XPSSweeper integrity checks during Policy Server upgrade 12.8.8 to 12.9

Products

• SITEMINDER
• CA Single Sign-On

Issue/Introduction

When planning an upgrade of the SiteMinder Policy Server from version 12.8.8 to 12.9, can an existing Policy Server be upgraded solely to run XPSSweeper to identify and resolve integrity issues before the full environment upgrade?

Environment

Product: SiteMinder (CA Single Sign-On)
Version: 12.8.x, 12.9
Component: Policy Server, Policy Store

Resolution

While it is technically possible to upgrade an existing Policy Server to run XPSSweeper, Broadcom Support recommends installing a new, standalone Policy Server 12.9 for this purpose (1).

Why a Standalone 12.9 Policy Server is Recommended:

Consider a production environment with two Policy Servers (v12.8.8). If you upgrade one server to v12.9 and run XPSSweeper, you may discover significant data corruption or integrity issues in the Policy Store.

• If these issues prevent the upgrade from proceeding, you are left with only one v12.8.8 Policy Server to manage production while attempting manual data corrections.
• Operating on a single node increases production risk and reduces failover capacity.

Recommended Workflow:

1. Use a Standalone Instance: Install a fresh Policy Server 12.9 on a supported Operating System (e.g., Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8) (2).
   
   
2. Work on a Backup: Connect ("point") the new v12.9 Policy Server to a copy/backup of your existing 12.8.8 Policy Store.
   
   Note: Never run repair tools against a production store without a verified backup. You can also work on a clone of the production Policy Store, and once corrected, you move it to production (3).
   
   
3. Analyze and Repair:
   
   Run XPSSweeper from the 12.9 Policy Server to analyze the store. Integrity errors are often unpredictable and frequently involve missing link objects.
   
   To fix data in a 12.8.8 version store, first attempt corrections via the Administrative UI (WAMUI or AdminUI) 12.8.8.
   
   If the Administrative UI cannot resolve the issue and XPS tools are required, use XPSSweeper and XPSImport from the v12.9 installation.
   
   If XPSExplorer is required for manual object manipulation, use the version provided with the 12.8.8 Policy Server.

Additional Information

1. Correct Integrity Errors of Policy Store
   
   
2. Policy Server 12.9 Platform Support Matrix (Operating Systems)
   
   
3. Duplicating an Existing Policy Store Instance