Suggestions for moving suite of Contributor apps to another server

[bgunn]

We are upgrading our servers this spring and will need to move our Contributor applications to a new server. Does anyone have any 'best practice' suggestions on how to go about this?

Bill

[tish1]

Will you stay on the same EP version?

[bgunn]

Hi Tish,

Exact same versions of software. The only thing that's changing (in theory :)) is our hardware.

Bill

[tish1]

Hi,

I'd recommend to backup all application dbs and export all admin links.
In your case it would be possible to use the same pad, but generally I think it's better to set up a new pad and attach the application dbs afterwards. Adminlinks can be exported btw.

regards,

[bgunn]

Hello Tish,

Thanks for those suggestions. Here's what I'm planning to move: common store and application specific dbs, publish databases, exported contributor application xml, analyst libraries, exported admin links, and exported macros. I understand that I may have to edit my admin links and/or macros to account for them referencing new server locations. I think I also have to export my LDAP and Access Manager settings as well.

Can you think of anything else I may be missing? (BTW: I'm running 8.1)

Bill

[ykud]

Some hints:
- If you go on 2 pads (new servers, old servers) path, you can attach two databases in it and use import\upgrade functionality to transfer applications
- You can edit admin links xml to modify target database before loading links in new pad
- Macros, in general, will stay the same, unless you're calling external programms
- You can use export to lae\import from lae to move namespace to new Access Manager

And, moreover, you can manually change admin links execution flag in pad table to avoid entering each link (it'll import in unknown state).

[bgunn]

Hello Ykud,

Thank you for your hints! Regarding your multiple pad suggestion:

Is it common practice to have multiple pads (I've never understood the pad concept)?

How would you see this strategy applying to 8.2 and 8.3? I haven't looked at 8.2 or 8.3 but I've been told that pads (will?) disappear in future version of Planning.

Bill

[SomeClown]

In 8.2 and later, PADs are moved to the Content Store (I recommend creating a dedicated Planning Planning Content Store to avoid/minimize issues).  The PAD tables are mostly the same, just sharing the common architecture of Series 8.

I think the point about old/new and 2 pads was to simplify your migration: if you don't destructively migrate your old environment but create a new one, your contingency plan is to just use the old system.  Once you've completed and validated the migration, you would remove the old system including the old PAD.

[bgunn]

Ykud,

Thank you again for your help. :) :) :)

Beyond your wise advice to put in place a contingency plan, are there any other benefits (or problems) associated with having multiple pads?

We've only ever used one pad.

Bill

[ykud]

Ykud,

Thank you again for your help. :) :) :)

Beyond your wise advice to put in place a contingency plan, are there any other benefits (or problems) associated with having multiple pads?

We've only ever used one pad.

Bill

The main benefit is backup variant that stays with you (a test environment, maybe?).
No problems I can think of now.

It's up to you to decide, but I'd think about moving to 8.3 at the same time. They made a nice looking wizard (i'm looking at it right now) for upgrading pads and applications, that picks the applications and moves them in upgraded pad. Since 8.3 will mature a bit in summer (sp1, maybe), I'd give it a try.

[bgunn]

Ykud,

Thank you very much for your help on this topic.  :)

Bill