Hello! I need some help as I haven't done this before.
So there's this case that I was handed; here are the general details:
Ignition 7.9.21 is currently running on an old PC. The field is reliant on it; ideally it does not go down if it doesn't have to.
A practically brand new PC is on site with 7.9.21 installed.
I have a script copying backups (.gwbk) generated by the old to the new.
Plan is to shut down field for an hour or two. Totally supplant old with new. Then once confirmed that new Gateway server is operational, bring up to 8.1.
What are some precautions I need to take? Any loss I need to watch out for? Potential pitfalls? Any steps I should be taking now or later? During execution, I plan to perhaps have support on the line with me.
Moving to new hardware with same Ignition version is relatively low risk. Moving to new version, regardless of hardware is substantially more risk. You should test with v8.1 on a system isolated from your plant.
Don't forget to ensure your license is set for v8.1--it isn't automatic, and if not under support, there will be a fee.
On the topic of upgrading, licensing aside, what technical artifacts contribute to this higher risk generally speaking? Should I expect to lose some configuration? Also – maybe its better if I look for documentation for this – but are there certain action items on my end warranted by the jump from 7.9 to 8.1 in particular maybe that can mitigate risk as much as possible (e.g. prerequisite hotfixes)?
Please excuse these questions, I'm very new to this process!
There are numerous changes in behavior, especially regarding tag initilization/configuration, and the new scripting inheritance structure. You should study the upgrade guide in the user manual. The gateway backup upgrade process tries to minimize the impact, but it isn't perfect.