How to: Upgrading Earlier Versions of SQL Express to SQL Express 2014

NOTE: If you are running MISys versions between 6.4.6.4 and 6.4.6.6 do NOT proceed with the steps below. Instead, please contact MISys Technical Support (support@misysinc.com) for different instructions around upgrading your SQL version.

The steps below will walk you through updating your version of MS-SQL to your own free version of SQL Express. Please NOTE: The link below is for the free SQL Express 2014 however, if you desire a newer version of SQL Server you can find links to the other free SQL Express versions by searching Microsoft’s site.

Download and configure your own SQL Express Instance:      

The free MS-SQL Express 2014 can be downloaded (from Microsoft’s site) using the following link:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42299

NOTE: Be sure to select and download the appropriate version for your server’s operating system. A package that includes the free SQL Management Console is also available for download here should you so desire.

When configuring a new SQL Server Instance for MISys Manufacturing: 

1. SQL Server needs to be installed to support SQL Authentication or Mixed (MISys Manufacturing uses SQL Authentication).
2. During the Install and configuration of SQL Server you’ll be asked to define your SQL Instance name. Be sure to give it a unique ID and make note of the name you define, as you’ll need this when configuring MISys to use your new SQL Instance.
1. For example, when prompted during the install you might call the new SQL Instance SQLEXPRESS2014.
3. The new SQL Instance will make use of the ‘sa’ User Account and during the installation you will be required to define a Password for this user. Make sure you note the password you define for the ‘sa’ account, as this will be needed when configuring MISys to use your new SQL Instance.
   

Once the SQL Instance is configured, you can follow these steps to migrate your MISys database(s) to the new SQL Instance. 

Migrating your MISys database(s) to your new MS-SQL Server Instance: 

1. Get all Users out of MISys.
2. Log into MISys Server Administration (from your Server Machine), open the Licenses tab and make note of your Serial Number.
3. Click on the Companies Tab, highlight your live company and click Backup As.
1. This will open (by default) into the Backup Directory you’ve defined on the System Tab of the MISys Server Administration (in the Databases section).
2. MAKE NOTE of the full path being referenced here.
4. Make sure that you enter a file name that will clearly identify this backup as the most current of your live companyand Save the backup file.
1. Alternatively you may want to create a New Folder within the Backup Directory where you can save the current Backups. For example you might create a new directory within your Backup Directory called Cur_MISys_Backup and save your Company backup(s) within it.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 to backup any other company databases (if any exist) and save them into the same folder with clear names to identify which database backups they are.
6. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the backup directory and verify that you see your database backup files located there. They will the filenames you defined, with a .DAT file extension. NOTE: DO NOT PROCEED if you cannot find your backup files.
7. Start the MISys Mfg 6.4 Emergency Console (this can be located under the MISys programs menu).
8. Log in using the Database Password of the existing/current SQL Database (this will be MISys_SBM1 – case sensitive, if you’re using the SQL Express provided with the MISys install). If you’re using your own SQL Instance you should be able to get the password from your System Admin or whoever installed that SQL Instance.
9. Go to the System Tab and change the Server Name field to reference the new SQL Instance you are going to use.
1. If you’ve installed your new instance on the same server you’ll only need to change the Instance name being referenced.
1. For example if you see that it presently shows SERVER\MISYSSBMSE and your new SQL Instance was called SQLEXPRESS2014, you’d change it to be SERVER\SQLEXPRESS2014
10. Change the User and Password to reflect the SQL Database User and Password of this new SQL Instance (which you defined during the installation of your new SQL Express Instance).
11. Change the Backup Directory field to reference a new SQL Folder for Backups for this new SQL Instance. Hit tab and click Save.
1. Typically you’d want to set a Backup Directory to the default of your new MS-SQL Install. Use your previous Backup Directory as a guide to locate the new path to use.
2. For example if your previous Backup Directory was something like ..\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\backup\. Navigate to the ..\Microsoft SQL Server folder and look for a folder with a date that matches the date you installed your SQL Instance, drill into that directory and look for a folder called ..\backup. Set that as your new Backup Directory on the System Tab and Save the changes.
12. Click Close to exit the Emergency Console.
13. Relaunch the Emergency Console and use the new Database Password for your new SQL Instance to log in.
14. On the Utilities Tab, verify that you do NOT see any existing MISys databases in the SQL Databases in Installed instance section.
1. NOTE: If you do see User databases listed here, it indicates that you did not change the parameters on the System Tab in steps 9-11 above and you should stop now, and revisit those steps again.  
15. Assuming those are correct (and you don’t see any user databases in the SQL Databases in Installed instance section) click Recreate System and click Okay on the prompt you get asking if you’re sure you want to recreate.
16. The next prompt will ask you if you want to Delete all associated databases. Click Okay (again, assuming there are no user databases in the SQL Databases in the Installed instance section).
17. The next prompt will be for the Registration code, leave this blank and just click okay and okay again when it tells you it’s blank. The system will be created.
18. It will then bring up a form asking for a file, just click cancel on that form.
19. You’ll now notice that MISBMM64 has been added to your SQL Databases in Installed instance section of the Utilities tab.
20. Exit the Emergency Console.
21. Log into MISys Mfg. 6.4 Server Administration function. The default password is password (all lower case).
22. Go to the Licenses Tab and enter your Serial Number. Hit tab and click Save.
23. Click Update from MISys. This should bring in all your licenses.
24. Go to the Company Tab and you should see that it is blank since this new SQL Instance does not have any databases in it yet.
25. Create a database for your live company (and any others that you have licenses for).
26. Use the Restore From button to restore the ‘live’ database for each corresponding company from the backups you took in steps 3-4. You want to restore the most current backups you saved for each company.
    

At that point you will want to log into your live database through the MISys Client. Review the data to make sure it all looks good and verify the Master Transaction Log (under Reports | History) for the most current date you would have posted transactions to ensure you restored the correct Backup file. Once all looks good, have the Users log back in normally and review the data to ensure everything looks current. No changes need to be made from the workstations. 

After you’ve processed for a number of days and are confident there are no problems, it is okay to remove the old SQL Instance through the Add/Remove Programs function of Windows.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for assistance or questions with any of this.