So the new disc version that was due out next week is now not happening?

For several reasons I would rather have had a new version, with known 'minor bugs' available to install from scratch now/next month than have to wait potentially another six months (call me a pessimist but for 'mid-April' I read May/June, plus the time for IS here to get their heads round it).

We are still using R2002 and it seems that I have been promising people that various problems will be sorted out "in a couple of months when the next version is due out" for nearly a year.

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Technician/Data Officer
National Trust

Hi Charles

May be possible if just stand alone, but with the issues that have been mentioned on this forum, including networking, server permissions, upgrading problems, SQL 2005 and the metaphorical sign on our IS department door that says "Abandon hope all ye who enter here" I was waiting until the simpler option became available.

Hope I wasn't ranting too much earlier, but was planning to finally get things sorted next month, so the announcement was not the sort of thing to cheer me up on a Friday morning and Sarah did ask for comments. Whenever the next version does get released, I do not expect it to be 100% bug free but hopfully bug free enough not to be delayed again.

Gordon

Hi Charles

Just been referred back here from another thread by Gordon. Is it essential to do this in the order you have described? Is there any problem in doing the upgrade to 6.9.3 and then doing the transfer to SQL Server 2005?

Cheers

Alan

I can't really tell you if doing it in a different order would be problematic as I did it in the order I mentioned. In theory, though, you could do it in any order. I'd recommend leaving the import from R2K2 as late as possible because it can take time and therefore if something goes wrong later in the process, you don't want to be having to do the transfer all over again. The same would go for the update - it takes hours. I'd be inclined to get Recorder working on SQL2005 as soon as you can, do testing, sort the permissions, etc., then do the updates and transfers.

Charles

That's a good point - the R2K2 transfer process itself might not be compatible with SQL2005 which seems to be the case as you've discovered. So doing the updating and transferring before the swap to 2005 would be the way to do it.

However, given that later versions of the R6 upgrader are compatible with SQL2005, one would have thought that the R2K2 transfer routine would be compatible also, but I've done no testing in this area. I assumed it would be compatible, hence my advice to do the transfer later in the process. Perhaps Sarah or John could clarify the situation?

Charles

Page 12 of Network Installation Guide.doc on the Recorder 6 installation CDs (v6.6.8 and v6.7.2a) (Permissions – Network installations – Data transfer from Recorder 2002) says “The data transfer from Recorder 2002 involves un-attaching and reattaching a new mdf file to the instance of SQL Server or MSDE.” I presume the new mdf will be copied in from the CD you use to do the transfer from Recorder 2002 to Recorder 6 so, if I am right, users should transfer their data from Recorder 2002 while they are on the version they installed, i.e. before they run any upgrades. Otherwise the version of the software they are using will not be consistent with the version of the database. If you installed using a v6.6.8 CD then upgraded to v6.7.2 then v6.9.3, then used your v6.6.8 installation CD to do the transfer it would remove your existing v6.9.3 database (NBNData_Data.MDF) and replace it with a v6.6.8 MDF which, if there are any changes to the database in the upgrades, I would expect to cause problems.

I would be grateful if JNCC/Dorset Software would confirm whether I am right and make the necessary changes to the installation guides to clarify this. Apologies Alan, for not posting this when you needed it but I hope it will help others avoid the same problems.

Alan

With reference to your successful install of SQL Server Express (posted 16 Feb 2007 in this thread), did you have any problems with points 5 and 6 or did it all go pretty much as the instructions.  The IT person who is trying to install SQL Server Express for me is having problems at the point of attaching the database to the SQL Server Express instance.  It is a standalone version of Recorder 6.9.3 on a laptop, and there should be no permissions issues.  Just wondered if you had come across anything during your install.

Alison Stewart
Dorset Environmental Records Centre