Upgrading from SP5 to SP9 Importing/Exporting Attached Files

Hello, I am not sure that I am posting this in the correct area, please let me know and I will re-post in the correct location. We are not on the subscription service but are wanting to upgrade our database from SP5 to SP9. I have successfully used the Aras Innovator SolutionUpgrade software for transferring the solution items to the SP9 database but cannot figure out how to move the attached files, is there something I am missing in the export/import process?  I cannot seem to find any documentation on this process. Thank you in advance for patience and response.  
  • I suppose the more direct question would be can someone using the open source version of Aras Innovator, successfully upgrade a production Aras Innovator 11 SP5 database to an SP9 database?
  • Hi, The upgrade is a supported process by the subscription. I can't really help you on how to do it. There is nothing blocking you from doing it though. Maybe someone else on the forum will give you some hints. You'll understand that we (Aras) can't give you more directions on that.  
  • Good morning Yoann, Thank you for taking the time to reply, I think I found the information I was looking for. Best Regards,  Bryan
  • Hi Bryan, I am new to Aras. can you please guide me where to get Aras Innovator SolutionUpgrade and what are the steps required to update from SP8 to SP9?   Regards Sumit  
  • Good morning Sumit, You can download the Solution Upgrade (Import/Export Package Utility) here: www.aras.com/.../project-view.aspx For some reason the SP9 version comes back with an error when trying to download (SP5 version seems to be OK), hopefully a temporary problem. As far as upgrading, I upgraded from SP5 to SP9 but it should be similar going from SP8 to SP9, the short answer is it can be done!  (one caveat is that I purposefully kept my solutions simple and modifications to core item minimal, no complex coding for doing flashy things, pretty much out-of-the-box) A couple of questions for you:
    1. Do you have files attached?
    2. Are you still evaluating or are you actually using the database that you are upgrading.
    Bryan
  • Bryan, How did you work around the file import process? I'm so close to finishing a migration. Just moving files from v11 to v11. I'm getting kicked out a "File Item cannot be added"  error message.   Did you have to do anything special? E.g. move the files to a location or something like that?
  • Hello theller85, It sounds like you have started with a new SP9 instance and imported all of your solutions from your SP5 database, this works pretty well except for you cannot retain any attached files, I ran into the same problem with the new SP9 database not recognizing attached files also, I was not able to find a way to get the files loaded into the new SP9. How we did the migration was by selecting to use the SP5 database when we installed SP9, yes this did bad tings to the GUI so if you tried to open the new SP9 version after the install, I don't think you could even see anything. I went through and exported all of the com.aras.innovator package files from the SP5 installation along with my custom solutions before upgrading (make sure you back up the SP5 database, you will have to restore a few times) and spent a few weeks testing re-importing these package files back into the new SP9 database until I got clean imports, following up on all import errors to figure out what failed was a bit frustrating at times. I'm guessing it's possible that I have somethings that are not connected properly in the new SP9 database but I have a stable SP9 installation that has been performing flawlessly for pretty close to a year.  I will add that the more customizations you have the more difficult it will be to hunt down the import errors but Aras seems to be very forgiving when it comes to allowing little configuration errors. I'm sure this is not the best news for your situation, but I am sold on Aras and was willing to make something work to keep the software alive, I'm sure if I was on the subscription service they would have a cleaner solution, but I did learn a lot about the Aras software through this process and I was quoted at $80K+ for a "migration" from an Aras VAR, so I think we did very well considering. I hope this helps, Bryan