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Cloning AEM to another machine

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Level 2

I'm having issues finding any documentation on how to clone an AEM instance to another machine.

 

Wondering if the community could help me with the steps necessary to do this. For instance, any configuration necessary once I have copied the Adobe directory to the new machine.

8 Replies

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Level 2

I did find one post however it doesn't provide enough detailed steps on how to achieve this once I've copied over the installation directory. JBoss is spitting out a ton of errors in the server log on boot so simply copying over the installation dir doesn't seem to work. When running the configuration manager I'm stuck on deploying ear files (see attached picture). Any ideas?

 

https://experienceleaguecommunities.adobe.com/t5/adobe-experience-manager/correct-method-to-clone-th...

 

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Community Advisor

Hi @JakeAu 

 

  Can we know why you would need to copy an AEM instance ? I do not think that would work fine even if you copy the directories, but I would like to understand why this is needed ?

 

Thanks

Veena ✌

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Level 2

Thanks for responding Veena!

 

I'm trying to automate AEM installations via an Azure DevOps pipeline so we can automatically install AEM on VMs. We've automated the configuration manager however the base installation doesn't seem to have a silent install. Even when we create a script to automate the console/command prompt installation of AEM it still needs the GUI for the script to work so it has to be manually run on the VM. The next best option was to copy the dir and see if we could get it working on another machine. I'm all for new ways of approaching this!

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Community Advisor

you need to copy the whole directory (as a step in your pipeline) and have a script that starts the installation script. 

I wonder why you need separate instances on the VMs! it is better to access the primary instance on your VM through the IP address.

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Community Advisor

@JakeAu based on your requirements, please use docker based aem installations which can be containerized and cloned/installed as per your requirements.

 

https://github.com/remcorakers/aem-docker-getting-started

 

https://medium.com/@lucasnunesr/aem-with-docker-07b2404feeb2

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Level 7

Hi @JakeAu ,

Cloning an Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) instance to another machine involves several steps to ensure that the instance is properly set up and functional on the new environment. Here's a general outline of the process:

  1. Backup Data: Before starting the cloning process, ensure that you have a backup of your AEM instance's data, including the content repository, configuration files, and any custom code or configurations.

  2. Copy Installation Directory: Copy the entire AEM installation directory from the source machine to the destination machine. This directory typically contains the AEM binaries, configuration files, and any custom code or configurations.

  3. Update Configuration: Update any configuration files that contain machine-specific settings, such as IP addresses, hostnames, or file paths. Ensure that these configurations are updated to reflect the new environment.

  4. Update License: If your AEM instance uses a license file, ensure that the license file is updated on the new machine to reflect any changes in the environment, such as IP addresses or hostnames.

  5. Update Environment-specific Settings: Update any environment-specific settings or configurations in AEM, such as dispatcher configurations or external service integrations, to ensure that they point to the correct endpoints or resources in the new environment.

  6. Start AEM Instance: Start the AEM instance on the new machine and verify that it starts up without errors. Monitor the logs for any issues during startup and address them as necessary.

  7. Test Functionality: Test the functionality of the cloned AEM instance to ensure that it behaves as expected in the new environment. Verify that content can be accessed, authoring functionality works as expected, and any custom code or configurations are functioning properly.

  8. Update DNS and Network Settings: If necessary, update DNS and network settings to ensure that the AEM instance is accessible from other machines and services in the new environment.

  9. Monitor and Troubleshoot: Monitor the cloned AEM instance for any performance issues or errors and troubleshoot as necessary. Address any issues that arise to ensure that the instance remains stable and functional.

  10. Document Changes: Document any changes or configurations made during the cloning process for future reference. This can help streamline future cloning or migration processes and ensure consistency across environments.

By following these steps, you can clone an Adobe Experience Manager instance to another machine and ensure that it is properly set up and functional in the new environment. It's important to thoroughly test the cloned instance and address any issues that arise to ensure a smooth transition to the new environment.

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Level 2

This is great info, thank you!

 

Could you please provide a list of all configuration files that I would need to edit?

 

Kind regards!

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Administrator

@JakeAu Did you find the suggestions from users helpful? Please let us know if more information is required. Otherwise, please mark the answer as correct for posterity. If you have found out solution yourself, please share it with the community.



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