# Can I re-bootstrap nodes with chef already installed

**URL:** <https://discourse.chef.io/t/can-i-re-bootstrap-nodes-with-chef-already-installed/15092>\
**Category:** Chef Infra (archive)\
**Created:** [May 9, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/can-i-re-bootstrap-nodes-with-chef-already-installed/15092 "2019-05-09T13:42:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sausen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@sausen](https://discourse.chef.io/u/sausen)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/can-i-re-bootstrap-nodes-with-chef-already-installed/15092/1 "2019-05-09T13:42:20Z")

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I have servers that already have chef installed - the old Chef server decommissioned. I need to move to new Chef server. What is the best way to handle?? Thx

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**Author:** ![Galen\_Emery1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Galen\_Emery1](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Galen_Emery1)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 1:54pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/can-i-re-bootstrap-nodes-with-chef-already-installed/15092/2 "2019-05-09T13:54:23Z")

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Chef-client / server interaction uses public / private key-pairs.

If you have the old chef server, and specifically, the public keys for those clients you can migrate them over to the new chef server; and have your new chef server assume the old server's DNS name. Clients should just connect to it as if nothing's changed.

But, if your old server is already decommissioned and you don't have those keys, you will have to re-bootstrap all of your clients to the new chef server, as those keys are not recoverable.

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**Author:** ![sausen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@sausen](https://discourse.chef.io/u/sausen)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/can-i-re-bootstrap-nodes-with-chef-already-installed/15092/3 "2019-05-09T14:02:27Z")

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Thanks Galen!

The old Chef server is gone and no keys…. Do I need to remove the old client.pem on nodes? Anything else I should do before trying to re-boostrap?

![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/images/transparent.png)

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**Author:** ![Galen\_Emery1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Galen\_Emery1](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Galen_Emery1)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 2:05pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/can-i-re-bootstrap-nodes-with-chef-already-installed/15092/4 "2019-05-09T14:05:51Z")

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I would remove the client.pem and if it still exists the validator.pem.

The client.rb either needs to point to the new chef server, or be destroyed. It may have useful info in it, it may not, depends upon how they were deployed before.

-Mobile Galen

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**Author:** ![sausen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@sausen](https://discourse.chef.io/u/sausen)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 2:09pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/can-i-re-bootstrap-nodes-with-chef-already-installed/15092/5 "2019-05-09T14:09:00Z")

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Thanks!!

![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/images/transparent.png)