Using SQL Server

adTempus can use an existing SQL Server to host its database. SQL Server may be running on the same computer as adTempus, or on a remote computer. SQL Server 7.0 and later are supported.

Information in this topic refers to the "database migration tool," which is the program that configures SQL Server and adTempus. This program is run either by the adTempus setup program, or manually, at a later time.

Installation Requirements

The database migration tool must be run with sufficient authority to create databases and users on the SQL Server. When you run the tool, therefore, you must either be logged in under a Windows account that has system administrator authority for SQL Server, or have a system administrator user ID and password that the tool can use.

SQL Server must be running.

Security Setup

If SQL Server is on the same computer as adTempus, you can generally use Integrated (Windows) security, which means that adTempus can connect to the database without an explicit user ID and password. This is possible because the adTempus service runs under the SYSTEM account, which is a member of the Administrators group on the computer, which by default has system administration authority for SQL Server.

If you have changed SQL Server security settings such that members of the computer's Administrators group do not automatically have system administration authority in SQL Server, you will need to either make the necessary changes to allow the SYSTEM account full control over the adTempus database, or enable SQL Server security and have adTempus use that.

If SQL Server is on a different computer from adTempus, integrated security cannot be used because the SYSTEM account that adTempus runs under has no authority on the remote computer. For adTempus to connect to SQL Server, you must use one of the following approaches:

Hosting Multiple adTempus Instances

If you are installing adTempus on several servers, you can use a single SQL Server instance to host the databases for all of the adTempus instances. However, each instance of adTempus must have its own separate database on the server.

The database migration tool handles this automatically, by including the name of the adTempus server in the database name. For example, you have installed adTempus on three servers: ServerA, ServerB, and ServerC. You will use the SQL Server on ServerX to host the databases for all three adTempus installations. When you run the database migration tool, it will create the databases "adtempus_ServerA", "adtempus_ServerB", and "adtempus_ServerC".

Database Backups

adTempus does not automatically back up the adTempus database when you are using SQL Server. You (or your SQL Server system administrator) are responsible for ensuring that the adTempus database is backed up in accordance with your backup policies.

What the Migration Tool Does

The migration tool performs the following actions:

  1. Runs a SQL script to create the adTempus database and tables. The database is named "adtempus_SERVERNAME," where SERVERNAME is the name of the computer from which the migration tool is being run (i.e., the computer on which adTempus is installed).

  2. Creates a SQL Server login that can be used by adTempus when integrated security cannot be used. This account is given full control over the adTempus database. The password for this account is randomly-generated, and is stored in an encrypted form in the Registry.

  3. Imports data from the Microsoft Access database into the new SQL Server database. If you have already been using adTempus with the Access database, all of your data is migrated. If you have not been using adTempus with the Access database, this step is still necessary, as it loads initial data required by adTempus.

  4. Makes the Registry entries that tell adTempus to use the SQL Server database.

In Case of Failure

If the migration tool fails for any reason, adTempus will remain configured to use the Microsoft Access database. This ensures that you can continue to use adTempus until the conversion problems have been addressed and the migration tool can be rerun.