Upgrading from 5.x to Version 6.x  
 

1. How much does the upgrade cost?
   
   If you've purchased in the last 6 months, you're entitled to a free upgrade.  If you purchased before that, you can upgrade to Version 6.0 for half price.
   
   
2. In what order should the various components be upgraded?
   
   
   1. Run IV60.exe to upgrade your database, and install the 6.0 desktop client on your machine.  All the other components are optional (but must be upgraded if you are using them).  If you have more than one IssueView database, you can upgrade additional databases just by logging in with the desktop interface, using the 'admin' account - you'll be prompted to do an upgrade when you log in.
      
      
   2. Install or update IvMonitor.  You'll need it for Timer Notifications to work.
      
      
   3. Update IssueView-Web on your IIS Server. IVW now requires at least Version 2.0.50727 of the .NET Framework (previous versions could run on 1.1)
      
      
   4. Update WebSupport on your IIS Server. IVW now requires at least version 2.0.50727 of the .NET Framework (previous versions could run on 1.1)
      
      
3. Can we upgrade our production database without affecting our existing users?
   
   Yes, you can install the 6.0 software on a machine, and upgrade the production database.  Database upgrades are very safe - we've been doing them for years and have never had a problem.  Your existing users can continue using the database and will never know that it has been changed.
   
   But, there are a couple of issues. In 5.0 we enhanced the Text Tabs to support HTML formatting.  If you add or edit an issue with a 5.x/6.x client, users with the 4.x client may see HTML markup when they view the issue.   The latest version of 4.4 will convert the HTML to plain text, but you'll lose any formatting.
   
   In 6.0 we changed the format for Notifications.  When you upgrade we convert your exiting Notifications to the new format.  pre-6.0 client will continue to use the old-style Notifications.
   
   
4. How do we update all of our users' desktop software?
   
   Starting with version 4.4, IssueView has a WebUpdate component that will allow you to schedule an upgrade to be rolled out to all your users.  Once you schedule the upgrade, each user will be upgraded the next time they log in.  Any of your users who are not currently using version 4.4, will have to upgrade manually by downloading either the Version 4.4 Client installer or the latest Client Installer.  To schedule an upgrade:
   
   
   1. Log into IssueView with the 'admin' account.
      
      
   2. Select 'System Configuration' from the Tools menu.
      
      
   3. Click the 'Check for Updates' button.
      
      
   4. In the Check for Updates dialog, check the 'Automatically upgrade users to' option.  Version 6.0 will only be available in the list if you are currently using Version 6.0.  If you log in with a Version 4.4 client, you'll only see 4.4 upgrades, 5.x clients will only see 5.x upgrades.
      
      
5. How do we test version 6.0 with a backup copy of our database?
   
   
   
   1. Install 6.0 with the database on a test server.  You'll may want to do the install on a test machine so the 6.0 client software doesn't over-write your production 4.x/5.x client.  If you are installing on your own machine, be sure to put the client software into a different folder.
      
      
   2. Using the 5.x client, log into your existing database as 'admin', and select 'Backup Database' from the Tools Menu
      
      
   3. Copy the backup file to the test SQL Server.
      
      
   4. Use RestoreBackup to restore the backup to the second server.
      
      
   5. Launch the 6.0 client and log into the test server
      
      
      
6. Can we merge the experimental data from the backup back into our Production database?
   
   No, there's no easy way to take changes you make in the backup copy and merge them into your production database.  After your testing, you'll need to go through the db upgrade process a second time on the production db (but it's a painless, automated 10 second operation).  If you enter some issues, you can export the data and import it (minus any attachments/Images).