ArcGIS Enterprise 11.3 vs 11.1 Portal Web Adaptor Install Order

[DavidColey]

Hello - In prepping for the Enterprise 11.3 Portal upgrade this weekend, I just now noticed that the step for the Web Adaptor Uninstall - Re-Install has been moved from Step 3 in the upgrade documentation for 11.1:

https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/portal/11.1/install/windows/upgrade-portal-for-arcgis.htm

3. Sign in to the machine hosting the ArcGIS Web Adaptor you're using with your portal, and uninstall ArcGIS Web Adaptor. For full instructions, see the uninstallation topic for IIS or Java (Windows). Be sure to note the name of the Web Adaptor before you uninstall it.

to Step 9 in the latest upgrade documentation for 11.3:

https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/portal/latest/install/windows/upgrade-portal-for-arcgis.htm

9. Sign in to the machine hosting the ArcGIS Web Adaptor you're using with your portal, and uninstall ArcGIS Web Adaptor. For full instructions, see the uninstallation topic for IIS or Java (Windows). Be sure to note the name of the Web Adaptor before you uninstall it.

So in other words, we are now supposed to leave the 11.2 web adaptor version in place on my web server until AFTER we run the Portal upgrade and post-upgrade steps?

I've done this so many times since 10.6 and we have always removed the web adaptor BEFORE running the Portal Setup.exe.  Can anyone comment?

@MarceloMarques 

@A_Wyn_Jones 

@JakeSkinner 

@ScottTansley 

Thanks - 

David

Sarasota County GIS

[MarceloMarques]

Yes, I noticed that change in the documentation myself.

It is fine to

1. update Portal, run the Portal post-upgrade

2. then after that remove the Portal old webadaptor and install the Portal new webadaptor

3. update Server, run the Server post-upgrade

4. then after that remove the Server old webadaptor and install the Server new webadaptor

I have done the upgrade in this order for many releases.

I hope this helps.

[DavidColey]

Hmm, ok Marcelo, thanks for the reply.  Up to and including 11.2 I have always uninstalled web adaptor for portal and server prior to running the portal and server setup exe's, per the help docs.  

I did just now notice that at 11.2 the web adaptor un-install / install steps are documented as to be completed after the post-upgrade for portal.

Some of us had problems with content and language being un-available to the portal after the 11.2 install, and now I am wondering if the web adaptor for version 11.1 should have been left in place while the 11.2 was upgrading and post-upgrading. 

So for this 11.2 to 11.3 upgrade, I will leave the portal WA at 11.2 in place per this new documentation.

For Server, I don't think it matters for the un-install install order.  But - I have always un-installed the WA prior to Server setup exe upgrades, and will continue to do so since the Server help doc does not specifically say not to.

[Scott_Tansley]

Hey.  I did a dev upgrade this week and did it using the original step 3 upgrade.  No issues.  I

[DavidColey]

Great, thanks Scott.  I always thought it didn't really matter, especially with fully distributed deployments. 

After all, whether portal or server, we can always unregister / register a web adaptor after installs / upgrades.

Now I'm back in the step 3 camp, since that's what I know. . .   

[Scott_Tansley]

My typical approach is portal.  Then from 7443 I'll run the initial content upgrade.  It then tells you to do the WA.  I replace the WA, and then do the final organisation upgrade via the web adaptor.  The written instructions may differ, but the process that you're guided through by the upgrade process is no different.  I am going to re-read those instructions now though...  😉

[DavidColey]

Well, I would say that, for new installs of Enterprise and Portal, that installing the WA after you run through the post-upgrade is exactly right  

But for upgrades, the WA should be uninstalled, or at least unregistered, from Portal first.

Same for Server.

[Scott_Tansley]

I do about 50 upgrades a year on average, I've always followed the guidelines here:

https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/portal/latest/install/windows/upgrade-portal-for-arcgis.htm#:~:text...

The recommended order to upgrade the components in your ArcGIS Enterprise deployment is as follows:

1. Upgrade Portal for ArcGIS.
2. Upgrade ArcGIS Web Adaptor (for Portal for ArcGIS) for IIS or Java (Windows).
3. Upgrade the ArcGIS Server site serving as the portal's hosting server.
4. Upgrade ArcGIS Web Adaptor (for ArcGIS Server) for IIS or Java (Windows).
5. Upgrade ArcGIS Data Store.
6. If your ArcGIS Enterprise deployment includes them, upgrade federated servers.

By leaving the old WA in place, I can still use SAML2 and test each software component as it upgrades.  I've just taken one client from 10.8.1 to 11.1 and another from 10.9.1 to 11.3 using that approach and was able to do smoke testing with the old web adaptor in place, before, replacing the web adaptor.

I mean, each to their own, but my whole business largely centres around upgrading clients for whom I originally built their environments.  I have no reason to change the approach.  🙂

[DavidColey]

Yes, i do not do it differently, which is why I was surprised to see the change in the Portal upgrade steps.

I do not have SAML as an auth mechanism, so for me there is no smoke testing.  I appreciate the help

[RyanUthoff]

This isn't the first time there have been inconsistencies with the ArcGIS Enterprise installation/upgrade documentation. I called it out here for the 11.1 documentation. https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-enterprise-questions/inconsistent-arcgis-enterprise-upgrade-ord...

In reality, maybe the order doesn't matter and that's fine. But it doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling when we have inconsistent documentation and that even Esri staff is deviating away from the "official" documentation in their own upgrades. I mean someone made the decision to change the upgrade order in the documentation and there must be a reason behind it. What is that reason?