Introduction
The computer hosting the main (server) installation of the BlueView software is referred to as the BlueView Server. The server hosts Bluelink Network Services (BNS), which manages communication with the NetGen door controllers. In many cases, the BlueView Server machine also hosts the BlueView database in SQL Server, which contains all BlueView data such as doors, cardholders, credentials, shifts, permissions, and events.
This document assumes that the SQL Server database is local to the BlueView Server. If the SQL Server database is on a separate server and will not need to be moved, all portions of this document regarding the data migration may be ignored.
Before You Begin
Before starting the migration, you will need:
Access to the computer currently running as the BlueView Server (“original machine”)
Access to the SQL Server host for the BlueView database (may be on the original machine or
on a separate server)
Login information for BlueView software on the original machine
Administrative access to the computer that the BlueView software will be moved to (“new
machine”)
Network connectivity between the new machine and the NetGen controllers
BlueView software installation package
Make sure you download the correct BlueView version for your license! You can find the version of your existing BlueView software and your software license information by opening BlueView on the original machine and choosing Help → About.
While minor version updates are included in the purchase of your system, please note that major version upgrades will require the purchase of a new activation code. Contact us at 760-929-9596 or sales@bluewavesecurity.com for more information.
If you have concerns about system downtime, BlueWave recommends that you schedule software migration to occur during BlueWave support hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm PST), so that we are available to assist with any complications that may arise. If you choose to take advantage of our migration services, we ask that you schedule with us at least one business day in advance.
Steps to Migrate BlueView Server Software
1. Install BlueView Software on New Machine
Follow the instructions included with the BlueView software installation package to install SQL Server and BlueView software on the new machine. Once it has been successfully installed, open BlueView. When prompted for an Activation Code, skip that and choose Start Trial – the activation code will be moved over from the original machine with the database once the migration is complete. Once BlueView opens successfully in trial mode, close the program.
2. Retrieve Data from the Original Machine
In BlueView on the original machine, go to Tools → Backup. On the Database Backup Settings screen, check the Enabled box, if it is not already checked.
Click Browse to choose the location for the backup file, then click Backup Now. You will see a
message that a backup has been started. Click “Open Backup File Folder” to find the file, named as BlueWave_<datetime>.bak. For larger databases, allow up to several minutes for the backup to complete and the file to appear. Copy this file over to a network or USB drive so that it can be moved to the new BlueView server. If there is more than one file, select the one with the most recent timestamp.
Alternative method:
In some cases, the BlueView Backup tool may not be able to create the backup. Often this is a folder or SQL Server permissions issue. Another way to obtain a database backup is directly from SQL Server using the SQL Server Management Studio Express application. SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE) is a free tool available from Microsoft. In SSMSE, right-click on the BlueWave database in the Object Explorer.
Select Tasks → Backup. Make sure the destination is set to Disk. Make note of the file path that you choose. Then click OK Use Windows File Explorer to locate the backup file at the path you specified.
3. Shut Down Software on Original Machine
Close all other client or web instances of BlueView. In the BlueView Server, click the green button that says “Stop” to stop Bluelink Network Service. Close the BlueView software.
If you use the web interface, go into IIS Manager. In the Connections pane, under Sites, locate BlueWeb. Right-click on it, select Manage Website, and then Stop.
Consider making a copy of the program and log directories on the original machine as a backup, in case they need to be referenced later. Store this with the database backup file.
• Typical program directory location: C:\Program Files\BlueView
• Typical log file directory location: C:\ProgramData\BlueView\logs
4. Restore Data to New Machine
Copy the backup file from the original machine to the new one. Find the application BlueView Restore under your installed Windows Apps. Right-click on the icon and choose Run as Administrator. It will ask if you want to allow the program to make changes to your computer – click Allow.
In the BlueView Database Restore Tool, use the Browse button to browse to the path of the back up file that you copied over from the original machine.Click Test Settings. It should report that tests were successful.
If the test failed, check the displayed error messages for more information about how to proceed. Once Test Settings succeeds, then click Restore.
When you see the green “Restore Complete!” message, close the Restore Tool.
Alternative method:
In some cases, the BlueView Restore tool may not be able to restore the backup to the new location. Often this is a folder or SQL Server permissions issueYou are able to restore the database backup directly from SQL Server using the SQL Server Management Studio Express application.
In SSMSE, right-click on the BlueWave database in the Object Explorer. Select Tasks →Restore → Database. Under Source, choose Device, then click on the “...” button. On the “Select backup devices” screen, click Add, then browse for the backup file, select it, then click OK.
Back on the Restore Database screen, click on Options. Put a check next to Overwrite the existing database (WITH REPLACE).
Click OK (at the bottom of the Restore Database screen). When it's done, it will report that the restore was successful.
5. Start BlueView on the New Machine
On the new machine, start the BlueView software. You should see that the data, including the doors, cardholders, credentials, shifts, permissions, and activation code (software license) from the original machine is now populated in the software. Click on the red “Start” button to start Bluelink Network Services. Give the system several minutes to catch up on retrieving events from the door controllers that may have occurred during the migration process.
6. Clean Up the Original Machine - This step is CRITICAL to prevent future communication issues on your BlueView system!
On the original machine, use the Windows “Uninstall a Program” tool to remove BlueView software. If you choose not to uninstall the software (NOT recommended), open Windows Services (gears icon).
Find Bluelink Network Services. If it shows as Running, right-click on it and select Stop. Then, right-click on it again, and choose Properties. Set the Startup type to Disabled and click OK.
7. Complete Setup
At this point, your BlueView system has been migrated to the new machine and the new software has resumed configuration with your doors.
BlueWave strongly recommends that all doors be sent full activations as soon as is practical.
• In BlueView, go to Configure → Card Holder Permissions.
• Click on the Activation tab.
• Put a check mark next to “Select All,” then click “Activate Now.”
During a full activation, the configuration on the door is cleared and then reprogrammed.
While the full activation is occurring, cardholders will not be able to gain access to the
door for a period ranging from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on how many
credentials are programmed into the door.
To minimize downtime at the door, you can schedule the activations to occur after hours.
Instead of clicking “Activate Now,” at the selector beside “Schedule Activation At:” select
the date and time when the activations should begin. Then put a check next to “Select All,”
and click “Schedule Activation At.”
Once the status of all doors has turned to Successful (green), the activations are complete. This can take anywhere from several minutes to several hours, depending on the number of doors and the number of cardholders.
In some situations, additional software configuration may be necessary.
BlueWeb:
The web interface will need to be re-installed and configured on the new machine and BlueWeb users will need to be updated with the new location of the BlueWave web interface (IP
address or machine name of the new server). Alternatively, if you use DNS to direct web users
to the BlueWave server, the DNS record will need to be updated with the new server
Information.
BlueView Client:
Users of BlueView clients will need to configure their new SQL Server installation for remote
client access. Each BlueView client will need to open BlueView and go to Tools → Database Configuration. The Server Name or IP Address will need to be updated to point to the new BlueView Server, and the User Name and Password may also need to be updated if changed.
document).
Other
If your system uses any other custom software or integration components, please contact BlueView for assistance in migrating these to the new machine.