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BES 4.1.7 for GW Migration/Upgrade to 5.01 Different Hardware

Hi There!

I am a little lost as to how I upgrade from 4.1.7 on Windows 2003, to 5.01 which requires 2008. I have a server I can use, but I am not sure how to get the database across, I see a few methods but quickest and easiest would be ideal since this is my first time.

Some of the sites I need to upgrade are <5 users, so I am tempted to just setup a new system and activate them on that, but I am worried duplicates will occur if I do this.

I have heard that perhaps setting up a brand new install on 2008 would work and then there is some form of import tool available. There is a lot of talk in the manuals about domains and such which 4.1.7 doesn't seem to have.

I have posted this in two groups because I wasn't able to determine which related to GW, moderator feel free to remove whichever is the wrong entry with my apologies.

I have worked a fair bit with 4.1.7 for Groupwise, but nothing with v5, so please be gentle with me.

Thanks in advance.

Scott Kunau

I have a client where we did exactly the same thing you're planning. After building a new 2008 server (virtual), we followed the steps to migrate the BES 4.1.x database over to the newly installed BES 5.0.x. It took several hours and seemed to work. However, after about a week things went south with the "upgrade" and we ended up building a new database and migrating the now BES 5.x users over to it. That second migration was silent to the user community and worked really well.

My advice would be to sign into your dashboard or account at:

https://besc.webapps.blackberry.com/besc/dashboard

another link may point to something:

http://us.blackberry.com/support/preinstallation/

Hope this helps...

Scott

networkn

ASKER

Zen: so you just effectively did a brand new install onto a 2008 server as if you didn't have any existing users and then run the transporter utility to "move" them?

Does that move all the settings for things like subscribed address books and the like?

Is the transporter tool complicated?

Scott Kunau

Correct. However the first migration (with BES support's help) didn't go as well as it should have gone. We followed up a week later with another new database (on the same 2008 server). Another migration was done...I believe using the transport tool you mention but I'm not sure as I didn't do that part.

The migration process from the 4.1.x to the new server and BES 5.x is what I was involved with and while it took a long time on the day we did it, all worked. We didn't see the database corruption until nearly a week after the upgrade/migration.

Scott

networkn

ASKER

So in summary we should skip the migration and just install new and try this transport tool in your opinion?

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Scott Kunau

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networkn

ASKER

Are you able to tell me where in the config for the user, I specify which address books to sync with please?

Scott Kunau

In the management console, find the user list, go to properties of a user or look to the right side of the screen where you'll see (I think) user properties for sync. These include what address book(s) to sync. Originally you could only sync one book so users put the contacts they wanted into a specific address in GW. I don't think that is the case with 5.x.

I don't have a BES 5 server available to check so I'm guessing with the above.