Question Re: Crystal Server 2013 in Technology Q&A

Crystal Server 2013

Former Member — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 13:37:39 GMT

New installaion of Crystal Server 2013 box and move the existing Crystal Server 2008 data and all contents to a new server in CR 2013. What are the challenges and issues? Is this possible? Can we just do a new installation of 2013 server and import everything from 2008 server. Is everything moved over seamlessly, like the Scheduler jobs, users and groups, security etc are there any things which can't be moved over and needs to be manually created from scratch. Please share your experience.

Re: Crystal Server 2013

DellSC — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 14:54:07 GMT

When you install CRS 2013, you'll get a new tool called Upgrade Management Tool (it's only available in a server install - it's NOT part of the Client Tools!). You will use this to migrate everything over from your CRS 2008 system.

There are a couple options when you do this -

Complete Upgrade moves everything in one process. If you don't have a lot of reports or instances, then this will work for you.

With and Incremental Upgrade, you get to choose what gets migrated so you can break it down into multiple chunks.

Also, best practice is to remove old instances and unused reports from your 2008 system before migrating.

If you have any additional questions about this, you should post them here: . CRS is a subset of the full BI Platform software and you'll get better responses there. The Crystal Reports space that you've posted in is really for the Crystal Reports design tool.

-Dell

Re: Crystal Server 2013

Former Member — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:11:01 GMT

Thanks Dell for your quick response. Are you aware of any challenges or issues you faced during the migration? Also, will the upgrade management tool in 2013 allow to point it to old 2008 server which is sitting in a different box. I assume everything is moved by this, do i need to re configure/create anything after the migration is completed?

Re: Crystal Server 2013

DellSC — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:33:54 GMT

I'm a consultant, so I've done a number of these migrations for my clients. There were some issues with the earlier versions of the Upgrade Management Tool (UMT), but it's pretty stable now.

Yes, it will connect to your Crystal 2008 system with no issues unless there's a firewall between them. Before doing the migration, go to the Servers section of the CMC on both systems and turn OFF all of the servers except the following:

Central Management Server

Input File Repository Server

Output File Repository Server

Crystal Report Application Server

This will not only ensure that schedules don't run during the migration, but it will decrease the amount of RAM and CPU that your system is using so that it is available for the UMT process.

Also, if you're using ODBC connections for your reports, make sure that they've been created on the new server prior to running the UMT. CRS itself needs 64-bit connections to the CMS and Audit databases, but all of the Crystal processing is still 32-bit, so it requires 32-bit database client software and, if necessary, 32-bit ODBC connections. Be sure to look at the Product Availability Matrix (PAM) to determine which versions of database client software you'll need to install.

-Dell

Re: Crystal Server 2013

Former Member — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 18:20:11 GMT

Dell-

Thanks a lot for sharing such a valuable info. I am confused between 64 bit and 32 bit. You mentioned, CMS and audit db is 64 bit and other processing are 32 bit. Do we need to have 64 bit and 32 bit both the client installed?

If we are using Oracle database how do i move just the portion of the information of it instead of migrating all. It's not a complete migration just need to move some portion about 40% of it from 2008 to 2013 server .How do you recommend to approach this. Thanks

Re: Crystal Server 2013

DellSC — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 19:17:25 GMT

You need to install BOTH the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the Oracle client on the server - install the 32-bit version first.

To migrate just a portion of your existing system, you would use the Upgrade Management Tool and do an Incremental Migration - just selecting the Users, User Groups, and Reports that you want to move.

-Dell

Re: Crystal Server 2013

Former Member — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 20:43:30 GMT

Thanks again, UMT needs to be run in the Source system or Target? Will the Security, Scheduler jobs and everything move, when we move a portion of it? What if the CR version is below 2008, does it need to be upgraded to 2008 first before moving to 2013?

If the upgrade is on same server, is UMT required? If not, just run a standalone installation?

Re: Crystal Server 2013

DellSC — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 20:47:10 GMT

UMT is run on the Target system.

In general, you won't have to upgrade your reports unless they were created in Crystal 8.5 or earlier. From Crystal 9 onward, the underlying structure of the .rpt file is the same, with new options added for new functionality. For example, even though Crystal will throw a warning that the report was created in a "newer" version, I can use Crystal 2008 to open and edit a report that was created/updated in Crystal 2013 as long as I don't use any new features that aren't in 2008.

-Dell

Re: Crystal Server 2013

Former Member — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 21:35:47 GMT

Dell,

Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to the Server not Reports.Will the Security, Scheduler jobs and everything move, when we move a portion of the data?

If we are upgrading the same server from 2008 to 2013 do we still need to use UMT or just run the setup file for upgrade?

Re: Crystal Server 2013

DellSC — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 22:00:33 GMT

The UMT calculates all of the "dependencies", so it will bring through security, schedules, and completed instances.

There is no "Upgrade" install - CRS 2008 is 32-bit software and CRS 2013 is 64-bit software. DO NOT install CRS 2013 on the same server as CRS2008! They will not play well when installed on the same server - there will be competition for resources between both of the installations and the UMT, which will potentially cause migration failures. Also, the tables in the CMS database for CRS 2013 have some slightly different structures, so there is no way to connect that install to the CRS 2008 CMS database and get it to work. So yes, you must use the UMT to migrate your content and security.

-Dell

Re: Crystal Server 2013

Former Member — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 16:19:52 GMT

Thanks a lot Dell for your response. Now everything is not stored in the Database is that correct? Input file store, output file store, log folder and data folder. What are these why are they pointing to the drive folders. Shouldn't it be on the database?

Re: Crystal Server 2013

DellSC — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 16:27:24 GMT

The CMS database contains a bunch of information about objects in the system, including a pointer to where the files reside in the Filestore folders. The actual report files live in the file system. The Input file repository contains the report "template" files, which are the reports that you see in the GUI. The Output file repository contains the report "instance" files, which are the completed schedules that contain data from when the report was run.

The logs are also physical files and are different from the audit data that's stored in the audit database.

-Dell

Re: Crystal Server 2013

Former Member — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 18:57:24 GMT

Thanks Dell. Does the file store gets moved automatically through UMT or we need to move the files store manually?

Re: Crystal Server 2013

DellSC — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 20:04:43 GMT

The files will automatically be moved.

-Dell

Re: Crystal Server 2013

Former Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 10:55:55 GMT

Hi Dell,

Thanks a lot for your response.

In order to start the migration with UMT, do we need to have the firewalls rules removed from both the source and target servers? If both the servers are in same domain. Is it still required or we can start the migration without disabling the firewall rules.

Re: Crystal Server 2013

DellSC — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 14:31:43 GMT

If both servers are in the same domain, I would turn off the Windows firewall on both servers prior to running the UMT. If they're not on the same domain, I would do the following:

1. On the source system, log in to the CMC and go to Servers.

2. Edit the Central Management Server properties. Set the Request Port to 6401.

3. Edit the Input File Repository Server properties. Set the Request Port to 6402.

4. Edit the Output File Repository Server properties. Set the Request Port to 6403.

5. Go to the CCM and restart the SIA.

Now you can set firewall rules to open ports 6400, 6401, 6402, and 6403 between the two servers. Your new server will initiate the communication.

-Dell

Re: Crystal Server 2013

Former Member — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 04:41:44 GMT

Hi Dell,

Do we need to setup AD accounts before we can import the users & groups from the source to destination? Do we have to identify and add each user or its moved through UMT.?

Re: Crystal Server 2013

DellSC — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 13:39:22 GMT

Here's what I do in a new system when I'm migrating AD users and groups:

1. In the CMC, go to Authentication and then to Windows AD.

2. In the Configuration Summary, set the AD Administration Name and the Default Domain.

3. Under AD Alias Options, set Alias Update Options to "Create new aliases when the Alias Update occurs".

4. Under Attribute Binding Options, turn on "Import Full Name, Email Address and other attributes".

5. Click on Update.

This configures the system for AD authentication without actually importing any AD groups. Now you can migrate your groups and users from the old system and they'll come over with no problems. After the migration, if you go to the Win AD authentication configuration screen, you'll now see the AD user groups that were migrated from the original system.

-Dell

Re: Crystal Server 2013

Former Member — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 17:59:16 GMT

Dell,

If we don't have the ad setup in target system. Can't we just move the users and groups from the source to target via UMT and later configure the AD part on the target system? Will there be a problem?

Re: Crystal Server 2013

DellSC — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 18:03:33 GMT

No. They will throw an error and not import if the AD Authentication configuration for the new system is not completed prior to trying to import them with the UMT.

-Dell