Migrating an ILLiad Database

This page covers the basics of migrating a standard ILLiad installation. The person performing the migration needs to be familiar with Microsoft SQL Server, Windows Server, and Internet Information Services (IIS). They should also be comfortable running SQL scripts, backing up and restoring databases, modifying ISS settings, and editing Windows permissions.

Your ILLiad server is installed by Atlas Systems as part of your initial installation and implementation. If you would like to move to a new server from your current server, you can contact Atlas to perform this migration for you or you can perform this migration yourself.

Setting Up the New Server

Before migrating your database, set up your new server and ensure that it meets the hardware and software requirements. You'll also want to have ILLiad and all of its components installed on the new server and try a test migration to ensure that the actual migration will go smoothly.

Server System Requirements

Your new ILLiad server must fulfill the system requirements for running the latest version of ILLiad. See Hardware and Software Requirements for all recommended and minimum requirements.

Install ILLiad on New Server

Before you can install the ILLiad server software on your new server, see Server Configuration and Permissions. In order for the server to function properly, you will need to install Internet Information Services (IIS). It is not necessary to install the SMTP or FTP server unless you are using those on your current ILLiad server for sending mail or uploading documents to the webserver.

Once you have installed IIS on your server, you will need to install the latest ILLiad server software to your new ILLiad server. To obtain these files, contact Atlas Systems at support@atlas-sys.com or 800-567-7401 x1. When you have the installer files, follow the instructions at Running the ILLiad Server Installation Program to install the ILLiad server and client software on your new server.

Copying the Server Files (Recommended)

If you have a large amount of ILLiad files (web pages, templates, PDF files, etc.) you may want to copy the majority of the files to the new server before migrating to save time later. The IUSR and IIS_IUSRS Windows accounts on the new server needs Read permissions in order for the copying to work.

• The ILLiad web pages. The default location for these files is c:\inetpub\wwwroot\illiad but they may be in another location on the webserver. You can verify their location by checking the WebPath customization key in the ILLiad Customization Manager (Web Interface | System | WebPath key). Note that shared server installations may have separate web folders for each site.
• The ILLiad electronic delivery PDF files. These files are the documents delivered to customers electronically and are generally stored for 30 days or so before the System Manager removes them. The default location for these files is a pdf subfolder under the web pages directory, but they may be in another location. You can verify their location by checking the WebPDFPath customization key in the Customization Manager (Borrowing | Electronic Delivery | WebPDFPath key). Note that shared server installations may have separate PDF folders for each site.

When copying these files, nothing special needs to be done to move them other than copying them over the network from the old server to the new server.  If you would like to take this opportunity to move any of your files to a new location, make a note of their new location so that you can update this information in the ILLiad Customization Manager.

Preparing for Migration

Closing ILLiad Clients

Inform all ILL staff (and anyone else who might access the system) that they will need to close the ILLiad Client, Customization Manager, and Staff Manager and anything else ILLiad related until further notice. This should prevent any changes to the data during the migration process. It may be a good idea to check the queues in the client and note the number of requests in each queue. This is an easy way to verify that you have an identical database once you create the new server.

Disabling the ILLiad Web Pages and Client

The web pages and the client will need to be disabled on the old server to prevent any attempts to add or change data in the database while the migration takes place. The easiest way to disable both of these on the old server is simply to change the Server Name value in the SQL Alias Manager for the default logon. Changing the Server Name value to something generic (123.123.123.123) will stop allowing the services, client or web DLL to connect to the database. You may also want to stop the ILLiad website completely. You can stop the ILLiad website by going into the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager on the server, navigating to the ILLiad web pages, and stopping them.

You may also want to change your Logon.html and Logon2.html pages to notify customers that the web pages will be down temporarily. To change your Logon.html and Logon2.html pages, locate them on the server and make the needed changes. The default location of these pages is c:\inetpub\wwwroot\illiad.

Stoping and Disabling the ILLiad Services

In the Services console of the old server, there will be several ILLiad services installed and running. Stop all services and set them to disabled so that a reboot of the server will not restart them. This is key to keep the old server from attempting to run automated tasks on the SQL database once the new server is in place.

Backing Up the ILLiad Database

Once you are sure that everyone is out of the system and all applications are closed, back up the ILLData database on the old database server using SQL Server Management Studio. You can do this by right-clicking on the database name and choosing Tasks - Backup Database. Be sure to do a standard full backup and backup the entire database to a new file name on the server. This will be the snapshot of the database you will restore on the new server. After successfully backing up the database, right-click on it and take it offline. This will prevent anyone from accidentally connecting to it.

Copying Additional Server Files (Recommended)

If you haven't already copied your ILLiad files (web pages, templates, PDF files, etc.) to the new server, do so now. Again, the IUSR and IIS_IUSRS Windows accounts on the new server need Read permissions in order for the copying to work. When copying these files, nothing special needs to be done to move them other than copying them over the network from the old server to the new server. If you would like to take this opportunity to move any of your files to a new location, make a note of their new location so that you can update this information in the ILLiad Customization Manager. If you have already copied the majority of your files, you'll now need to copy to the new server any PDF files that have been added to the old PDF directory since that time.

Migrating the Database

Downloading the Microsoft Data Migration Assistant

The Data Migration Assistant (DMA) will backup, migrate, and restore your database during a server migration. The tool provides a simpler and more automated way to migrate a database than using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.

1. Download the free Microsoft Data Migration Assistant:

Database Migration Assistant (DMA) Download

Migrating ILLiad Databases via DTS Transfer is not recommended. Only the database data is transferred, omitting any triggers, permissions, keys, indexes, etc. and can possibly leave your new database unusable.

The Microsoft Data Migration tool will aide with two different project types:

• Server Assessment- Checks the server and detects any issues that can affect a SQL database migration and provides guidelines on how to resolve the issues prior to migration. The assessment is specifically checking for any compatibility issues, unsupported features, and any blockers that would occur during migration. The server assessment is not required; however, utilizing this tool could prevent any complications that may arise during migration.
• Server Migration- The tool will help migrate and restore your database to a new SQL Server or Azure SQL Database. For a list of supported target SQL Server versions, see Overview of Data Migration Assistant.

Creating a New Migration

1. Once the DMA tool has been installed, open the application.
2. Click the plus sign (+) to add a new project.
   1. Select the Project type Migration.
   2. Fill in the applicable Project name, Source server type, and Target server type.
   3. Click Create.
      
      
3. Specify source & target-
   1. Fill in the Source server details (the server where the database currently resides).
   2. Fill in the Target server details (the server where the database is being moved to).
   3. Click Next.
      
      
4. Add databases-

   1. Select the checkbox for the ILLiad Database, and then select ILLData.

      If you did not leave the Create the ILLiad Database option unchecked when running the ILLiad server installer program on the new server at the beginning of the migration process, then you will encounter an error stating "The database name you specified already exists." To resolve this error, please delete or rename the empty database that was installed on the new server by the ILLiad server installer program.
   2. Fill out the Share location options. Note: You'll need to use a share location that both the source and target servers can access and write to.
   3. Click Next. 
      
      
5. Select logins-
   1. Select any Default databases named ILLData. This includes the default ILL and any site code databases that share a server.
   2. Click Start Migration.
      
      
6. View results-
   1. Review the results by expanding the arrow to the left of the Logins heading.
      
      
   2. *Optional- If you received any warnings or failed errors, you may export the report by clicking the Export Report button on the bottom right-hand side of the application. See example report below:
      
      

Testing

Completing the Installation and Setup

Backups

Be sure that you have a backup plan for your Word and email templates (usually in c:\illiad), web pages (usually in c:\inetpub\wwwroot\illiad), PDF files, and the SQL database. The most imperative of these to save is the SQL database.

Verify that your SQL Server Agent service is running and set to start automatically. The SQL Server Agent is what runs the default backup jobs to backup the ILLData database to a file (typically in c:\illiad\backups). That file can then be backed up to a remote location each night. Be sure that the modified date on that backup file is recent so that your backups are running.

See Setting up Microsoft SQL Server Database Backups for complete instructions on backing up your ILLiad database.

Match Customizations

Verify that any customizations made on the old server have been transferred over to the new server. This can be done in the ILLiad Customization Manager or in the SQL Server Management Studio by looking at the dbo.Customization table.

Go through the customization keys and make sure that the server IP address is correct and that any file paths are pointing to correct locations. If you changed any file paths when you copied files from the old server to the new server, update those file paths. 

Restarting Services

As soon as you're reasonably convinced that things should be in working condition, start the ILLiad services again and set them to Automatic. You will need to start the ILLiad Connection Manager, ILLiad System Manager, and ILLiad Odyssey Manager and you may need to start the ILLiad Rapid Manager, ILLiad ISO Manager, and ILLiad ISO Service if applicable.

Final Testing

Once the process is complete, test the system on the new server to make sure you are able to open the client and access the web pages (patron web pages, web reports, web circ). Have the staff test their clients and make sure they can send emails, print pull slips, access OCLC, etc.

Restarting the Server (Recommended)

It is recommended to restart the new server before using.