Migrating the Uyuni Server to openSUSE Tumbleweed

This page describes a simple, backup-and-restore migration of a Uyuni Server running on openSUSE Leap Micro 5.5 to a fresh host running openSUSE Tumbleweed as the base OS.

1. Overview of the Migration Process

You will:

  • Create a full server backup with mgradm backup on the openSUSE Leap Micro 5.5 host.

  • Reinstall the host with openSUSE Tumbleweed (server profile).

  • Install Uyuni tools and prerequisites on Tumbleweed.

  • Restore the backup with mgradm backup restore.

  • Start services and verify the server.

2. Requirements and Considerations

  • Source server: openSUSE Leap Micro 5.5 running Uyuni (for example: 2026.01).

  • Target server: openSUSE Tumbleweed with the same hostname/FQDN and IP (recommended) to avoid client-side changes.

  • SSH/scp access between machines for transferring the backup tarball.

  • Sufficient free disk space on both source and target for the backup and restore.

Restore to the same Uyuni version you backed up, or a version explicitly documented as compatible for restore. If you use development or preview repositories (for example, Uyuni Master), expect changes and re-validate.

3. Migration Procedure

3.1. Step 1: Create a Backup on the openSUSE Leap Micro 5.5 Server

Procedure: Create a Backup

  1. As root on the old server, create a backup directory and run the backup:

    mgradm backup /tmp/uyuni-backup

  2. Package the backup for transfer:

    tar -C /tmp -cvf /tmp/uyuni-backup.tar uyuni-backup

  3. Copy the backup to a safe location you can reach from the new host:

    scp /tmp/uyuni-backup.tar <USER>@<HOST>:/path/to/store/

You can store the backup to external storage or an object store as long as you can fetch it on the new host.

3.2. Step 2: Reinstall the Host with openSUSE Tumbleweed

Procedure: Reinstalling the Host

  1. Reprovision the VM or bare-metal host with openSUSE Tumbleweed.

  2. Choose a basic “server profile” installation.

  3. Set the same hostname/FQDN and IP address as the original server if you want clients to reconnect seamlessly.

3.3. Step 3: Install Uyuni Tools and Prerequisites on Tumbleweed

Procedure: Installing Tools and Prerequisites

  1. Add the Uyuni Stable repository and install tools:

    zypper ar https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/systemsmanagement:/Uyuni:/Stable/images/repo/Uyuni-Server-POOL-x86_64-Media1 uyuni-server-stable
zypper ref
zypper in mgradm mgrctl mgradm-bash-completion mgrctl-bash-completion uyuni-storage-setup-server

  2. Install Podman if it was not automatically pulled in:

    zypper in podman

The package uyuni-storage-setup-server provides the mgr-storage-server tool for preparing persistent volumes. Installing podman explicitly may be necessary on some installations.

3.4. Step 4: Optional - Prepare Persistent Storage

Procedure: Prepareing Persistent Storage

It is recommended to configure persistent storage with mgr-storage-server to avoid container full-disk issues.

mgr-storage-server <storage-disk-device> [<database-disk-device>]

Devices must be raw (no existing filesystem). The tool creates volumes at /var/lib/containers/storage/volumes.

For details, see:

3.5. Step 5 Fetch and Restore the Backup on Tumbleweed

Procedure: Fetching and Restoring the Backup

  1. Copy the backup to the new server and unpack it:

    scp <USER>@<HOST>:/path/to/store/uyuni-backup.tar /tmp/
tar -C /tmp -xvf /tmp/uyuni-backup.tar

  2. Restore using mgradm (point to the extracted backup directory):

    mgradm backup restore /tmp/uyuni-backup

3.6. Step 6: Start Services and Verify

Procedure: Starting Services and Verifying

  1. Start the server services:

    mgradm start

  2. Verify:

    • Check that all containers are up: mgrctl ps or podman ps.

    • Access the Web UI (HTTPS) and log in.

    • Review logs for errors: mgrctl logs server and other components as needed.

4. Notes and Troubleshooting

  • If Podman wasn’t installed automatically, install it with zypper in podman and rerun the restore/start steps.

  • Ensure the target host has the same time, hostname, and IP configuration expected by your setup (especially if clients exist).

  • For large environments, ensure adequate disk throughput and space. The backup and restore can take a long time.

If the restore fails or the new system cannot start, you can still boot the original openSUSE Leap Micro 5.5 system and continue service. Keep the original VM/snapshots until you fully validate the new Tumbleweed-based server.