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Using the Swing-Box method for Upgrading/Migrating to a new version

of CA Service Desk Manager
Document ID: TEC578669
Last Modified Date: 7/11/2013
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Description:

This document serves to provide the steps to using what is known as the "Swing Box" method for
upgrading/migrating CA Service Desk Manager.

Solution:

INSTRUCTIONS TO MIGRATE SERVICE DESK FROM 11.2/12.x to 12.7 CA SDM - USING THE "SWING BOX"
METHOD

Overview of this method:

The "SWING" Box Method is done by using a separate server (herein referred to as a SWING system) to replicate
your current production system onto, and then run migration to 12.7 CA SDM, then move the migrated 12.7 CA
SDM data and customizations over to a clean (never migrated) and install on new hardware. The advantages of
using this method are that it will leave your current prod system fully in-tact in case of a Disaster Recovery issue or
failed migration, and at the end of the process, you are running your new 12.7 CA SDM Service Desk install on a
clean, never migrated, system - usually on new more powerful hardware, with an updated version of the OS and
DBMS. An additional advantage would be added if you have the ability to use a VMware environment as the
"SWING" system, as you can use the snapshot functionality to test the migration process multiple times, gathering
data on timings and steps, ensuring a higher comfort level for the parties involved in the migration day project.

To use this method most efficiently, there are a few requirements. They are as follows:

1. NO form, or schema (tables and columns) customizations or changes should be made to any system
(11.2/12.x prod or 12.7 CA SDM dev, test, SWING etc.) once migration testing has been started. If you plan to
add or modify additional tables or columns, it should be done either on 11.2/12.x and put into production prior
to testing migration, OR during another outage planned after your PROD migration is complete and you are
running Service Desk 12.7 CA SDM on the NEW PROD system.
2. You have already done a test migration of a replica of your production system, and have already completed re-
customizing any of your custom forms from 11.2/12.x that are incompatible with 12.7 CA SDM, and have a final
customized and complete and site\mods directory from a 12.7 CA SDM environment where all proper testing
was completed.
3. You have replicated the most recent migrated 12.7 CA SDM test environment install onto your NEW PROD
hardware including your customized forms built for 12.7 CA SDM. This will save you a lot of time on migration
day.

PART 1 - GATHER FILES/DATA FROM CURRENT PROD SYSTEM

1. Do a SQL Backup of the MDB - save as .bak file (usually a normal SQL backup)
2. Make a copy of the "C:\Program Files\CA\Service Desk\site\mods\" directory - zip it up if possible.
3. Make a copy of the "C:\Program Files\CA\Service Desk\site\attachments" (or whichever directory your
repositories are configured to store your attachments in) and zip it up if possible.
 4. Copy above files to the SWING environment - but don't put them in place yet, simply copy them to a stand-by
directory on that machine.

PART 2 - PREPARE THE SWING ENVIRONMENT & REPLICATE PROD SWING

NOTE: If your SWING environment has both the DB and Application running on the same box, then you may
start at step #3 in this section.
**For reference, in this section we will refer to the database server as "SWING-DB" and the application
server as "SWING-APP"**

1. On SWING DB - (assuming SQL is already installed), run the MDB installer wizard (from the SD 11.2/12.x install
media)
2. On SWING-APP - install the SQL client and native client (workstation tools also)
3. Install Service Desk 11.2/12.x on SWING-APP and run configuration so that you have a vanilla 11.2/12.x
Service Desk Manager installation running.
4. Have your DBA run the SQL Restore and restore the MDB from your current PROD that you backed up, onto the
SWING-DB server - Set option to "OVERWRITE entire database" when restoring.
5. After the SQL restore is complete you must run the stored procedure in SQL to fix the orphaned users - which
are created when restoring a db from one SQL instance to another.

SHOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE THIS: sp_change_users_login 'AUTO_FIX','ServiceDesk'

1. Run pdm_configure -DO NOT SELECT TO LOAD DEFAULT DATA **In the configuration wizard when you click
"next" at the database section it will pop up a box saying that "this database was prev iously configured
by ... are you sure you want to configure it" you will click "Yes" here - this is only because you
restored the MDB from a different env ironm ent.
2. After pdm_configure completes, start Web Screen Painter (also called WSP) and log in
3. Go to Tools > Schema Designer
4. Click on any table on the tree on the left
5. Put an "X" in the description field for that table on the right
6. Go to File > Save
7. Close the Schema Designer window
8. In the main WSP window, click File > "Save and Publish"
9. Click OK on the dialog boxes
10. Exit out of WSP and close all WSP windows and browser windows
11. Run: pdm_halt -w (this stops all SD Services)
12. Run: pdm_publish (this will merge the schema and load the correct schema files)
13. Copy the site\mods directory you backed up from current PROD and put in place on SWING-APP system
14. Copy the site\attachments directory (or whichever attachments directory) you backed up from current PROD
and put in place on SWING-APP system
15. Run another pdm_configure - again DO NOT SELECT TO LOAD DEFAULT DATA
16. After configuration is complete - start service desk services if not started, perform some testing of system
functionality to make sure 11.2/12.x is running with your data, and customizations without issue, as a full
replica of your production environment.

NOTE: If you are running your SWING environment on VMware, its best to take a snapshot at this point which you can
then use later on your actual migration day. See the note in the next section for details.

PART 3 - UPGRADE & MIGRATE TO SERVICE DESK 12.7 CA SDM ON THE SWING SYSTEM

This section is geared towards the testing process of first testing the migration so that you will be familiar with the
process and what issues you may run into while migrating your production system on your actual migration day. If
your SWING box is on a VMware environment, then its best to take a snapshot here first if you have not done so
already, as you can simply roll back to that snapshot on your actual migration day, then simply take your
production system down, do another SQL backup on Production, restore it to the SWING environment, and run the
steps in this section again. This allows you to leave your 11.2/12.x production environment in tact just in case
something goes wrong with your migration - all you would have to do is bring your 11.2/12.x production system
back up and start services. You can then retest migration on the SWING environment again, and schedule it for
another time once any bugs are worked out for your specific migration.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If your DB and Application are on separate servers, then you will first need to run the
MDB installer for 12.7 CA SDM from the 12.7 CA SDM install media on the SWING DB Server, which will
upgrade the MDB on SWING from 11.2/12.x to 12.7 CA SDM's format. Then once that is complete, you can
start the next set of steps here to upgrade the application and migrate the data. Note that the MDB installer
does NOT migrate the data, but rather only upgrades the MDB to the right version in preparation for a
migration.

1. Mount the 12.7 CA SDM install media from a local folder, or run the setup.exe from the local folder where the
install media is being stored.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are extracting an ISO of the install media, it should be stored in a path and folder that
has no spaces in its name such as "SD127Setup" - and should be run locally from the same drive volume that you
plan to install 12.7 CA SDM onto. Never run the installer from a network drive or mounted share as this has been
known to cause install and even post install problems to occur.

1. Click on "Installations"
2. Click on " Service Desk"
3. Follow the prompts to perform this upgrade to 11.2/12.x from 12.7 CA SDM
4. After the install is complete - the Migration Wizard will kick off
5. Follow the migration wizard prompts and enter any necessary information when prompted
6. This part may take a long time depending on the size of your 11.2/12.x database.
7. **(see note below) - copy 12.7 CA SDM site\mods folder from previous test/dev environment to this SWING
box and run a pdm_configure to ensure all customizations are properly implemented.

**NOTE: If you are testing migration at this stage, you may skip this step as you would not have any 12.7 CA
SDM customizations at this point. However, if this is your production migration day, at this point, it is assumed
that you have done a test migration on the SWING environment before doing this production migration, and
you have already completed any re-customization or customization work to the forms on the SWING
environment. If so, then follow this step as you should already have a copy of those customizations backed
up.

1. Now, fully test this migrated, and customized 12.7 CA SDM SWING system for integrity and functionality.

NOTE: At this point, if this is your test run on the SWING env ironm ent, you will need to re- build your form
custom izations using the 12.7 CA SDM form s deliv ered with the product as your prev iously custom ized
11.2/12.x v ersions will not work in 12.7 CA SDM. Once you hav e com pleted the rebuilding of your
custom izations, please take a backup of your site\m ods directory on the SWING box and store it
som ewhere outside of this env ironm ent for use later (as described in step 8 abov e).

1. If all tests are successfully completed, you may now start the process of moving your migrated data, and
customizations to the NEW PROD hardware.

PART 4 - MOVE MIGRATED SWING BOX INSTALL TO NEW PRODUCTION HARDWARE

**As noted at the beginning of this document - your NEW PRODUCTION hardware should already be running
a clean install of 12.7 CA SDM with your tested 12.7 CA SDM customizations in place.

Since the NEW PROD hardware is already running a clean install of 12.7 CA SDM with your customizations in place
(from your finalized 12.7 CA SDM testing environment) - all you will need to actually do here is simply do a SQL
Backup on the SWING system, and have your dba do a SQL Restore onto the SQL instance that your NEW PROD
system is using, and follow these few steps:
1. After the SQL restore is complete you must run the stored procedure in SQL to fix the orphaned users - which
are created when restoring a db from one SQL instance to another.

**SHOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE THIS: sp_change_users_login 'AUTO_FIX','ServiceDesk'

1. Run pdm_configure - again DO NOT SELECT TO LOAD DEFAULT DATA **In the configuration wizard when
you click "next" at the database section it will pop up a box saying that "this database was prev iously
configured by ... are you sure you want to configure it" you will click "Yes" here - this is only because
you restored the MDB from a different env ironm ent.
2. After configuration is complete - start service desk services if not started, perform FULL testing of system
functionality to make sure your NEW PRODUCTION Service Desk 12.7 CA SDM system is running with your data,
and customizations and all functionality is in working correctly.

Congratulations!!
You may now go live to your user community with your new Service Desk R12.7 CA SDM installation - and
get some well-deserved rest!

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