October 2009 - Posts
Windows Server 2008 has been out for a while and it’s easier to move your Blackbaud product(s) to a new server than to continue maintaining the old server. After moving to a new server some of you may have trouble connecting your Blackbaud application to the new SQL Server. Workstations may get the error, “SQL Server does not exist or access denied. Native error: 17.” This is much more common with the release of Windows Server 2008.
The single most common reason can be summed up in one word – “Firewall.” Windows Server 2008 comes with the Firewall enabled by default and Windows Update has a habit of turning on Firewalls that have been turned off.
When moving servers, check the Firewall settings and the ports being used by SQL Server on the new server, sometimes they match up fine, other times they will be different. To determine if the Firewall is your issue, disable the firewall on your server and try to connect through your Blackbaud application on the workstation. If you can log in then the Firewall is your issue and you need to add an exception for the SQL Server port. If you still can’t log in then you have another issue.
The second most common issue is with DNS. The DNS server may not yet reflect the new server Name and IP Address. Try to PING the server by Name to see if it resolves to the correct IP Address. For example, when you open a command prompt and type PING Servername, it should result in a response of “Pinging Servername [192.168.0.1] (where Servername is the name of your server and 192.168.0.1 is the IP Address of your Server). If the results return a different IP address then you need to check your DNS settings. If you receive the correct IP address but failed ping results then you need to check Network Connectivity to the server.
How to Troubleshoot login issues is a useful solution if we are still having trouble logging in after moving to a new server. If you are familiar with working in the registry check the InstallSource (The Raiser’s Edge or Financial Edge/Education Edge/Student Information System) for your product to see if it has updated to point to the new Deploy kit on the new server. A simple repair by running the Setup.exe located in the Deploy folder will typically point the workstation to the new server.
Problems connecting to the database can be a common issue when working with SQL Server applications such as Blackbaud Products. Many of these issues are caused by Firewalls or incorrect DNS settings. Checking these two areas first will help resolve a majority of database connectivity issues related to the error “SQL Server does not exist or access denied. Native error: 17.”
Thursday's the big day; Windows 7 is finally being released to the public after months of promotion and marketing from Microsoft. Before updating there a few things you will want to do.
First, make sure to read all the Microsoft documentation about the update process and new features. 77 windows 7 Tips is a good starting point for learning about some of the new features and update tips. Also, check out the Microsoft Spingboard Series for more articles on Windows 7. Once you have read the documentation are ready to make the move to Windows 7, test the update to make sure you are and your users are ready for the update.
Finally, read the system requirements for your Blackbaud Products to make sure they will work on Windows 7. We are currently in the process of testing the next releases of most of our software with Windows 7 and will update our System Requirements as we determine an application is compatible with Windows 7. Until then Microsoft has a new feature called Windows XP Mode that makes it easy to run applications in a Windows XP environment
And for those of you who think 77 tips is too many to read, here is a short list of tips that I found interesting (I will add some more in my next post):
7. Record Problems. The Problem Steps Recorder (PSR) is a great new feature that helps in troubleshooting a system (see Figure 1). At times, Remote Assistance may not be possible. However, if a person types psr in their Instant Search, it will launch the recorder. Now they can perform the actions needed to recreate the problem and each click will record the screen and the step. They can even add comments. Once complete, the PSR compiles the whole thing into an MHTML file and zips it up so that it can be e-mailed for analysis to the network admin (or family problem solver, depending on how it's being used).
11. Consider Clean Installs. Even when upgrading Windows Vista machines, consider a clean install rather than an in-place upgrade. Yes, it's more hassle, but it'll produce a more trouble-free computer in the long run.
20. Get Snippy. The snipping tool has also been around in various incarnations but it's even easier to use in Windows 7. Launch the tool, then drag and drop any part of your screen. The tool will snip the selection. You can save it as a graphic file or annotate with basic drawing tools. Teach your end users how to use this tool so they can grab the snapshots of their problems and send them to the help desk. Or create your own library of visual notes.
23. Be a Mouse-Click Administrator. Windows 7 makes it easy to gain admin rights with a keyboard shortcut. Click on Ctrl+Shift on a taskbar-locked icon, and voila! You've launched it with appropriate admin rights.
57. Manage Services from Task Manager. The Windows 7 Task Manager now includes a tab to manage services. You can quickly see at a glance the status of all services on your machine. Click a column heading to sort. You can even start and stop services with a simple right-click. If you need full-blown service management, use the Services button to launch the Services management console. You may often have the Task Manager running in the system tray; now, having service management access means one less window to have open.
61. Put It on Old Stuff. One perhaps-not-so-obvious Windows 7 tip is that you should attempt to install it everywhere. One user has a 6-year-old laptop that originally shipped with Windows XP. He could never get Windows Vista to install on it. But Windows 7 installed without complaint and runs extremely smooth. Granted, there are some Windows 7 features he can't take advantage of because the processor lacks certain features, but these are minor issues considering the laptop now has life again.
This is our last segment of questions from last week's Support Roundtable, What Every Blackbaud Database Administrator Ought to Know. If you are interested in what the presentation covered please download the Presentation (you will need PowerPoint or the PowerPoint viewer to download the presentation).
Backups (continued)
Q: Hypothetical: you delete 100 constituents in global and don't know who. Don't realize for a few days. Is there a way to compare current records to previous, backed-up record, to trace changes?
A: The best option to compare databases is to restore a backup from before the global delete onto a Standalone machine or test server. Then run the query that was used for the global delete on both the live environment and test environment to compare results. If you are worried about this occurring you may need to review your users’ security settings so they don’t have the ability to globally delete records.
Q: You mentioned that things other than the databases should be backed up. Am I correct that the backup in the BMC only backs up the database and not the application, settings, deploy share, etc?
A: That is correct. The application and deploy folders are not backed up because they can be reinstalled using a download or installation CD. If you would prefer to back these items up you may decide to use a third part backup utility that backs up files and directories.
Troubleshooting
Q: If you are using a remote Citrix environment to connect multiple locations to the server, is it possible to provide them with the Microsoft products integration like Outlook so they can email reports or export reports to their location as opposed to the server, etc. as if it were a desktop application?
A: Yes, this is possible. It requires that you install Microsoft Office on the servers in your Citrix environment. Once installed you must setup each users Outlook profile on the server so that they are able to send emails via Outlook.
Q: We have a couple users who have had some difficulty logging in to Raiser's Edge would a rest of the registry help?
A: Generally, resetting the registry is used for issues that occur within the product. Log in issues are mainly caused by network issues. BB300248 and BB144086 are common solutions for connectivity issues.
Q: Do you have a decision tree for troubleshooting that you can share?
A: Yes, the General Troubleshooting Process Wizard will provide you with different questions and fixes based on the answers you provide.
Here is part 3 of our Question and Answers from last week's Support Roundtable, What Every Blackbaud Database Administrator Ought to Know.
Database Maintenance and the BMC
Q: Should a workstation have access to both production and test environment or should it be totally separate?
A: Workstations can only have access to one environment because the versions between production and test may differ. Each workstation may only have one version of the software installed at a time. If you have a database license for a second database then you can attach your non-production copy of the database to the same server; therefore, the workstations would have access to both databases.
Q: We have a fairly large and complex database in both RE and FE, how often would you suggest that we perform maintenance?
A: I would suggest running Rebuild Indexes, Update Statistics, and Check Integrity at least once a week. For larger organizations that are frequently updating their database through batch and import, twice a week may be necessary.
Q: Are there suggested parameters to be used when running the Maintenance functions (Indexes/Statistics)?
A: The default option is generally preferred for the Maintenance tasks in the Blackbaud Management Console. Only change the parameters if advised by Blackbaud or by a qualified SQL Server administrator.
Backups
Q: Is it possible to backup the G-L distribution grid in RE? If not are there any steps that the DBA can take to maintain the grid in order to minimize problems?
A: The G-L distribution is backed up with a full database backup but there is not a way to backup just the G-L distribution grid. The G-L distribution is not something that should be changing often. To prevent users from changing the distribution you may want to review and adjust the users security settings in The Raiser’s Edge.
Q: Am I correct the SQL Server 2005 express does not include a backup manager to assist with manually backing up SQL? We had to download SQL Server Management Studio Express.
A: The Blackbaud Management Console provides the interface to create backups with SQL Server 2005 Express (or any other edition of SQL Server). SQL Server 2005, when downloaded and installed from Microsoft’s web site, does not come with a graphical user interface to create backups, however, they do provide the SQL Server Management Studio Express as a separate download for this. Blackbaud, however, recommends and supports the use of the Blackbaud Management Console for backing up the database.
Q: What types of testing should we do with the backups? Meaning do we spot check records, are there queries we should run, reports, etc?
A: The biggest test you should run is to restore the database and then log into it. Once logged in check one or two records, one or two reports and queries. This will let us know that the data is valid. Generally a backup failure is all or none, meaning that no data will restore or all data will restore.
Here is the second installment of our Questions and Answers from last week's Support Roundtable, What Every Blackbaud Database Administrator Ought to Know.
Updating Workstations, Installing Patches and Testing Updates
Q: Is
it possible to run the application directly from the server (deploy)
share? We would like to avoid a end user to have access to
write/replace the executables.
A: The best option to provide
this security is to use Terminal Services so that users can access
their Blackbaud application via a central server that your administrators
manage.
Q: Just for clarification: non production environment is different from sample database?
A:
Yes, a non-production environment is different than the sample
database. The sample database is a database created by
Blackbaud programmers while a non-production environment is a copy of
your live database installed on a separate server to be used for
testing and training.
Q: Does Blackbaud support running the production applications (RE, FE, BBNC) in a VMWare environment?
A:
Yes, Blackbaud supports its applications in a virtual environment.
However, we are not able to assist with the setup of the virtual environment or any performance issues that are related to the virtual environment.
Q: At some point, I was told a terminal server environment was not recommended. Is that still the case?
A: No,
this is not the case. All version 7 Blackbaud products are supported
in a terminal server environment. In fact, our OnDemand services use
Terminal Services installed with Citrix to publish Blackbaud applications for remote access. See our System Requirements for more information.
Q: How often do you recommend backing up the data to the test environment? Should that be just when you are planning to test? A:
We do not have a set recommendation for refreshing the data on the test
environment. I would suggest that at a minimum you refresh the database before testing
major changes, such as global changes, Blackbaud updates, SQL Server updates, etc... Some clients that use
a test environment frequently may refresh the database every week or
every couple of days. Refreshing the test environment helps to test
the validity of your backups so it doesn’t hurt to do it weekly, or more
often, if you have the time and resources.
I would like to thank everyone that joined our 2nd What Every Blackbaud Database Administrator Ought to Know Support Roundtable. If you weren't able to make it (or if you were and just want to review the information) we will be posting the recording soon and plan on having another session in a couple months.
Over the next few days, I will be posting the questions from our session on Inside the Edge. Today I am posting the Q & A from the first section of the presentation. Keep an eye out over Monday and Tuesday for the rest of the questions and answers.
Installing and Updating the Application Server
Q: Is the BMC available for BBNC?
A: All database management for BBNC is done through SQL Server Management Studio so the Blackbaud Management Console (BMC) is not available.
Q: So we should not be seeing a prompt for the deploy folder for upgrades?
A: Correct, when updating the server you should not be prompted for a deploy folder location this will only occur during the initial installation of your product. The update process will recognize the currently installed location of the deploy folder and update this directory.
Q: Where can I get detailed information on the changes that will occur during updates in order to make recommendations as to whether to deploy or not?
A: The release notes, available on the Downloads page for your product, contain information about the new feature changes. To find the changes that a made in a patch, review the Readme files which are also available on the downloads page.
Q: Should workstations automatically update or do you have to update manually at each workstation?
A: Workstations should automatically update after installing an update or patch on the server. You may have to manually update the workstations if you are installing the update on a new server. If the end users don’t have the correct permissions or if the deploy folder has moved since the last update then the updates will not occur automatically. See BB24924 for further information on troubleshooting workstations that are not updating automatically.