The Correct Way to Update my Server?

WhisperiN · 03-07-2010, 06:19 PM

Hello fellows,
I hope you all readers are doing great..

Well, I'm not too new to Linux, not too old.
I have couple of web servers, that I run and manage my self.

I wonder, about the correct steps, and the best way we should usually take to update the system.

As for my setup, I have:

Code:

CentOS 5.4 | 32bit
Apache2 2.2
PHP 5.1.6
MySQL 5.0.7
vSFTP 2.0.5

Alright, now, to update the system I know that I can type:

Code:

yum update

But, I'm asking for the professional way to do an update..

Geeks, share us with thoughts please..

Regards.

bret381 · 03-07-2010, 07:43 PM

"Professional way" to do an update????

yum update

evo2 · 03-07-2010, 07:49 PM

The "professional way", by definition, would be to pay someone.

Evo2.

jlinkels · 03-07-2010, 09:47 PM

You should at least apply the security updates. I am sure those are available somehow for you distro.

Upgrading a live server? Think twice! The packages you have installed are all but outdated. Me preferred way to update a live server is to purchase new hardware, install everything I need, transfer the data files, and THEN switch over.

I don't know how important those servers are to you, but you don't want to be confronted with certain applications which won't start up. As it seems, the big hurdles are already passed, but for example if you were upgrading Apache 1.3 -> 2.2, PHP 4.1 -> 5.0, MySQL 4.0 -> 5.0 I am sure you have 48 very stressful hours to get your server up and running again. Upgrades fro what you have to the latest stable versions may be less rigorous, but think twice if you need that.

jlinkels