Zabbix database lift + shift PostgreSQL migration

 I've been running Zabbix a few years now, and typically put new versions on different hardware as I explore how much power and network are needed even for a relatively small set of hosts. Underpowered components show up as dropped connections and lost data cycles.

I decides to move up the underlying databases on 2 instances from 14 and 15 to both run on PGSQL 16. As I have the databases on NetBSD, I could not easily use the pg_upgrade tool. That needs the source and target versions to both run on one host (as as as I can see), and the NetBSD standard pkgsrc only permits one version. I didn't have the time or skills to install outside the package source.

So, I went with a database export, re-install the database server software, then import. I didn't rush things, and had less than 2 hours of down-time, using a fairly old hardware box (2014 / AMD Family 16h (686-class), 1996.25 MHz).

Much of the time was upgrading or installing about 700 packages that have gone stale in the several years since I touched that box other than small package installs.

20 minutes for the first try:

---Oct 14 00:20:32: [1/780] upgrading freeglut-3.6.0...

---Oct 14 00:40:31: [780/780] upgrading tex-latex-20241101...

Then, after clearing the deadwood and trying again a bit later after the database, the POST GIS extension (times in GMT):

---Oct 14 01:43:15: [1/14] installing tiff-4.7.0nb3...

---Oct 14 01:44:36: [14/14] installing postgresql16-postgis-3.6.0...

Times in EST5EDT:

DB dump

Under a minute, with SSD.

$ time pg_dump -U zabbixadmin -d zabbix -h localhost > zabbix_dump.dmp 2>zabbix.err

real    0m52.698s

user    0m12.638s

sys     0m3.256s

A medium size home net maybe? Around 1GB.

-rw-r--r--  1 jim  wheel  1131407116 Oct 13 23:04 zabbix_dump.dmp

Move older version aside, so if things go sideways a dropback to the prior version is the "save point." We hope not to test this.

# mv pgsql pgsql_15

$ ls -l /usr/pkg/pg*

ls: /usr/pkg/pgsql_15: Permission denied

780 packages

pkg_install warnings: 2, errors: 329

pkg_install error log can be found in /var/db/pkgin/pkg_install-err.log

reading local summary...

processing local summary...

(time passes)

NetBSD pkgsrc database boot

bash-5.2# /etc/rc.d/pgsql initdb

Initializing PostgreSQL databases.

Zabbix specific database steps

unix:

createdb -O zabbix -E Unicode -T template0 zabbix

sql:

GRANT ALL ON SCHEMA public TO                   zabbixadmin;

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES on database  zabbix    to  zabbixadmin;

GRANT CONNECT on database         zabbix    to  zabbixadmin;

ALTER ROLE                                      zabbixadmin WITH LOGIN;

Restore

$ time psql -d zabbix < zabbix_dump.dmp >~/zabbix.log 2>~/zabbix.err

real    2m59.684s

user    0m12.635s

sys     0m2.364s

As the saying goes, 2 minutes 59.

The image above illustrates the somewhat minimal downtime, where the 90 minute gap between the arrows is the entire loss of one data element.

First Contact Scoutly Automaton

 To teach a badge I'd better know a bit more than the student, or how to adjust to learning on the fly.

So I asked the Scouting bot cutely named Scoutly, how to connect a Scout to a counselor.

How does a unit leader approve a Scout to start a Merit badge?

The answer imagined only a blue card universe with signed paper forms. Odd for a new piece of code to go way back. Maybe there's more data pre-Scoutbook digital workflow. 

Scoutly:A unit leader approves a Scout to start a Merit Badge by: 1. Providing the Scout with a Merit Badge counselor's name who specializes in the badge's subject 2. Giving the Scout a signed Application for Merit Badge form 3. Encouraging the Scout to contact the counselor to discuss the badge requirements

I "refined" the query to add "in Scoutbook" as we used to add "in ___" jokingly. 

How does a unit leader approve a Scout to start a Merit badge in Scoutbook?

And waited. Minutes of 3 waving dots. The session reset so I asked the same question with a quicker reply.

The answer was: reply hazy try again style non-answer.

Scoutly:In Scoutbook, the process for a unit leader to approve a Scout starting a Merit Badge typically involves: 1. The Scout discusses their interest in a specific Merit Badge with the unit leader 2. The unit leader helps connect the Scout with an appropriate Merit Badge counselor 3. The Scout obtains a signed Application for Merit Badge 4. The counselor works with the Scout to explain requirements and begin the process While the exact Scoutbook digital approval process isn't detailed in the available information, the key is communication between the Scout, unit leader, and Merit Badge counselor.

Differently wrong. 

And yet another diff on the tell me three times it is true:

While the specific Scoutbook approval process isn't detailed, here's the typical Merit Badge approval process:

. The Scout discusses their interest in a specific Merit Badge with their unit leader

. The Scout reviews the requirements for the Merit Badge

. The unit leader provides the name of a qualified Merit Badge counselor

. The Scout obtains a signed Application for Merit Badge from the unit leader

For the exact Scoutbook digital approval process, I recommend contacting your local Scouting America council or checking the Scoutbook help resources directly.

When I went to the Google search page with the same query it knew more about Scoutbook than Scouting's app, for now at least. 

https://help.scoutbook.scouting.org/knowledge-base/how-do-i-assign-merit-badge-counselors-to-a-scout/

Pictures or it didn't happen. Really. 

First contact--blue card

Revision 2, waiting

Revision 2, still waiting 

Waiting 

A different answer

The first 2 answers had numbered segments while the third, with the same question as the 2nd, shows bullet points. Sure, why not.

"Check the Scoutbook help resources directly."

Dude,  give me a link. How hard is it to show that?