Migrate vSEC:CMS from 32-bit to 64-bit

Anthony - Versasec Support
Anthony - Versasec Support
  • Updated

Introduction

This article will describe the procedure of migrating vSEC:CMS from 32-bit to 64-bit versions for the following components:

  • vSEC:CMS Server;
  • vSEC:CMS Admin application;
  • vSEC:CMS Agent application.
Important
From version 6.0 and above Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 should be installed. If you are on a server/host that does not have internet access then download .NET and update on the server before attempting to update vSEC:CMS.
Tip
You can validate what version of Microsoft .NET Framework is installed on your host by running the Powershell command to see the Full version information:
Command
Get-ChildItem 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP' -Recurse | Get-ItemProperty -Name version -EA 0 | Where { $_.PSChildName -Match '^(?!S)\p{L}'} | Select PSChildName, version

Migrate vSEC:CMS Server

Follow the instructions closely in this section to perform a successful migration.

Step 1 - Update 32-bit Version

Before migrating to 64-bit vSEC:CMS Server component it is recommended to update to the latest version that you plan to migrate the 64-bit version to on the existing 32-bit version. For example, say you are currently running version 6.2 of the 32-bit server and you plan to upgrade to 6.3 when migrating to 64-bit version, then you should update the 32-bit version to 6.3 first. See the article Update vSEC:CMS Components for details on this.

Step 2 - Backup

On the current 32-bit server, it is recommended to make a backup copy of the current installed version of the vSEC:CMS before performing the migration. Copy the folder that the current version is installed in. For example, if the current version is installed in C:\Program Files (x86)\Versatile Security\vSEC_CMS T-Series OR C:\Program Files (x86)\Versasec\vSEC_CMS vSEC:CMS stop the vSEC:CMS Windows service (named vSEC:CMS Service) and make a backup copy of this entire folder on your system and store in a location as this maybe required to roll back to if for some reason the migration fails. It may be necessary to change the permissions on the dat folder, which is located in the root of the currently installed version, to allow the currently logged on Windows user access to this folder.

Additionally, make a note of which account the vSEC:CMS Service is running under (from the Log On tab of service property) as this will be needed later on in the process. 

If the vSEC:CMS is configured to use MS-SQL it is important to make a backup of the current SQL database on your SQL server before performing the migration.

Step 3 - Uninstall Current Version

From Programs and Features uninstall the vSEC:CMS S-Series component. Once uninstalled delete the entire folder, if files/folders still exist, from the location of the installation. For example, if the default location was used then delete the entire contents of C:\Program Files (x86)\Versatile Security\vSEC_CMS T-Series OR C:\Program Files (x86)\Versasec

Step 4 - Install 64-bit Version

Presuming you already downloaded the 64-bit version installer start the installer and run through to the end of the installation wizard. 

Once the installation completes stop the vSEC:CMS Service. From the noted Windows account that vSEC:CMS Service is running under in step 2 above adjust the Log On option from Windows services as appropriate. Additionally, you will need to change the security properties for the dat folder. Presuming you installed the 64-bit version to the default location go to the location C:\Program Files\Versasec\vSEC_CMS S-Series and adjust the security properties for the dat folder so that the logged on Windows user can copy files to this folder and that the Windows service account that vSEC:CMS Service is running under has full permissions on this folder. You should also delete all files that currently reside in the dat folder.

Additionally, make sure that the service account that vSEC:CMS service is running under has Full Control on this folder in registry [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Versatile Security\vSEC_CMS_T\Service] on the server where vSEC:CMS is running.

Step 5 - Copy the Database Files

Copy all the files in the dat folder from the backup in step 2 and place them into the dat folder in the new installation.

Start the vSEC:CMS Service. Make sure that the service starts up as expected. Start up any other vSEC:CMS services that you may have used with the 32-bit version at this time.

Perform some test to ensure that the system is working as expected.

Important
After migrating you should log onto the vSEC:CMS Admin console directly on the server and change the location of the backup settings in Options - Settings to point to new location as 64-bit system will now be in a different location than the 32-bit. You should test that the backup functions as expected after making the changes by selecting the Schedule button and select Perform backup now
Important
If you are migrating from a vSEC:CMS that was setup originally with a version prior to 5.8 and you use key store operator it will be necessary to log in once to the Admin console with a full-featured operator credential and from the Options - Operators page select the key store operator in the table and click the Activate button.

Additional Considerations

Some important considerations that you need to be aware of:

  • If you have configured vSEC:CMS to use a HSM with the 32-bit version then you will need to make sure you have the 64-bit version of the PKCS#11 module for the HSM you use installed on the vSEC:CMS server;
  • If you use a Certificate Authority (CA) that uses JRE then you will need to make sure you have the 64-bit version of the JRE installed on the vSEC:CMS server.

Migrate vSEC:CMS Admin and Agent Applications

It is recommended to update ALL vSEC:CMS Admin and Agent applications to 64-bit version too. This can be performed later after you have completed the server-side migration.

From Programs and Features uninstall the vSEC:CMS S-Series component on any client host where vSEC:CMS Admin or Agent application is running.

Then follow the instructions in the articles Install Admin Application and Install Agent Application to perform the migration.