Dynatrace 5.5 Fixpack update agents without activating bootstrap

Hello Tommy,
there are some twists to updates depending on the dynaTrace version. ((non-default) instances are handled differently / separately in 5.6)
To avoid elaboration on all kinds of variants: Could you please tell a bit more about your two environments! (what Agent technologies,...)

From your description the environments seem completely separate, so there should be no component interaction and cross-updates. (if you don´t connect Collectors or Agents to the wrong Server erroneously)

You CAN use non-bootstrap Agents, but I would not exactly recommend it. Server / Collector / Agent component updates mostly go hand in hand and I would not want to speculate on the probability of the gain or loss of manual Agent updates. I´d guess loss.

Non-bootstrap: You would install the new version Agents and change the Agent instrumentation line in your app config when you feel fit to change.

But my solution would be to time updates with maintenance windows and if you need an emergency fix, chances are it involves all components.

Please give me some more details!
G.

Hello Guenter,

this is the situation we have:

for Dynatrace, we have 2 environments: 1 which monitors our production environment, and 1 which monitors our systen and integration test environments. During the setup, I made sure that no agent from 1 environment connected to the server on the other environment. In order to do this, our collectors run on seperate machines and have the environment name in their DNS entries and server names.

Each environment is a mix of several functional "subenvironments" which consist of .Net (SharePoint,...) servers, Java (mainly IBM Websphere) servers, webservers(IBM ihs, IIS,... ) Whenever we would do a fixpack installation, it won't be easy to coördinate this over all subenvironments. Also, we want to control when an agent update is executed.

Suppose this scenario occurs: a problem is detected in one of our subenvironments, which needs a server restart. Unknowingly to the person handling this restart, a fixpack was installed in Dynatrace. During this restart, the new version of the agent would be loaded, which (you never know) can introduce another problem. Therefore, we want to control agent updates. (and also have a fallback if possible)

When I checked the download site for agent updates, I only see the initial installers we used when we installed 5.5. So I suppose no new agent installer files are created with a fixpack.

Regards,
Tommy

Thanks for the detailed update. It sheds the necessary light. And: I appreciate your structured, clear writing!

Let me do this from the bottom up and as far as I get, as I´m already on my commute. Rest Monday.

Yes, the Agent updates are in the FixPack, installed to the Server via the Client, then distributed by the Server. First Collectors are nudged up, then it propagates from the Collectors to the Agents.

A 5.5 "feature" is that it EDIT: a FixPacked Server updates ANY version Collector and all instances and from there Agents. This was changed in 5.6: Only build-level updates - and selectively to Collector instances on connect...

So, your non-bootstrap idea seems to have merit.

More Monday. Have a nice weekend!
G.

Hi,

just do add some info here.

We have experienced the same behavior in out client site. But even dynaTrace agent was updated it was still behaving with older version issues.

We had even rebooted the servers.

To solve the problem we uninstalled the agents and instaleld them again.