Before upgrading - Surround SCM 2008 and earlier upgrades

Perform the following tasks before upgrading to Surround SCM 2009 or later.

1. Review the Surround SCM Server system requirements

See the server system requirements for the minimum system requirements and recommended system configurations for optimal server performance.

2. Choose an RDBMS type and configuration

You need to decide which type of RDBMS database to store the Surround SCM Server and mainline databases in. All database tables are installed in a single RDBMS database. PostgreSQL and SQL Server are supported.

The database configuration you use depends on your installation and environment. At any time, you can convert the RDBMS type or location for the server or mainline databases or distribute mainline branches across multiple RDBMS database instances. If you do not know how you want to configure the databases, use the default PostgreSQL installation.

3. Check the RDBMS server security

Review the operating system and database firewall settings on the RDBMS server to make sure the Surround SCM Server databases are secure. Some RDBMS servers must be configured to allow remote computers to access databases.

4. Run the Surround SCM Analyze Utility

We strongly recommend running the Surround SCM Analyze Utility to analyze and repair any data integrity issues in the Surround SCM Server database.

Before upgrading from Surround SCM 2008.1.x, it is strongly recommended that you run the latest Surround SCM 2008.1.x Analyze Utility to address any database issues. Download the utility.

5. Back up databases

Always back up the Surround SCM Server database, mainline database, and Helix ALM License Server database before installation.

If you upgrade from Surround SCM 5.x or later, the server database is automatically upgraded to Surround SCM 2008 format before it is upgraded to RDBMS format. You cannot revert back to the flat file database format after upgrading, which makes it important to have a backup database copy.

6. Plan for future database backups

Your Surround SCM backup strategy will not work after the upgrade because the database format and location are different. Make sure you create a new backup strategy before upgrading.