How can I safely move the Jira Service Management install folder?

[Michael Woffenden]

Several versions ago (around 4.20) the Jira Service Management installer stopped recognizing my custom install folder, which is:

C:\Program Files\Atlassian\Jira

At the same time, upgrades stopped working.  I've been unable to complete an upgrade since, and am therefore stuck on 4.20.

So my latest hunch is that the installer wants to find things in this folder:

C:\Program Files\Jira Service Desk

I'm hoping that moving all install files to this folder will make the upgrade installer work again.

So, what's the safe way to change the install folder to C:\Program Files\Jira Service Desk?

[Brant Schroeder · Accepted solution]

@Michael Woffenden 

The directory you shared should be correct unless you changed the folder at some point.  What error are you getting?  Are you on a Windows or Linux machine?  

You can change the home directory by following the directions here: https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver/setting-your-jira-application-home-directory-938847747.html 

Jira Service Management runs on top of Jira Core which would be installed in the directory that you shared.  If you move the directory I am not sure it will help unless you already moved it before.

[Michael Woffenden]

@Brant SchroederWindows.  We're trying to change the install folder, not the home folder.

[Brant Schroeder]

@Michael Woffenden the install folders are inside the home directory by default.  Did you move it before? 

https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver/jira-application-installation-directory-938847745.html 

[Michael Woffenden]

We've never had the install folder inside home.  We've always have them on separate drives.

[Brant Schroeder]

Great. Since they are already in a different location what is the issue when you perform the installation?  What errors are you getting?

[Michael Woffenden]

Let me try to explain.  Upgrades were done about one a quarter without any issues for over 2 years.  Then we hit a problem at or just before JSM 4.20.2 (our current version)

Manifested as follows:

1. Installer started defaulting to "c:\program files\jira service desk" instead of our actual install folder.
2. Installer consistently hung "forever" when deleting current install folder.
3. Installer has to be cancelled (due to #2) and restarted. 
4. The restarted installer finishes, however, the service does not start up and has to be started manually.
5. After manually starting the service, I see that the app is running and accessing the database normally.  However accessing JSM from a web browser fails -- the application times out forever.

Odd set of symptoms, I realize. 

So I'm stuck on 4.20.2.  Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Brant Schroeder]

@Michael Woffenden What did you see in the logs when the installer fails and after you were able to manually restart?  

Do you have a test environment or are you just rolling back your production environment when you do the installation?

[Michael Woffenden]

I did not check the logs.  We are rolling back the production environment when the installer fails.

[Brant Schroeder]

Hmm, can you clone your instance on a VM so you have a test instance to test and validate upgrades?

[Michael Woffenden]

Yes, will need to do that.  Just posting here in case someone else ran into this sort of issue.