Upgrading from Perception 5.1 or 5.2 to a new server

Upgrading from Questionmark Perception 5 could involve upgrading your operating system and database. It is recommended that you:

• Create a new server running Windows Server 2008, making sure that the server meets the system requirements
• Migrate your shared repository to SQL Server 2008

Once you have completed the above follow the steps below.

You will need to install the relevant prerequisites on the server. For information about how to install these, please refer to step 1 (Install and configure the prerequisites). Once you have setup your server ready for an install of Perception, you will need to:

• Install a local copy of SQL Server 2008
• Copy the Perception 5 files and folders to your new server
• Setup an ODBC connection to the database you migrated
• Install Perception
• Configure your databases and reconnect/upgrade your shared repository

Install a local version of SQL Server 2008

You will need to install and setup a local copy of SQL Server 2008. This will be used to store the temporary ETL database during the ETL process. For information about installing and setting up this, please refer to step 4 (Install a database to handle the ETL_Temp database).

Copy the Perception 5 files and folders to your new server

To successfully upgrade to Perception 5.7 on a new server, you will need to copy the following folders and their contents from your Perception 5 server to the same location on your new server:

C:\Perception5\Repositories\shared\ ...for repository files

(It may be C:\Perception4\... if you have previously upgraded from Perception 4.)

You can transfer these files and folders using the most convenient method available to you (via network transfers, CD, USB, et cetera).

Set up the ODBC connection on your new server

You will need to configure an ODBC connection to your migrated Perception database on the new server. How you do this will depend on the database you are using. For further details, refer to the relevant section in step 8 (Create an ODBC connection to your shared repository database), remembering to use the details of the database you migrated.

Install Perception

Once you have configured your server, copied the necessary files, and created the necessary ODBC connections, you are ready to install Perception. The Perception installer is available from the Product Downloads area of the Questionmark website. Once it has been downloaded onto the new server, the install application can be run by double-clicking the installer icon.

The install application requires you to enter a password before it will install Perception Server. This password should have been sent to you by email when you downloaded the installation file.

To install Perception:

1. Double-click the installer application
2. Enter the password to run the installer and click OK
3. You will be prompted with a message about upgrading from a previous version of Perception. Click Yes and continue.
4. Click Next > and follow the on screen instructions
5. Select Typical and click Next >
6. Choose a location where you want to install Perception 5 to. The default location is: C:\Program Files\Questionmark\Perception5\

   

7.  In the Install Repository Files to textbox, select the base location of where you copied the Perception Version 4 repository files to. For example: C:\Perception5\
8. Click Next > to continue
9. If this server is to be accessed externally, enter the valid URL for the web server by selecting the User Defined option box and entering the appropriate domain name in the textbox. Otherwise, select This Computer.
10. Click Next >
11. Click Install to begin the installation.
12. A warning will be displayed indicating that PHP will need to be installed before the application will be functional. Ensure you have completed the steps indicated in the section Installing PHP, and click OK.

    

13. Once the installer has finished copying the necessary files and configuring your system, you will be presented with the following screen. Disable the Learn more about Perception Server online and Launch Questionmark Configuration Application checkboxes and click Finish.

Refer to the following section for instructions on upgrading your repository.

Configure the databases and reconnect/upgrade your shared repository

Now, you need to run the configuration application (follow step 10 [Create the Main and RW databases] through step 14 [Create the database links] for details) to set up the rest of the databases, as well as reconnect and upgrade your shared repository. This can be done by navigating to the following address in the web browser of your Perception server to launch the configuration application:

http://<server_name>/configuration

...where <server_name> is the domain name associated with this server.

Once the webpage has loaded, refer to steps for details about setting up the databases and upgrading your shared repository. When you reach the Create/modify the repository section, ensure to follow the Upgrading the shared repository section below:

Upgrading your shared repository

If you are upgrading and existing repository, you will be shown a screen similar to the following in the Create/modify the repository section of the configuration application:

To select a repository to configure:

1. From the Choose a repository list, enable the option button next to the shared repository you would like to upgrade.
   You will be informed of the Selected repository version and the Required repository version.
2. Click Continue.

   The following screen will be displayed. If you are accessing the configuration application locally on the server, you can click Launch SRM to load the Shared Repository Manager. If you are not logged in locally, you will need to log in to your Perception server and launch the Shared Repository Manager from: Start | All Programs | Questionmark | Perception 5.7

   

3. Once the Shared Repository Manager is loaded, you should see all your shared repositories listed. Select the one you want to upgrade now and click Repository Upgrade Wizard...

   

4. Enter the root administrator User name and Password and click OK
5. Click Next >

   

6. Click Stop IIS and SRS on this machine and then click Next >. It is possible to upgrade without stopping IIS or SRM, however, if participants are taking an assessment, this will result in a loss of results and could possibly lock files from being upgraded.

   

7. The Repository Upgrade Process screen will display showing you the progress of the upgrade. Once it has finished, you will be shown the following screen. Click Start IIS and SRS on this machine and then click Finish.

   

   You will now be taken back to Shared Repository Manager, where your repository version number should be reported as 5.7.x.x

8. Now that the repository has been upgraded, you can continue with the process of configuring Perception by returning to your browser window and clicking Continue

   

9. You will be shown the following screen. In the Enter a Display Name textbox, enter a name that you would like to associate with your shared repository. This name will be shown on the screen when an administrator logs into Enterprise Manager.

   

10. Click Continue. You will be presented with a success screen and asked to continue. For the next set of install steps, please refer to step 14 (Create the database links).