Sims.net & dedicated SQL Servers.

[boomam]

Hi,
Im pondering the idea of migrating the SQL Database on our Sims server to our newly made SQL2008 Enterprise server (that already runs 3 other light SQL Databases).
As far as understanding goes, its simple a case of detaching the database from the sims server, moving it to the new server, reattaching it, then changing the database location in the connect.ini files.

Has anyone else done this? Or are planning it?


Thanks in advance all. .

[Mcshammer_dj]

Depends on what level you are on at the moment. TO get the system to work on SQL server 2008 you really should use the migration tools supplied by capita with the autumn Release.

[boomam]

Well we're pre-Autumn release at the moment.
I plan on applying that release later this week, then sometime in the next few months migrate the database to a new server.

[boomam]

Just had a quick look at that, and its in this format:

c:\DOCSTORAGE\ServerName\SIMS2005\sims

Should be simple enough to update. .

[DMcCoy]

The server name is also stored in the DB, I forget where though! It's used by B2B etc but can be changed.

[GREED]

I posted this somewhere else the other day, it is my document on installing a new SIMS server and all the procedures needed for this. Put it together earlier this year:

New Server Install for SIMS.net/FMS

• Install Windows Server 2003 (if you can), and update using windows update, install all updates and service packs. When installing, ensure you split the server HDD (or combined, RAIDed HDDs) into at least 2 partitions, c: for program files, d: for SQL and SIMS.

• Install SQL Server 2005 (or Express), and again update with all service packs. When installing, remember the instance name of the installation, you will need it later. Also, ensure you install to the secondary drive, not the C: drive (If SQL fills up the drive, you will not be able to start the server)

• Copy your SIMS Set-Ups folder to the new server, and put into a shared folder called Capita (or whatever you want to call your shared network drive)

• Run the SIMSINST application (from the SIMS setups folder), and ensure that the server option AND the document management server option are selected. Follow the onscreen instructions from here. You will need the SQL instance name from earlier.

• Once complete, login to test the new server. Use the username/password: 'SYSMAN' & 'password'. Once you can log in ok, you know this server installation is working.

• Now, make a full SQL backup of the original database. Copy this to the new server, and put into a suitable place (usually d:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data, where d is the drive where SQL is installed.

• ON THE NEW SERVER, restore this new database backup to the SQL, over the top of the new SIMS installation.

• Open dbAttach, and detach and reattach the SIMS database to SQL(Remember to drop SQL Logins). This should allow you to login with the normal usernames/passwords from the original database.

• Try logging into SIMS again on the new server. Remember you will need a new/updated connect.ini file wherever you are logging on from to do this (see below)

• Things to remember to do: Change the location of the Document Management Server in SIMS.net (Tools -> Setups -> DMS), import all the reports again (Reports -> Import).

• Now, copy the contents of the following folders to the new server:
SIMS/DocStorage/*Old Server Name Here*/ -> Copy to: SIMS/DocStorage/*New Server Name Here*/
o Options
o SNova
o DocStorage (When copied, change the name of the sub folder to match that of the new server.)

• If your connect.ini files on the local workstations connect direct to the SIMS server, you will need to alter these individually to now point to the new server name/instance name. If you redirect to a central connect.ini, you only need to ensure that this one is correct (this is what I use).


Hope it helps!

[GREED]

PS Just noticed it references SQL 2005, while this is still the case, soon you might swap that for 2008

Additionally, you can now also use Server 2008.

[boomam]

...snip...

Im not moving the entire sims server though.
JUST the database.

Additionally, you can now also use Server 2008.

Been running of 2008 for almost 2 years now....do you mean SQL 2008?

[GREED]

Both.

And I see your point now, and the advice would be to migrate using the SIMS tools, then move the database to the new server. I don't recall, as long as the document server etc is staying where it is, anything needing hardcoding into SIMS, other than the connect.ini information.

I would ask though, if there is no database, the current SIMS server won't be doing that much other than storing about 100MB of data files???

[boomam]

I would ask though, if there is no database, the current SIMS server won't be doing that much other than storing about 100MB of data files???

3.30Gb here.

Our Sims server also runs stuff like the Tucasi SCO software, FMS, FrogExtractor.
So whilst removing the Database from it will reduce its workload quite significantely, it'll still be doing other tasks.
Im hoping that moving the database speeds sims up somewhat, as the dedicated SQL server has far more memory and resources to play with.

[GREED]

Almost certainly it will do!

[diggory]

I posted this somewhere else the other day, it is my document on installing a new SIMS server and all the procedures needed for this. Put it together earlier this year:


• Install Windows Server 2003 (if you can), and update using windows update, install all updates and service packs. When installing, ensure you split the server HDD (or combined, RAIDed HDDs) into at least 2 partitions, c: for program files, d: for SQL and SIMS.

• Install SQL Server 2005 (or Express), and again update with all service packs. When installing, remember the instance name of the installation, you will need it later. Also, ensure you install to the secondary drive, not the C: drive (If SQL fills up the drive, you will not be able to start the server)

Hope it helps!

Thanks, very useful

Also a note with the drives. The SIMS backup will save stuff to c: (you can't change it) - EVEN if you are running the database on d: drive

So don't make the c: too small or you'll fill it up with backup file pretty quick (especially as they aren't compresssed now)..

[matt40k]

Thanks, very useful

Also a note with the drives. The SIMS backup will save stuff to c: (you can't change it) - EVEN if you are running the database on d: drive

So don't make the c: too small or you'll fill it up with backup file pretty quick (especially as they aren't compresssed now)..

Not true. Everything here gets backed up to S, they recommend it's a seperate physical (local) disc, ie not a network drive. What bit are we talking about? SQL\DMS?

SQL (post-2008) - setups\SetSIMSBackupFolder.exe
DMS - Setups\SIMSDocumentServerInstaller.exe