DPA Upgrade 5.5.1 to 5.7

David

Custom reports that you have "written" are all stored in the config database.

The install document refers to the default area where published reports are "published to disk".  This location can be checked in the DPA GUI -> File -> System Settings -> Processes tab ->  Publisher -> look at "Document Root" value.

This is usually where customers store their published output from scheduled reports and .csv files, etc

-E

Thanks for your advice Elvin, much is what I expected but its nice to have clarification.  We do have a requirement to update this ASAP because of a bugfix so we may not wait for the newer version, but we might have some heel-dragging over getting SQL Server upgraded and if it will be the sake of a few days we will hold back for 5.7.1.

And one further question on this - the installation document says:

We have a lot of reports we have written but we don't seem to have a reports directory anywhere - does anyone know where this would be located (on a Windows box).

Thanks Elvin, the documentation is a little unclear as the implication is the reports you have written rather than the output of those reports.  If it is just reports that have been generated and saved it is not something to worry about too much!

Hey David

Firstly, if you want to upgrade your SQL Server 2000, then all you need to do it stop all the DPA Services (set them to manual and ensure nothing will attempt to start them), get the SQL Server upgraded, and when that is successfully done, just start the DPA Services - that is all that is required.

For upgrade the DPA Server to 5.7.x, the length of time for the upgrade depends on various factors eg. the database sizes, resources available (for both the DPA server and the SQL Server), etc.

Naturally, following the upgrade points in the Release Notes is key, and as always, take a backup before you start.

For SQL Server, the only thing I'd like to possibly recommend, is that you check the SQL Server logging for each of the DPA databases.  I would typically set the database logging to "Simple" - if you have it at "Full" then the transaction logs may cause the filesystem to get full, etc.   You can switch it back to whatever it was after the upgrade.

I am expecting DPA 5.7.1  (a patch release) to be GA'ed around the end of this month - so I'd recommend that you wait for that as it contains all the fixes that we have for DPA 5.7.0 up until now.

Also be aware that the Installer now has a new prompt for whether you want "localisation" or not.  This is whether you want to use nvarchar or varchar type fields - mainly to cater for different character sets.  How do you decide ? From my personal experience, I'd take a look at some key tables in the datamine eg. backupjob, and see how many nvarchar fields there are vs the number of varchar fields.

If you have more nvarchar type fields then select "Yes" to the localisation prompt,

If you have more varchar type fields then select "No" unless you really need to cater for other character sets but if you are mainly English based, you're fine.

As for the DPA licenses - yes, they get upgraded as well , so no need to get them re-issued or re-applied.  The only time you need new DPA licenses is when your DPA server changes IP address.

HTH

-E

I habe sent this discussion thread to our doc writers and requested they make this point clearer in future release notes.

Hope I've answered your question

Thanks Elvin that would be great.