SIMS SQL 2008 migration utility

[Oops_my_bad]

B*gger.

 

Come to do our SIMS migration to 2008 today and just realised I need a seperate utility for the migration - SIMSSQLInfrastructuresetup.exe

 

Can this be downloaded from anywhere or, dare I say it, anyone willing to provide a link?

 

Capita not in until tomorrow...

 

TIA:)

Edited November 22, 2009 by Oops_my_bad

[speckytecky]

Not done any SQL work before but my Busines Manager asked if I would do the SIMS Migration from SQL 2005 to SQL 2008 on her SIMS server - and presumably on the other Ofice machines running SIMS when the time is due. Any advice on this please?

[Oops_my_bad]

Not done any SQL work before but my Busines Manager asked if I would do the SIMS Migration from SQL 2005 to SQL 2008 on her SIMS server - and presumably on the other Ofice machines running SIMS when the time is due. Any advice on this please?

 

Sure thing.. I've attached the migration mini guide that capita provide, it's pretty straight forward

 

Personally, I'm doing it this way:

 

1) Install new SQL2008 instance on existing server (you can either use Capita installer tool or install your own)

2) Upgrade existing SIMS to November 09 release (await completion of Autumn census first!) + Upgrade FMS to latest version

3) Backup, backup, backup

4) Move SIMS & FMS databases from SQL2005 to SQL2008 instance when ready using capita tool

5) reconfigure sims files, Docserv, SLG2 etc

6) another backup

7) Shutdown SQL 2005 instance (if nothing else is on there) and leave for a few months before removing, just incase.

8) deploy SOLUS3

 

After that I'll be migrating the lot to a nice fresh VM

FMSSQL2008M_16100.pdf

SIMSSQL2008M_16101.pdf

[matt40k]

Sure thing.. I've attached the migration mini guide that capita provide, it's pretty straight forward

 

Personally, I'm doing it this way:

 

1) Install new SQL2008 instance on existing server (you can either use Capita installer tool or install your own)

2) Upgrade existing SIMS to November 09 release (await completion of Autumn census first!) + Upgrade FMS to latest version

3) Backup, backup, backup

4) Move SIMS & FMS databases from SQL2005 to SQL2008 instance when ready using capita tool

5) reconfigure sims files, Docserv, SLG2 etc

6) another backup

7) Shutdown SQL 2005 instance (if nothing else is on there) and leave for a few months before removing, just incase.

8) deploy SOLUS3

 

After that I'll be migrating the lot to a nice fresh VM

 

 

5 is done with the utility.

8 is optional, and I would wait for a bit before you do it, also you might want to do it before moving to SQL 2008 to deploy the Autumn release to the clients, unless you're doing all this in one day.

 

Have PM you linky to files -it's also on supportnet

[Oops_my_bad]

Thanks, all done

[vikpaw]

Thanks, all done

 

sweet. any issues to share or tips...?

[speckytecky]

Thanks oops My Bad and Matt40K,

 

Couple of remaining questions:

 

1. Any timescale that this needs to be done by.

 

2. Am I right in thinking it's just the SIMS server and not clients that this needs to be done on.

[vikpaw]

I think we have over a year, and it only needs doing to the server. The clients wont be affected.

[vikpaw]

Actually just under a year. From Capita FAQs:

 

SIMS will be supported on the SQL2008 family of database servers from October 2009 and

support for SIMS on the SQL2005 family of servers is scheduled to be phased out by

October 2010.

SIMS will provide an Installation routine to Install and configure a SQL Express 2008

installation suitable to host a SIMS database in this timeframe.

Customers, who already have or plan to deploy SQL2008 in advance to host SIMS, should

configure that server such that it is suitable to host a SIMS database.

[Oops_my_bad]

sweet. any issues to share or tips...?

 

Yes..make sure you have everything you need before starting..

[matt40k]

If you follow best practices, and keep your data files and log files on separate partitions

 

 

Anymore info on this? Just seems to add more hassle for no real benefit.

[Oops_my_bad]

Is this all the migration utility does then? Detaches it from the old SQL instance to your new one?

[matt40k]

It does a bit more then just that...

[matt40k]

Also changes the log file format as well. No longer transactional backups.

[support-it]

Any info could help.

 

Done the SQL migration onto a new machine and all is working ok apart fron the document server. I have remapped and setup in sims. When I import reports they import into sims\documents and not Docstorage on the root of the drive as I have set it up. The result of this is that no reports will now run.

[teejay]

Any info could help.

 

Done the SQL migration onto a new machine and all is working ok apart fron the document server. I have remapped and setup in sims. When I import reports they import into sims\documents and not Docstorage on the root of the drive as I have set it up. The result of this is that no reports will now run.

 

Have you gone into SIMS, Tools, Setups, Document Management Server and set it to the new server?

[support-it]

Hi.

 

Yes, setup the document management server in sims. tested ok. Checked the config file in C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net Document Server

 

and this shows it pointing to c:\docstorage.

 

If i move the files from the sims directory to the docstorage directory, when I then try to run a file it says it does not exist.

[wesleyw]

In the docstorage directory is there another directory with the same name as the server?

 

 

Wes

[support-it]

No there is no folder structure under docstorage. Normally this gets created when reports are imported.

[wesleyw]

Or you could just create the folder structure mentioned above and then move or copy the folders under the old doc storage area named 00,01,02 I think to this?

 

 

Wes

[vikpaw]

i use the dmconfig.exe held in C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net Document Server :

 

dmconfig /D:C:\DOCSTORAGE

 

because it's always a bit odd doing it from within SIMS.

Plus, whenever i move server, rename server (all virtual of course) the Docstorage seems to go back to a weird default of C:\SIMS !

Edited December 12, 2009 by vikpaw
typo

[GREED]

It's not something within the SIMS.ini that is causing that Vik?

[vikpaw]

It's not something within the SIMS.ini that is causing that Vik?

 

Not that i can see. sims.ini references a log file in local settings\temp which has that location in it, but i figure that file is created after the event rather than controlling it.

 

no matter, i know the issue and that i have to change it every time.

[enjay]

This all looks fairly straightforward - is it truly that simple or is there a (higher than normal) chance of things going hideously wrong?

[matt40k]

Stupid thing doesn't set the correct sql 2008 backup path correct, you have to select it (middle option), then custom path (bottom option) and add "\backup"

 

Failing that you have to use the setsimsbackuppath to change it. Otherwise you end up with backup files in:

 

\mssql\

 

rather then

 

\mssql\backup\

 

 

Still minor issue, never heard of any truely bad thing happening.