Review the Requirements to Upgrade an HA Deployment
High Availability (HA) Upgrades
The upgrade process to the current High Availability (HA) version is essentially a new installation of the HA solution. The existing hierarchy will be deleted as a part of the upgrade.
Cloud Infrastructure Not Supported in High Availability (HA) Environments
HA is intended to provide redundancy for hardware failure, which is not applicable to a cloud (shared infrastructure) environment. In a cloud environment, the virtual IP created by the SIOS SteelEye software cannot be appropriately moved between hosts in the event of failover. If HA functionality is required in a cloud environment, consider using Disaster Recovery (DR) or database backups. For more information, see Disaster Recovery.
SteelEye DataKeeper Version 8.7
SteelEye DataKeeper version 8.7.0 is automatically installed with a pre-upgrade script. To verify your version, right click on %ExtMirrBase%\ExtMirrSvc.exe (Typically in C:\Program Files (x86)\SteelEye\DataKeeper\ExtMirrSvc.exe) and select Properties. Click the Details tab and then locate the Product Version.
If for some reason that script is not run, download the DataKeeper setup executable from the LogRhythm Community. It must be run on both Node 1 and Node 2 in the HA pair. A reboot after the installation is required. To minimize downtime:
- Run the installer on Node 2 (the standby system) and then reboot Node 2.
- Failover resources from Node 1 to Node 2.
- Install on Node 1 and then reboot Node 1.
Scheduling the Upgrade
The LogRhythm core services – the Mediator, Job Manager, Alarming and Response Manager, and AI Engine (if applicable) – are offline during the upgrade process. LogRhythm recommends that you schedule the upgrade during a period when this downtime is acceptable. The LogRhythm database upgrades must be complete before the core services can be brought back online.
You should reserve one to three hours for the following upgrade tasks. The more recent your deployment is, the less time you will need.
- Synchronize any pending Knowledge Base updates, which takes approximately 30 minutes.
- Back up and upgrade your existing LogRhythm databases. The backup could take as little as 30 minutes or up to several hours, depending on the size and number of your databases.
- Run the Install Wizard, which is a quick process for each appliance.
- (Optional) Install or upgrade the Linux Data Indexer.
Upgrade additional Agents (besides the ones installed on LogRhythm appliances), which is recommended, but not required at the same time as the main upgrade.
FIPS Mode
LogRhythm SIEM version 7.8 is the most recent version to be FIPS certified. The LogRhythm SIEM v7.8 submission covers two specific deployment configurations: XM and XM+DX.
LogRhythm SIEM versions 7.9 and above are not officially FIPS certified, but are FIPS compliant for XM and XM+DX deployments.
For more information, see Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS).
FIPS mode is not supported on combined HA+DR deployment configurations.
Core Service and Client Console Compatibility
Current-version LogRhythm SIEM core services – the Mediator, Job Manager, Alarming and Response Manager, and the Client Console – are not compatible with previous-version databases or previous-version LogRhythm software, except for System Monitor Agents. All Client Consoles in your environment must be upgraded to the current version of LogRhythm SIEM to be compatible with LogRhythm SIEM core services.
The Client Console is only supported on 64-bit operating systems. For more information, see the LogRhythm Component Compatibility section.
SQL Server Security Hardening Impacts
If your deployment utilizes SQL Server security hardening, this could cause problems during the upgrade or when services attempt to connect to LogRhythm databases after the upgrade.
System Monitor Agent Considerations
- System Requirements. Some System Monitor Agents can only be run on 64-bit systems. For a list of all restrictions, see the System Monitor Operating System Support table in the System Monitor Documentation.
- System Monitor Agent and Core Service Versions. System Monitor Agent versions can be less than or equal to the versions of the core services, but never higher than the versions of the core services. Therefore, if you are upgrading Agents to the current version of LogRhythm SIEM, do so after the core services have been upgraded and restarted.
- System Monitor Agent Collection during Upgrade. It is best to leave all System Monitor Agents running during the upgrade, especially if they are configured to receive Syslog or NetFlow messages. These Agents continue to collect log messages that would otherwise be lost and store them locally until the core services are restarted after the upgrade.
Windows Server 2016, 2019, or 2022 Required for Windows-Based Appliances
In this version of LogRhythm, Windows Server 2016, 2019, or 2022 is required for Windows-based appliances.
If you are running Windows Server 2016 on your appliance, there is no requirement to upgrade to Windows Server 2019 or 2022 for your system to be supported; however, upgrading is recommended.
LogRhythm appliances typically ship with the latest Operating System license version available at the time of purchase however the Operating System installed on the appliance may be an older version. If you wish to upgrade your appliance to Windows Server 2019 or 2022 you can verify if your appliance is licensed for a newer version by checking the service tag on the Dell Warranty page here. Open Device Details, then "View Product Specs" and the OS version that your appliance was shipped with will be listed in the itemized inventory.
If your appliance was not shipped with a license for the newer operating system you with to upgrade to, you can still upgrade but you must provide your own license to upgrade.*
Windows License Appliance Dates
| Appliance Generation | Launch OS | Last Shipped Licensed OS | Approximate Date License Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen4 (ie. LR-XMx4xx) | Server 2012R2 | Server 2016 | Q4 2017 |
| Gen5 (ie. LR-XMx5xx) | Server 2016 | Server 2019 | Q4 2020 |
| Gen6 (ie. LR-XMx6xx) | Server 2022 | N/A - Active | TBD |
See the LogRhythm Component Compatibility section for operating system support.
SQL Server 2016 or SQL Server 2019 Standard Required on Platform Manager
All Platform Manager databases in this version of LogRhythm require Microsoft SQL Server 2016 (version 13.0.4001.0), Microsoft SQL Server 2019 (version 15.0.2000.5), or Microsoft SQL Server 2022 (version 16.0.4055.4) standard edition. Higher cumulative updates and service packs within these versions are also supported.
If you are running Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Standard on your appliance, there is no requirement to upgrade to Microsoft SQL Server 2019 or 2022.
If you do wish to upgrade to Microsoft SQL Server 2019 or 2022, you can do so under your own entitlement or verify if the entitlement shipped with your appliance or purchased from LogRhythm entitles you to an upgrade. Typically LogRhythm appliances are shipped with the latest purchasable version of SQL however there can be a significant lag between a SQL version being released and the licenses being purchasable through OEM or ISV retailers. Its recommended you verify your entitlement prior to planning an upgrade to SQL server. SQL Server installations use an embedded MAK, you do NOT need a key to perform an upgrade of SQL Server.
Software-only SQL Server Licensing
Software-only purchases allow customers to either bring their own SQL license or purchase one through LogRhythm. See the table below to determine whether your software purchase includes a SQL 2016/2019/2022 license.
| SQL Purchase Date | LogRhythm SKU | SQL License | Customer Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| After October 1, 2024 | LR-ACC-MSSQL-P | SQL 2022 | If you wish to upgrade SQL, you can download the Microsoft SQL 2022 Standard installer and upgrade. |
| Prior to October 1, 2024 | LR-ACC-MSSQL-P | SQL 2019 | If you wish to upgrade SQL, you can download the Microsoft SQL 2019 Standard installer and upgrade. |
| Prior to February 1, 2022 | LR-ACC-MSSQL-P | SQL 2016 | If you wish to upgrade SQL, you must provide your own SQL 2019 license.* |
See the LogRhythm Component Compatibility section for SQL Server support documentation.
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 is required on the LogRhythm Platform Manager and other core components. When you update LogRhythm components with the LogRhythm Install Wizard, .NET 4.7.2 is installed when required. Before upgrading LogRhythm components, however, the Database Upgrade Tool also checks for .NET 4.7.2. If you are not already running this version of the .NET Framework, you should upgrade before you continue.
You can download the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 standalone installer from the Microsoft website. The .NET Framework installation requires 4.5 GB of free disk space. If your LogRhythm instance is deployed in a dark site, download the necessary standalone .NET installers from Microsoft Support before beginning the upgrade. Otherwise, the Web Services Installer will attempt to download it during the upgrade and the upgrade will fail without internet connectivity.
Microsoft .NET Core 8.0.3+
Microsoft .NET Core 8.0.3 is required on the LogRhythm Data Processor and AI Engine services. As LogRhythm moves toward .NET Core from .NET Framework, additional services may require .NET Core. If your LogRhythm system has internet access, the LogRhythm Install Wizard will automatically download and install the latest version of .NET Core 8.0.x as part of your installation. If your LogRhythm systems do not have internet access, you will need to download and install .NET Core on any systems with the Data Processor or AI Engine services. Without .NET Core, these services fail to start following the upgrade. The standalone installer for Microsoft .NET Core can be downloaded here.
Administrator Credentials
To reduce downtime, ensure the following items are available before you begin the upgrade process:
Local administrator privileges for the LogRhythm servers.
For Disaster Recovery deployments, this must be a domain account, which has administrative privileges on both boxes. This account is used to set up the failover cluster and is used as a service account for SQL Server, SQL Agent, and LogRhythm Service Registry services.
- The SQL Server password for the LogRhythmAdmin account.
- The SQL Server sa password for the LogRhythm databases.
- The following user permissions must be assigned to the user executing the SQL Server upgrade.
- The Database Upgrade Tool verifies that you have the following permissions:
- Back up/restore files and directories
- Manage auditing and security log
- Take ownership of files or other objects
- Shut down the system and debug programs
- Sufficient time to perform the upgrade. Generally, the upgrade process can be completed in under two hours, but it may take much longer for very large databases.
The LogRhythm Infrastructure Installer
The LogRhythm Deployment Tool, also called the Infrastructure Installer, coordinates the installation and configuration of the LogRhythm Common Components (LR Common) across a set of machines.
LRCommon currently contains:
- LogRhythm API Gateway
- LogRhythm Service Registry
- LogRhythm Metrics Collection
Note the following requirements of the Infrastructure Installer:
- User Access. The user needs to be able to log on to each host in the deployment in order to run the Host Infrastructure Installer.
- Elevated Execution. The tool executes local commands under an elevated context. The user running the tool must have permission to elevate the execution.
Network Time. The times on the hosts must be synchronized. This is a requirement for SSL certificates that are shared among the hosts in the deployment. If times are not synchronized, this tool will likely report that consul is unable to elect a leader.
If this prerequisite is not met, the deployment may not function properly after installation is complete.