We are getting ready to move our Arev application

from Novell to NT. We just received a copy of the

NT Service and the NPP.

My plan was to move the entire application, the AREV

directory and all data files, to the new server.

Then install the NT Service and NPP.

This is my preference.

Other systems staff, not familiar with AREV specifically,

have suggested that a better route is to re-

install the software, then move over our data files and

application specific files.

The suggested steps were:

1. Install AREV on the test server from original media

2. Install upgrades to get us up to 3.12.

3. Install the NT service and NPP

4. Copy the custom application and data files)

How is this usually done? What is the best procedure?

What experiences has anyone had in moving from Novell to

NT?

thanks for any help,

Tracy Kaltenbrun

ABC-Clio

This is what I did having just migrated an ARev 1.16 on Novell to NT:

After a full backup of the Novell Server:

1) From a Win95 workstation with access rights to both the source (Novell) and target (NT) directories I mapped a drive for both the source and targets. This could have been done on the NT server.

2) Disabled login on the Novell server and made sure all ARev users were out.

3) Copied the ARev and all subfolders to the target. You can either drag'n drop from the GUI or do an XCOPY /s/h/r/e/c/k from a command prompt window.

4) Renamed the ARev directory and the AREV.EXE on the Novell directory to something else - just as a safety precaution if users were somehow able to get at the old system.

5) On the NT server, upgraded ARev 1.16 to 2.03, changed any printer references in programs

6) Added the REVPARAM with serveronly=true files to all ARev directories.

7) Installed the NPP All Networks Driver to ARev, started ARev and got an error message because no NT service available

8) Installed the NT service, started ARev (should work, confirming NT service is running).

9) Defined User/Domain access to ARev directory

10) On the user workstations, removed IPX/SPX and Netware bindings and clients, mapped a drive (use the same drive letter and path specs for EVERYONE) and created an icon for the app.

Reinstalling ARev from the base disks in my opinion is a waste of time and could be a royal pain depending on which version you're starting with. In my situation it would have involved installing version 1.1 from 5.25" 360KB floppies - just transfering to 3.5" floppies would have been a chore in itself.

There is also a problem of keeping the REVxxxxx and REVMEDIA files straight. Depending on which version you're starting with and where many of the ACCOUNT/APPLICATION are located there exists the danger of either overwriting, duplicating or 'orphaning' (incorrect/missing REVMEDIA entries) files.

Moving a custom app to a new installation:

On the existing system identify the volume locations of all the necessary files.

This can be done by logging in to the application as user with TCL (F5) access and typing at TCL:

LISTVOLUMES (P

SORT VOC WITH TYPE EQ "VOLUME" F2 F3 JUSTLEN "L#50" (p

Unless you are using any Environmental Bonding to other file systems (SQL Bond, Btrieve Bond etc.) you need only concern yourself with volumes with a Table Type of AdvRev/LH in LISTVOLUMES or F2 of RTP57 from the SORT VOC command. Note that LISTVOLUMES only lists volumes that are attached at the moment that the LISTVOLUMES command is issued and the SORT VOC command lists all volumes that one time or another were 'aliased' with the SETVOLUME command. These aliased volumes may no longer exist or be active. Your Menus, VOC items and programs should also be examined for RBasic/TCL "ATTACH" commands.

Check also the Environment General Default Data Location setting. This is normally (but not always) a volume alias.

You can also check this from the SYSPROG account under Options Environment General (use shift-F1 to pick the different environments).

From the SYSPROG account check Options Application Location for the application in question.

While you are in SYSPROG you should create a temporary ARev file on a floppy or to some location that you can access it from NT and copy the contents of the SYSTEM file to it. (e.g. RECORDCOPY SYSTEM * TO:(tempfile )

From the information gleaned from above you should be able to figure out which directories should be copied and their relative locations to the ARev directory.

Backup the fresh install!!!

In the fresh install access the SYSPROG account, attach the temp file that you copied the old SYSTEM file to and recordcopy the items into the fresh SYSTEM file. Take care on which items you overwrite! It is usually ok to overwrite/copy items with F1=ACCOUNT" or F1=USER" or with an record name ending "_ENVIRONMENT". Be aware that you may be copying invalid or inactive accounts and users. This file should be cleaned up prior to copying it to the new system. And NEVER use the editor on ACCOUNT or USER items. The password encryption uses a checksum on the item and changing the item in the editor could lock you out of the system.

If you are uncomfortable with doing the above you can manually enter in the items via the menus. First create the application (Application New), then define the Users and Environments (you'll have to go through the existing system to get this information). Then clear the subdirectory created from the Application New process (should be the same name as what was entered in Location). This is necessary because the starting REVxxxxx numbers may be different than what was in your old system.

Copy over the subdirectories from the old system. At no time should you copy or overwrite any files in the ARev (where you installed ARev) directory.

When you map drives from the workstations the same drive letters should be used as before and all \\server\volume specifications must be the same. Drive letters, volumes and paths names are often embedded throughout the system and are very time consuming to track down and change.

Warren,

Thanks for your very detailed reply. It will be very helpful and I appreciate you taking the time.

Another question that our NT adminstrator has posed is:

Rights/permissions are granted differently under NT. What permissions need to be granted to which directories or files for users? Do you have any information or advice on this?

And another question:

We are using the NLM on the Novell Netware server. Do we have to deinstall anything?

Thanks,

Tracy

Basically the users should just need read/write access. However they may need create/delete and list access too. NT admin isn't my strong point but I normally give them everything except access to change the security/access levels to the Arev directories.

As for the Novell server, all you have to do is issue the LHSTOP command and remove the LHSTART command from AUTOEXEC.NCF on the server.

I just thought of another potential drawback with reinstalling from the original media is that I'm not sure if you can reapply the bump/lanpak disks to get your user license up to where you need it. I never tried it before. You should be able to use your old AREV.EXE once you upgrade it to the same level though.

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