Applies To
Express Software Manager version 4.x

Summary
This technical note explains how to upgrade to Express Software Manager version 5.01. If you are upgrading to version 5.0, the setup procedures are slightly different, but other information is still relevant.

Note: You can obtain an evaluation copy of version 5.01 from our web site:

http://www.expressmetrix.com/main/eval1.asp

Overview
To upgrade to Express Software Manager version 5.01, you will need to upgrade files on the Express Console machine, the library server, any machines running the Express Library Manager service or the Client Install Helper service, and the client workstations.

Express Software Manager comes with several tools that automate the upgrade process. The Setup program (Setup.exe) upgrades files on the Express Console machine, including the following:

• Express Console, version 5.0.1.77

• Exclean.mdb, the template used to create new application library databases

• Express Resource Toolkit, which contains several utilities designed to extend the Express Console

• Express System Administrator Guide in Portable Document Format (PDF) for use with Adobe Acrobat Reader

• Expodbc.mdb, the Microsoft Access database used to create Express Reports for SQL Server (See Caution below before you upgrade Express Console.)

• Library Maintenance Tool for upgrading existing library clients and reports

• Express KB Installer for installing updated versions of the Express Knowledgebase into SQL Server reports

• Database Installer for installing and upgrading the Express Reports for Microsoft SQL Server and Web Reporting components of the Express Resource Toolkit

CAUTION

• If you have customized any Express Reports for Microsoft SQL Server (Expodbc.mdb), the changes will be lost upon upgrading Express Console. To avoid losing modifications made to the Expodbc.mdb file, save this file to another location before proceeding with the upgrade.

• Before you upgrade, turn off OpenGL screen savers on all Express Console and Express Enterprise Services machines. (Some 3D OpenGL screen savers consume the majority of the CPU cycles, causing Express performance to slow down dramatically.)

To upgrade files on the Express Console machine:

1. Place the Express Software Manager version 5.01 CD into your CD-ROM drive. This automatically starts the Setup program (Setup.exe).

2. Proceed with installation as prompted by the Setup program.

• If Setup detects an earlier version of Express, you may be prompted to uninstall or overwrite the existing version. Alternatively you can retain any earlier version of Express by installing version 5.01 into a separate folder. Express Metrix recommends that you uninstall or overwrite the existing installation. The Setup program will prompt you accordingly and will start the uninstall program if necessary.

• If the Setup program detects an existing installation of the Express Resource Toolkit, you will be prompted to uninstall the toolkit before proceeding with installation. Click OK to start the Uninstall program.

Step Two: Upgrading Library Clients and Reports
The Library Maintenance Tool upgrades clients and reports in your existing libraries, without harming your existing data or overwriting any custom reports you have written.

Upgrading the clients in existing libraries is a relatively quick process; however, at a large site, you may want to upgrade clients in one or two libraries at a time. Upgrading the clients in stages will minimize possible network slowness caused when multiple workstations simultaneously download the new Express client.

Upgrading the reports in your existing libraries is an optional step. (Version 5.x of Express Console can open libraries created with previous 4.x versions of Express Software Manager.) When you upgrade the reports in existing libraries using the Library Maintenance Tool, you can

• Retain your data--with your customized reports--while taking advantage of new reporting features, such as the Clear All Filters button.

• Run three new Business Answers reports available in 5.0 using the data you have already collected:

Unused Software by Machine
Unused Software by Application
Migration Planner

Starting the Library Maintenance Tool
Before running the Library Maintenance Tool, first update and consolidate data in each library's Express.mdb file. (On the Tools menu in Express Console, point to Library and click Update Database and Consolidate Data.) This ensures that you have the most accurate data in the library databases.

There are three ways to start the Library Maintenance Tool:

• Start Express Console. The first time you start Express Console version 5.01, a message appears prompting you to upgrade your application libraries. Click Yes to start the Library Maintenance Tool.

• On the Tools menu in Express Console, point to Library and click Library Maintenance Tool.

• From the Start menu, point to Program Files, Express Software Manager, and click Library Maintenance Tool.

Upgrading Express Clients
Express Metrix strongly recommends that you upgrade Express clients in existing application libraries. If desired, you can upgrade the clients in one or two libraries at a time.

To upgrade the Express clients:

1. Start the Library Maintenance Tool.

2. Edit the list of application libraries that appears:

• Click Add if you know the location of a library that was not auto-discovered.

• Select check boxes of the libraries whose clients you want to upgrade or use the Check All button to automatically select all discovered libraries. (You can then clear the check boxes of those libraries that you do not want to upgrade.)

• If you suspect that some of the libraries already have the most recent clients installed, you can confirm client versions by clicking Version Check Library Client Files on the Action menu. The libraries whose clients need to be upgraded will be highlighted in the Express Library Maintenance Tool dialog box.

3. On the Action menu, click Upgrade Library Client Files to upgrade the client files in the selected libraries. The tool shows a status indicator as it loads and upgrades the files in each application library.

4. When the conversion completes, you will see a message box showing the results of the conversion. (You can view these results at any time by clicking View Log from the Log menu to see the file called Exlibupd.log.) Click OK when you are done viewing the results.

Upgrading reports can be a time-consuming process. For this reason, you may want to upgrade reports at a time when there is little or no activity in your libraries. If desired, you can run the Library Maintenance Tool from a command line during off-peak hours. See Technical Note 1327 for details.

To upgrade reports in existing libraries:

1. Determine which libraries are used for generating reports. You should upgrade the reports in every library that uses Microsoft Access to run Express reports. If you typically consolidate data from child libraries into a parent library for reporting, you need only upgrade the reports in the parent library.

2. Start the Library Maintenance Tool. Select the application libraries whose reports you want to upgrade:

• Click Add if you know the location of a library that was not auto-discovered.

• Select the check box to the left of the libraries whose reports you want to upgrade or use the Check All button to automatically select all discovered libraries. (You can then clear the check boxes of libraries whose reports you do not want to upgrade.)

• If you suspect that reports in some libraries are already up-to-date, click Version Check Reports on the Action menu. A message will appear showing which libraries need their reports upgraded.

3. On the Action menu, click Upgrade Reports. Express Metrix strongly recommends that you keep the Backup Each Reports File Before Upgrading check box selected. Click OK to upgrade the reports for the selected libraries.

The tool shows a status indicator as it loads, backs up, and upgrades each library’s reports. The length of time it takes to upgrade the reports varies. When complete, you will see a message box showing the results of the upgrade.

Note: If you click the Stop button in the status indicator box, reports in the current library are upgraded but subsequent report upgrades are cancelled.

4. When you are done upgrading, click Exit from the Action menu to return to Express Console.

Step Four: Upgrading or Installing Express Enterprise Services
Express Software Manager version 5.01 comes with two optional services for sites running Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000. The Express Library Manager automates scheduling of certain periodic tasks, such as updating or consolidating data. The Express Client Install Manager helps you deploy Express clients on Windows NT workstations when users do not have administrative privileges.

To install or upgrade these services, start the Setup program on the Express Software Manager CD. When prompted, choose a Custom Setup type and select the Enterprise Services option, then follow the Setup prompts. If you are upgrading existing services, the Setup program will detect the previous services and prompt you to uninstall them. Click the Help button in any Setup dialog box for further installation instructions or for more information about these services.

Step Five: Upgrading SQL Reports
To upgrade the Express Reports for Microsoft SQL Server, run the Express Database Installer in the Express Software Manager: Resource Toolkit program group. The wizard prompts you for:

• The ODBC data source name (DSN). Specify the database you want to upgrade.

• The SQL script that needs to be run. The Mssql.scp script is located in the Express Console\Reskit\SQL Reporting folder.

Upgrading the Express Knowledgebase
If you used previous versions of the Express Knowledgebase with SQL reports or Web Reporting, you can upgrade to a recent edition of the knowledgebase for use with your SQL reporting database. To do this, run the Express KB Installer in the Express Software Manager: Resource Toolkit program group on the Start menu. (If you are configuring Express Reports for Microsoft SQL Server for the first time, this version is already installed.)

Step Six: Completing the Upgrade
After upgrading, perform the steps below to complete the upgrade:

1. Compact the database, Express.mdb, in each upgraded library. On the Tools menu in Express Console, point to Library and click Repair. Other methods of compacting the database are described in your Express documentation.

2. Test the upgraded libraries and reports by updating and consolidating data in the upgraded Express.mdb file. (On the Tools menu in Express Console, point to Library and click Update Database and Consolidate Data.) If the results were not as you expected, you can revert back to the original database by renaming the backup Express.mdb file (described below).

3. Delete the backup Express.mdb file. Assuming the upgrade was successful, you can safely delete the temporary backup of the Express.mdb file. This file is created in the library folder during the upgrade process and is named Exp<nnn>.tmp (where <nnn> is a hexadecimal number).

Related Technical Notes

1327	Upgrading Express Reports to Version 5.0 Using the Command Line
9989	Express Software Manager Technical Notes