Node migration

Steps to migrate Snaplex nodes from using the global.properties file to slpropz

If you have a Snaplex running with a global.properties file in the $SL_ROOT/etc folder, you should consider migrating the Snaplex to use the slpropz mechanism for the configuration.

Running the Groundplex with the global.properties file requires the following tasks for any configuration change.

Note: We recommend that you manually update your global.properties file instead of overwriting it.
Attention: If a node is intended to run as a FeedMaster, set its server type before you start it for the first time. On a node still configured through global.properties (not yet migrated to slpropz), designate it as a FeedMaster by setting server_type=feed_master in that host's global.properties file before starting the node. server_type=feed_master is host-specific: apply it only to the file on the intended FeedMaster and keep it out of the files copied to ordinary JCC nodes (see the copy step below), or those nodes are promoted to FeedMasters as well. If you start a node intended as a FeedMaster without this setting, it comes up as a regular JCC node and can begin receiving pipeline executions.

After you migrate to slpropz, the FeedMaster role is no longer read from global.properties. Instead, it is carried in the downloaded slpropz file based on the node's server type as set in Manager. Map each FeedMaster's hostname to server type FeedMaster in the Snaplex Node Properties before you download the slpropz file (see the steps below); otherwise the file contains no FeedMaster designation for that host and the node starts as a regular JCC node.

See Deploy FeedMaster node.

  1. Manually update the global.properties file.
  2. Copy the updated configuration to all the nodes.
    Do not copy server_type=feed_master to ordinary JCC nodes. Apply that property only to the global.properties file on the intended FeedMaster host; if it reaches a JCC node, that node is promoted to a FeedMaster.
  3. Restart all the nodes.
    We recommend that you migrate to the slpropz mechanism for defining configuration files.
  4. To migrate the Snaplex configuration to the slpropz mechanism, update the Snaplex properties in Manager by adding custom configurations, which remain in the global.properties into the Snaplex properties.
    If you do not complete this step, then the configuration changes applied to the nodes are not available when running with slpropz.
    For any node that must run as a FeedMaster, set its server type to FeedMaster on the Node Properties tab now, before you download the slpropz file in the next step. This mapping determines the FeedMaster designation in the generated slpropz; the legacy server_type=feed_master setting from global.properties does not carry over automatically.
  5. Navigate to the Manager > Update Snaplex > Downloads , and download slpropz file into the $SL_ROOT/etc folder.
  6. Back up the global.properties and keys.properties files, then remove them from the $SL_ROOT/etc folder.
  7. Restart the JCC process on all the Groundplex nodes through the Public API. Alternatively, as an Org admin, you can restart the JCC node through the Dashboard by clicking dropdown icon on the target Groundplex node and selecting Node Restart.
The Snaplex nodes should run with the slpropz mechanism, therefore allowing for remote configuration updates.