Changing operating system versions

Vaults are not compatible with changes of the Windows operating system version running on the Meridian server. This issue affects server operating system upgrades and downgrades as well as vaults moved or restored to a new server with a different operating system version. The reason is that the Windows API sorting functions that support National Language Support (NLS) change between each Windows version.

When an old (prior to 2008a SP1) Meridian vault is upgraded to a newer version on the same operating system version, the existing vaults are not visible because they lack the operating system version and NLS version information that is stored in vaults as described below. In that case, the tool described below can be used with its update option to add the information to the vault. The tool can also be used to verify vault compatibility with the current operating system with the verify option. Use the update option of this tool only if the Meridian software has been upgraded to version 2008a SP1 or later and the operating system version has not changed.

Warning    In the preceding scenario, the tool will not upgrade a vault created on one Windows version so that it can be opened or restored on a different Windows version without serious damage occurring.

Vaults created by newer versions of Meridian (version 2008a SP1 and later) are also affected by this issue but the operating system version and NLS version information are stored in the vault and a check of this information is performed in the software that will prevent the vault from opening on a different operating system unless the vault is properly reindexed as described below.

There are only two ways to safely transfer an existing vault from a computer running one Windows version to another version:

• Import the vault from the computer running the first operating system into a new vault on the computer running the second operating system. After import, no further action is necessary.
• Reindex the vault on the second operating system with the icosnlsver tool described below.

To reindex a vault, perform the following tasks in the order listed:

1. Run the Vault Consistency Wizard on the vault on the old server (for example, Windows Server 2003) as described in Running the Vault Consistency Wizard. Enable only the Check only, String domain, and Name domain options.
2. If any inconsistencies are detected, run the Vault Consistency Wizard again with the Check, Repair, and Compact options selected and all Analysis options selected.
3. Restore a vault backup made on the old server to the new server (for example, Windows Server 2008). An error will occur and the vault cannot be opened.
4. Run the icosnlsver tool with the reindex command-line parameter on the new server and specify the datastore name to repair. The tool will either repair the inconsistencies or report additional problems that may require manual repair, in which case you should contact BlueCielo ECM Solutions Technical Support or your Certified Partner for assistance.

Warning    Test the results of using this tool on a copy of production vaults before use. Only run this tool when the vault is not open by any users. Running this tool as a user other than an administrator of the computer can result in errors if the vault is hosted in SQL Server.

To run the icosnlsver tool:

1. Ensure no users are connected to the Meridian server.
2. Open a Command Prompt window as an administrator in the folder that contains the tool. By default, it is installed in C:\Program Files\BC-Meridian\Program.
3. Run the tool using the syntax:

icosnlsver [downgrade|reindex|update|verify] <DatastoreName>

The available parameters are described in the following table. The results of the tool will display in the Command Prompt window.

downgrade

reindex

update

verify

Warning    After using this tool to modify an existing vault, run the Prepare for Backup Wizard on the vault before putting the vault into production use. Failure to do so leaves a snapshot of the unmodified vault that will be restored in the event of an unexpected termination of the EDM Server service before a snapshot is created automatically. If the old snapshot is restored, all work performed in the modified vault will be lost. For more information on configuring automatic snapshot creation, see Preparing for backups.