Why is DB Connect incompatible with deployment server?

[eregon]

Good morning fellow splunkthusiasts,

does anyone know, why DB Connect app is incompatible with deployment server? I (mistakenly) deployed DB Connect 3.1.4 from my deployment server to the heavy forwarder and it seems it works fine. Just after I did so, I noticed the manual says:

DB Connect is incompatible with deployment server. Do not attempt to distribute DB Connect using deployment server.

(see https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/DBX/3.1.4/DeployDBX/Distributeddeployment)

What can possibly go wrong?

[eregon]

@harsmarvania57 and @skalliger , thank you for your comments, it gives me at least some level of understanding. However now it seems that even upgrading the DB Connect to newer version will be a pain, won't it? Manual only describes the process of migration from version 2 to version 3, but I don't see any instructions to upgrade 3.1.3 (or older) to most recent 3.1.4 without losing the config. Have you ever been into such demand?

[harsmarvania57]

Yes, it requires more steps if you want to upgrade from version 2 to 3. If you want to upgrade from 3.1.3 to 3.1.4 then it is very easy and same process as you upgrade any other add-on.

[skalliger]

As harsmarvania57 wrote, deploying a new app can work just fine. But if you already got an app running, you just should not manage it with the Deployment Server. The reason behind it is that apps like DB Connect store connection state information (e.g. checkpoints) inside their app which would be lost if overwritten by the DS.

Skalli

[harsmarvania57]

Slight correction here Splunk DB Connect 2 stores checkpoint in app itself, however Splunk DB Connect 3 stores checkpoint in $SPLUNK_HOME/var/lib/splunk/modinputs/server/splunk_app_db_connect/

[skalliger]

Ah, I missed that one. Thanks.
I converted the answer to a comment.

[harsmarvania57]

Welcome, no worries 🙂

[harsmarvania57 · Accepted solution]

My assumption is you deployed DB Connect using Deployment server and after deployment you created DB Identities, DB Connections on Heavy Forwarder directly. In this case when you upgrade DB Connect using Deployment Server all config will overwrite on Heavy Forwarder and you will lose all your local DB connect config on Heavy Forwarder.