, verify the "swung" notes.ini was successfully updated by the installation script before manually starting.

3. Start the server manually.
$ su notes
$ cd /local/notedata/
$ /opt/hcl/domino/bin/server
< wait for boot. Answer "Yes" if this Domino instance is the Directory server, wait for server to "settle" for several minutes. >

Shutdown the Domino service.
> q

4. Exit being the notes user, and start the server normally.
$ exit

5. Install the Nashed Domino script. Note that the folder path has changed with the new version. The scripts are put in their own folder so not to be in the way of official software updates.
$ systemctl start domino.service

6. Post Installation:
Rebuild any full-text indexes, desired that were removed in the migration.


_____________________________________

CentOS 8.x Linux Installation
and Prerequisite Steps:

_____________________________________

Linux CentOS 8 OS Install:

Create a new CentOS 8 VM
- 6 GB of memory with 1 to 3 Disks of 50 GB, and video memory of 16 MB for the X Windows system
Note: With only the CentOS 8 OS running (w/o X Windows GUI), the system used between 1.5 and 1.7 GB. So we added 3.5 GB to start for Domino. If you have more than 50 concurrent users or have a heavier load increase the memory and start with 8 GB of memory. Increase the 50 GB disk space depending on your storage needs. If creating a transaction logs disk, make it 1 GB or more.

Attached to CentOS iso:
CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-DVD1.iso

We used the DVD iso because no minimal ISO has been created as of this writing.

Started VM and Installation:
At start page, selected top link: Install CentOS Linux 8

On Welcome page, took the defaults of English and English US, clicked Continue.

On Installation Summary page,
- kept Date &Time default, as it was correct.
- kept SOFTWARE SELECTION as Minimal Install, as it was correct.
- Select INSTALLATION DESTINATION
--> Click the Disk icon under Local Standard Disks. (Ours says VMware Virtual disk, sda / 50 GB)
--> Click Done.
- Select NETWORK and HOST NAME
--> At the top right, changed the ens192 NIC to On
--> At the bottom, enter the hostname AND domain: myserver.mindwatering.net, click Apply
--> Clicked Configure and set-up for a static/Manual IP
- - - - IP Address: 192.168.199.100
- - - - Netmask: 24
- - - - Default Route: 192.168.199.1
- - - - DNS: 192.168.199.1 123.123.123.1
- - - - Search Domains: mindwatering.net
- - - - click Save
--> Back in the NETWORK & HOST NAME page, click Done.
With all the warning caution triangles removed/completed, click Begin Installation.

While the installation is going, under USER SETTINGS, click ROOT PASSWORD.
--> Enter the root user password in the Root Password field, enter it again in the Confirm field.
--> You can create the Domino server notes user now, or do it later. To do it now, click USER CREATION.
- - - - Fullname: notes
- - - - User name: notes
- - - - Password: *************
- - - - Confirm password: *************
- - - - (Leave checked the checkbox for Require a password to use this account. Leave unchecked the checkbox for Make this user administrator)
- - - - click Done
When done, click Reboot.

Notes:
Update the network settings to what's needed for your installation.
For the Installation Destination, we typically have on disk for the OS, one for /local/notesdata, and others for anything else needed for the box. (e.g. another one for transaction logs, and one for DAOS).

After the reboot, CentOS has a scary screen that says:
LICENSING
License Information
License not accepted.

Simply click the blue box of text saying not accepted, click the I accept the license agreement, and then click Done.
Click the Finish configuration button.

Login as your admin user or root. If you selected the Server with GUI option, you are greeted with a Welcome set-up wizard.
Complete the welcome tabs.
(e.g. English US --> On Privacy page, No Location Services -->Connect Your Online Accounts, Skip --> Start Using CentOS Linux
Close the Getting Started window.


Login and Start Prerequisite Tasks:
After reboot, and you have logged-in, use the Terminal window to update the system:
# yum update
< waited, accepted a cert, waited some more >
# yum autoremove


Install Open VMTools if Using VMware VM:
CentOS 8 installed the VMware/OpenVM tools automatically for Server with GUI. If they are not installed, Install the open-vm tools with:
# yum install open-vm-tools
< click y, to the request to install the RPG certificate key to trust the repository >

Start the tools (ours was not running):
# systemctl enable vmtoolsd
# systemctl status vmtoolsd
# systemctl start vmtoolsd


Install OpenSSH Server:
To remotely manage the server, and to transfer files to it, install the OpenSSH server:
# yum install openssh-server
Note: Installation of openssh-server not needed, and already installed, for minimal installation, and Server with GUI.


Security/Limits File Updates:
Edit /etc/security/limits.conf using root and add or modify the lines:
notes soft nofile 65535
notes hard nofile 65535
(Use 65535 for 64 bit Linux for both soft and hard limits, per HCL 2019/12. )

Update SELINUX:
$ vi /etc/selinux/config
Change to SELINUX=disabled and save.
(<esc> :wq <enter> to save)


Time Server Sync:
(optional) Set up NTP if not using VMware Tools or OpenVM tools to sync time:
$ ntpdate pool.ntp.org
$ chkconfig ntpd on

Note:
In CentOS 7, NTP and Chrony packages were available. In CentOS 8 (not upgraded from 7), only chrony is available.



32-Bit Multilib Installations?
I received confirmation from Daniel Nashed that no compat libraries or 32-bit libraries are needed anymore as Domino and JVM are fully 64-bit.


64-bit Packages for Domino:
Notes:
If you have the Desktop version of CentOS 8, it appears that the pre-requisite packages for the graphical installation were already there.
HCL has not published that certain new packages are needed or some are no longer needed. So for know we verified the same packages as our previous Domino 9 and 10 upgrades. With CentOS 7.6 and 7.7, only perl and libXp were not already installed with the minimal ISO plus the stripped GNOME Desktop we installed.

The Domino install via console mode requires perl
# yum install perl

The following were already installed; these can be skipped:
# yum install glibc
# yum install libgcc
# yum install libstdc++


For the X-Windows Desktop install, the following are all installed; these can be skipped:
# yum install libXtst
# yum install libXmu
# yum install libXft
# yum install libXi

The previous versions of Domino on Linux also required the libXp. We installed Domino successfully w/o it, but don't know if something still needs it. It should be skipped:
# yum install libXp


Setup the Domino User Account:
Skip this step if you set up the notes user during the install, but do the DOMINO_LINUX_SET_PARMS and the /local/notesdata steps still.
Create the notes (domino) user. Leave alone the opt/hcl/domino path so it owned/signed by root, but change the ownership of the /local/notesdata folder so that is is owned by the notes server user.
# useradd -d /home/notes -m notes
- or to include a specific UID ID -
# useradd -d /home/notes -m notes -u 1008

Set the password:
# passwd notes

Set up the notes user to use DOMINO_LINUX_SET_PARMS:
# vi /home/notes/.bashrc
Add to the end of the file: export DOMINO_LINUX_SET_PARMS=1

Create the installation Domino data notesdata folder. We use /local/notesdata.
(For a new CentOS 7.7 install, we had to create the /local folder, in addition to the /local/notesdata folder.)
# cd /
# mkdir local
# cd /local
# mkdir notesdata
# chown -R notes /local/notesdata/
# chgrp -R notes /local/notesdata/
# chmod -R g+w /local/notesdata/


Open the Domino Firewall Ports:
CentOS 7 uses FirewallD.
If you are not using the Domino Java Controller, leave off 2050. There are other ports for IMAP and POP3 if needed (993 and 995).

# firewall-cmd --zone=public --add-port=1352/tcp --permanent
# firewall-cmd --zone=public --add-port=80/tcp --permanent
# firewall-cmd --zone=public --add-port=443/tcp --permanent
in this example we restrict SSH and e-mail to internal networks only ...
# firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-rich-rule="rule family="ipv4" source address="192.168.199.0/16" port protocol="tcp" port="2050" accept"
# firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-rich-rule="rule family="ipv4" source address="192.168.199.0/16" port protocol="tcp" port="22" accept"
# firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-rich-rule="rule family="ipv4" source address="192.168.211.0/28" port protocol="tcp" port="25" accept"
# firewall-cmd --reload

Confirm loaded and running:
# firewall-cmd --state


Other Misc Steps:
If running multiple IPs, update the network configuration with second ethernet.

Update /etc/hosts:
Notes:
- Watch out for the GUI (desktop) tool to wipe out /etc/hosts and the 127.0.0.1 loopback address!
- If a second line has been added for 127.0.1.1, comment it out with a # in front of the line. That messages up the server.
- Add a new line with the server's internal IP and FQDN and simple hostname:
# 127.0.1.1 myserver
192.168.199.100 myserver.mindwatering.net myserver
Save the file and exit. <esc> :wq.

If the /local/notesdata/ is a second virtual (or real) disk and you need to mount it, update /etc/fstab.
e.g.
/dev/sdb1 /local/notesdata ext4 defaults 1 1
/dev/sdc1 /local2 ext4 defaults 1 1
Wait: Don't reboot yet, did you already make the partition. If not, continue below.

If you need to partition the disk and format it still, then do this:
# fdisk /dev/sdb
> p
(Take defaults for start and end of disk (e.g. 2048 and 73400319) for 35 GB disk)
> w
(Saves to disk)
# partprobe
# mkfs -t ext4 /dev/sdb1
(Partprobe allows the /dev/sdb1 to exist w/o a reboot. mkfs formats the new partition.)


Verify that postfix is not running or enabled. If so, disable it.
e.g.
# systemctl status postfix
< received active status>
# systemctl stop postfix
# systemctl disable postfix


Install Domino Start-up Scripts:
For the Nashed start-up script 3.3x, manual installation is not required. Run the install_script file after expanding the tar file.
If you are not using standard naming conventions, you will need to update the script variables near the top.
# tar -xvf start_script_331.tar
# cd start_script
# ./install_script

# systemctl status domino.service
< status is loaded, but inactive/not running >
# systemctl start domino.service



Installing a Desktop on CentOS 8 Minimal:
Notes:
We found that the HCL Sametime 11.0 installation doesn't yet have a response file setup documented and readme.txt - no console install possible. Update - the response format has been released a short time after the software release. This step is not required.
If you run the install w/o a GUI, and without a response file, you get files scatter across your root "/" folder.
We found that with CentOS 8 the groupinstall for "X Window system" doesn't work with startx by itself, even with increasing video size to 128 MB. We could use "GNOME Desktop", but that gives us all the desktop apps, which are not needed on a server. So we installed with the base gnome groups added with it, instead.

# yum groupinstall "X Window System" -y
# yum install gnome-classic-session gnome-terminal nautilus-open-terminal control-center liberation-mono-fonts
# yum groupinstall fonts
# startx
< gnome booted successfully. Clicked the Power symbol (upper right) to restart the server.>

(Optional) Login as root, and set the GNOME Desktop to be loaded instead of the terminal prompt as desired.
# systemctl set-default graphical.target
Note:
For a manual run, systemctl isolate graphical.target, is used to still default to terminal, but give option to boot to GUI.

The GNOME default 800x600 resolution isn't big enough for installation screens. Increase it:
Applications --> System Tools --> Settings
In the Settings dialog, scroll down and choose Display
Change the Display Resolution field to something bigger but smaller than the average admin's monitor resolution. We choose 1280x800 (16x10). Click Apply.
Click the Keep Changes button in the dialog. (If don't click it, the system will think you cannot, and revert to previous resolution.)
Close the dialog to return to the GNOME desktop.




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