Migrate from Citrix Ready KVM VPX to officially supported NetScaler VPX™ on Nutanix AHV
The Citrix Ready® KVM-based NetScaler VPX on Nutanix AHV has been used by many customers but does not have official Citrix® support and advanced automation features. Hence, we recommend our customers to migrate from Citrix Ready KVM VPX to officially supported NetScaler VPX on Nutanix AHV.
Prerequisite
Before migrating, review the limitations of the Nutanix AHV-specific VPX image to ensure that your environment does not depend on any excluded features. For more information, see Unsupported features and limitations.
Migrate by using the Node-by-Node High Availability (HA) Replacement method
The HA node-by-node replacement methodology enables a zero-downtime, fully supported upgrade from the Citrix Ready KVM VPX to the officially supported Nutanix AHV VPX image. This transition unlocks advanced automation capabilities, full official support, and a modernized deployment platform for NetScaler.
Step 1: Lock the HA state of your legacy primary node.
-
Log into your Citrix Ready KVM VPX primary node and run the following command:
set ha node -hastatus STAYPRIMARY <!--NeedCopy--> -
On the legacy secondary node, remove its HA pairing with the primary node using the following command:
rm ha node <primary-nsip> <!--NeedCopy--> -
Verify that the primary node continues to serve the traffic without interruption while you proceed with migration or replacement tasks.
Step 2: Deploy a new secondary node.
- Provision a new NetScaler VPX instance using the official Nutanix AHV 14.1-51.x image.
- Assign the management IP address previously used by your legacy secondary node.
- Complete the initial setup, apply the license, and check that the network configuration is correct.
-
Join HA nodes by running the following command:
add ha node <primary-nsip> <!--NeedCopy--> -
Verify that the HA status is UP and synchronization is successful by using the following command:
show ha node status <!--NeedCopy-->
Step 3: Promote the new secondary node to primary.
-
On the old primary node (the legacy KVM VPX), unset the stay primary status by using the following command:
unset ha node -stayprimary <!--NeedCopy--> -
Force a failover by using the following command:
force ha failover <!--NeedCopy--> -
Verify that the newly deployed secondary node has successfully become the primary and is fully operational.
show ha node status <!--NeedCopy--> -
Set the new primary node to stay primary by using the following command:
set ha node -hastatus STAYPRIMARY <!--NeedCopy-->Note:
If HA synchronization fails, manually synchronize RPC passwords on both nodes using the
set rpcNode <peer-ip> -password <password>command. -
If any problems arise during this step, fail back to the old primary and restore the legacy secondary node. For assistance, contact the Citrix Support team.
Step 4: Replace the legacy secondary with a new VPX.
-
Remove the legacy secondary node from the HA configuration using the following command:
rm ha node <legacy-secondary-nsip> <!--NeedCopy--> - Provision another new VPX instance using the official Nutanix AHV 14.1-51.x image.
- Assign the management IP address of the legacy secondary node to the new VPX instance.
-
Complete the setup and license activation.
-
Join this new VPX to the HA pair using the following command:
add ha node <new-primary-nsip> <!--NeedCopy--> -
Verify that the HA status is stable, “UP”, and synchronized using the following command.
show ha node status <!--NeedCopy-->
Step 5: Validate and finalize.
- Verify the HA roles and synchronization status across both new nodes.
- Validate all virtual services, SSL certificates, and policies to ensure correct functionality.
- Perform failover and failback tests to verify redundancy.
- Back up all configurations and snapshot the new environment.
- After successful validation, delete the legacy VPX instances to free up resources.
Critical Considerations
-
Backup: It is essential to retain backups of your legacy nodes until the new VPX environment has been fully validated and is stable.
-
Unsupported Features: Migration is not recommended if your current deployment relies on features that are not supported in the new Nutanix AHV VPX image. For more information, see Unsupported features and limitations.