Transferring adTempus to a New Computer

This topic explains how to move an adTempus installation from one computer (the source) to another (the target). The recommended approach is to copy or move the entire database, rather than using export and import to copy individual jobs.

The instructions assume you are using the default instance. If you are working with a named instance, replace "Default" with the instance name in all Registry keys and file paths.

The process has these steps:

1. Copy the instance configuration
2. Prevent duplicate job execution
3. Prepare the database
4. Install the software
5. Copy the Captured Files

If you are upgrading to a new version of adTempus at the same time, review the upgrade information first. Install the new version on the target computer; the Database Configuration Wizard upgrades the database as part of the process (see Install the Software). Once it has been upgraded, the database cannot be used with the earlier version.

Copy the Instance Configuration

Some configuration information, including the database connection settings, is stored in the Registry and should be copied to the target computer:

1. On the source computer, run the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Arcana Development\adTempus\Instances\Default. Right-click the key and choose Export to export it to a file.
2. On the target computer, run the Registry Editor and select Import from the File menu, then import the file.

Prevent Duplicate Job Execution

When the adTempus service starts on the target computer, it immediately begins evaluating triggers and running jobs. If the jobs are still running on the source computer, they will run on both computers. To prevent this, disable job execution on the target computer before you install the software:

1. Before installing adTempus on the target computer, set the "Engine:RunJobs" Registry option as described in Disable job execution using a Registry option. Setting the option before installation ensures that no jobs run before you have a chance to set it.
2. Install and configure adTempus as described below. While the option is set, no jobs will run, even if you run them manually.
3. Using the Console, hold the jobs (or job groups) that should not run yet.
4. Remove the Registry option and restart the adTempus service. You can now run jobs manually, and release them when you are ready for them to run automatically.

Prepare the Database

The procedure depends on whether you are using the SQL Server Express instance installed with adTempus or a standalone SQL Server.

SQL Server Express

1. Stop the adTempus service on the source computer.
2. On the source computer, use the Database Utility to create a backup of the database.
3. Copy the backup file to a local folder on the target computer. The file must be accessible to the Local System account on the target computer, which cannot access network locations.
4. When you install the software on the target computer, choose the option to restore the database from this backup file (see below).

The source and target computers now have independent copies of the database.

Standalone SQL Server: Reuse the Existing Database

If you will no longer run adTempus on the source computer, the target computer can use the existing database. No data needs to be copied: the Registry settings you copied already point to the database. If the database uses Windows integrated security, you must grant the target computer's account access to the database (see SQL Server Computer Account).

Once the target computer is using the database, you must not run adTempus on the source computer. Two instances using the same database will corrupt data and run jobs incorrectly. See Database Ownership.

Standalone SQL Server: Copy the Database

If you want to keep running adTempus on the source computer, the target computer needs its own copy of the database. Make the copy using the Copy Database command in SQL Server Management Studio, or by backing up the database and restoring it with a new name. Then:

1. On the target computer, run the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Arcana Development\adTempus\Instances\Default\Database. Change the "database" value to the name of the new database (see Database Connection Settings).
2. Make a note of the "userID" value. If there is none, the connection uses integrated security, and the user ID is the target computer's account ("domain\computername$").
3. In SQL Server Management Studio, add that user to the new database with the db_datareader, db_datawriter, and db_backupoperator roles.

Install the Software

Install adTempus on the target computer, choosing the same engine mode as on the source computer. If you plan to use SQL Server Express, choose the option to install it.

Database Configuration

After the software is installed, the Database Configuration Wizard runs.

• SQL Server Express: On the Select Actions page, choose Restore from backup file and select the backup you created. The wizard creates the database and loads the data from the backup.
• Standalone SQL Server: The Registry settings you copied point the wizard to the database. If the wizard reports that the database already exists, choose to continue using it (do not create a new database).

If the database is from an earlier version of adTempus, the wizard upgrades it.

Copy the Captured Files

The contents of Captured Files are stored on disk, not in the database. On the source computer, go to the data folder (by default C:\Program Files\Arcana Development\adTempus\Instances\Default\Data) and copy the "CapturedFiles" folder to the same location on the target computer. If you are using a different data location, see Moving the Data Folder.

Parallel Testing

If you test the target computer while continuing to run jobs on the source computer, keep these points in mind:

• Enable and run jobs selectively, so that the same job does not run on both computers.
• The job histories on the two computers will diverge, and configuration changes made on the source computer will not appear on the target. adTempus cannot merge histories, so to keep the history you must copy the database and Captured Files again at the end of testing. When copying Captured Files you can skip files that already exist on the target, because captured files are never changed after they are written. If the source computer runs an earlier version, run the Database Configuration Wizard to upgrade the database after restoring it.
• Restoring the database again overwrites configuration changes you made on the target computer. To avoid this, before you restore, export all jobs and other configuration from the target computer (without job history), then import the export file after the restore. Test this before your final cutover, as exports or imports of a large number of jobs may time out.
• Before the initial transfer, consider replacing paths and other settings that differ between the computers with Job Variables (the Find and Replace tool can help), so that they are easy to change on the target computer.