Migrating databases to Concordance Desktop

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Migrating databases to Concordance Desktop

Migration of a 10.x database can be an easy process if the files have been properly prepared. Before attempting to migrate a database from Concordance to Concordance Desktop, please review the information in the Database migration preparation topic. Doing so will help to mitigate issues that could arise when attempting to migrate Concordance databases to Concordance Desktop.

When a database is ready to be migrated, the migration can be completed using any one of the following methods:

Placing a folder, that contains all the files for the Concordance 10.x SQLite database, in the Registration Directory for automatic migration. Ensure that you do not place the folder inside another folder that contains a database. There can be only one database per folder, and each folder can reside under the Registration Directory.

Registering a Concordance 10.x SQLite database with the Concordance Desktop server. See Registering/unregistering a database in the Answer Center or the Installation Guide for more information.

Selecting File > Open in Concordance Desktop and selecting a Concordance 10.x SQLite database

Double-clicking on a Concordance 10.x database on the Concordance Desktop server computer. This method will not work, if Concordance 8.x or 9.x is currently installed on the same server computer as Concordance Desktop.

Concordance Image ONLY: If Concordance Image was used for the imagebase in Concordance 10.x, and you need to retain redactions and notes in the database, the Redlines Migration Utility should be used to migrate the database. Using any of the other four methods will not retain the redactions and notes.

Concordance Desktop provides the ability to convert version 10.x load file databases without near native conversion, thereby decreasing the time needed to migrate the databases.

If you plan to migrate an existing Concordance 10.x database to Concordance Desktop, but also want to move it to another server or folder, first move the database to its new location, then open it in Concordance 10.x. Doing so ensures that the notes DCB is properly linked to the parent DCB. Next, ensure that the image and native file links are updated in Concordance 10.x and that they are working properly. Once these steps are done, you can migrate the Concordance 10.x database to Concordance Desktop.

If you plan to migrate a Concordance 10.x database to Concordance Desktop, and also plan to move it to another server, drive, or folder, please follow do the following in the order they appear.

1.Move the database to its new location. Note that there can be only one database per folder. The folder can reside within another folder, but not within another database's folder.

2.Open the database in Concordance 10.x. Doing this ensures that the notes DCB is properly linked to the parent DCB.

3.Migrate the database to Concordance Desktop.

Placing a Database Folder in the Registration Directory for Automatic Migration

When you place a Concordance 10.x SQLite database folder (the folder containing all the files for the database) into the directory that has been designated as the "Registration Directory" in the Admin Console, Settings tab, the database is automatically migrated and registered on the Concordance Desktop server. A Registration Directory can be any directory on the server computer, even one that contains all your current Concordance 10.x SQLite databases in their respective folders. Only one Registration Directory can be designated per Concordance Desktop server. The default directory is named "DB Smart Path" and is located in the server computer's ProgramData directory (usually C:\ProgramData\LexisNexis\Concordance Desktop\DB Smart Path). See Changing the default Registration Directory for more information on how to designate a different directory as the Registration Directory.

To Copy a Database Folder to the Registration Directory

1.Before migrating a database, make a backup of all the files in the database. (Backup the whole folder, including all sub-folders.)

2.Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the your Registration Directory folder.

i.The default Registration Directory folder is named "DB Smart Path" found in the ..\ProgramData\LexisNexis\Concordance Desktop\ folder on the Concordance Desktop server computer.

3.Open another Windows Explorer window, and navigate to to the location of a folder containing a Concordance 10.x SQLite database that you want to migrate to Concordance Desktop.

4.Copy the whole database folder and paste it into the Registration Directory folder.

i.The next time you open Concordance Desktop, any databases the application finds in the Registration Directory will automatically be migrated and registered with the Concordance Desktop server.

ii.To ensure that a database has been migrated successfully, you can check its status in the Databases list in the Admin Console, under the Management tab. If the migration failed, you can check the log file for more information.

 

Migrating a Database Through Registration

1.Before migrating a database, make a backup of all the files in the database. (Backup the whole folder, including all sub-folders.)

2.On the File menu, click Administration and then Admin Console.

3.Log onto the server where you want to register the database.

i.You must be a Concordance Desktop administrator on the selected server in order to register a database.

4.Click on the Management tab.

5.Right-click on the Databases folder, and then click Register database.

6.In the field that appears, type the name of the database you want to register, and press Enter.

i.An Open dialog box opens.

7.Locate and open the folder where the database is located.

8.Click on the database DCB file to select it.

9.Click Open.

i.A dialog box opens stating that the database has been queued for imagebase migration. Or, depending on the database type, you may be asked if you are ready to migrate the database.

ii.After the migration and registration processes are finished, the Databases pane opens on the right. The database you just registered displays at the bottom of the list. If the imagebase is being migrated, the status of the database will show "Converting" until the process finishes. This process may take a while, depending on the number of files in the database.

iii.If the selected database is a Concordance Desktop database, after the registration process is finished, the Databases pane opens on the right. The database can be found at the bottom of the list.

iv.The Status column indicates whether or not migration for the Concordance 10.x database was successful. If successful, the Status column displays "Online", of not successful, it displays "Conversion failed" or "Registration failed." More information about failures can be found in the server log file.

v.If Auto refresh is turned on (Auto refresh on), the database name appears under the Databases folder, after auto refresh runs.

Selecting File > Open to Migrate a Concordance 10.x Database

1.Before migrating a database, make a backup of all the files in the database. (Backup the whole folder, including all sub-folders.)

2.Open Concordance Desktop on the Concordance Desktop server.

3.From the File menu click Open.

4.Navigate to the location of a Concordance version 10.x SQLite Concordance database that you want to migrate.

i.A dialog box opens notifying you that the database is not compatible with Concordance Desktop, and that the imagebase need to be updated. database must be migrated to Concordance Desktop before it can be opened.

5.Click Yes.

i.The migration in progress dialog box opens. When the migration finishes, the database opens in Concordance Desktop.

Double-Clicking a Database to Migrate it

Double-clicking on a Concordance 10.x SQLite database on the Concordance Desktop server computer. Concordance Desktop prompts you to migrate the database. Please note that if you still have Concordance version 9.x or 8.x installed on the same server/computer as the Concordance Desktop installation, this method will not work, as the database will be opened in Concordance instead of Concordance Desktop.

1.Before migrating a database, make a backup of all the files in the database. (Backup the whole folder, including all sub-folders.)

2.Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder containing the files for the database you want to migrate.

3.Double-click on the database DCB file.

i.A dialog box opens stating that the database is not compatible, and asks if you want to update the imagebase.

4.Click Yes.

i.A migration in progress dialog box opens. When the migration finishes, the database opens in Concordance Desktop.

To ensure the database has been migrated, registered, and indexed

1.From the File menu, click Administration, and then Admin Console, to open the Administration Console.

2.Click the Management tab.

3.Click on the Databases folder to display the list of databases on the server and their statuses.

i.The database you just migrated displays at the bottom of the list displayed in the right side pane.

If after migrating, there are documents that do not display correctly or at all in the Concordance Desktop viewer, you can optimize those documents so that they do display correctly. See the Optimizing documents to PDF topic for more information.

How do I know a database migration was successful?

If the answer to the questions below are 'yes', then your database has migrated successfully.

Are the images visible in the Concordance Desktop viewer?

oIf no, the most likely cause is that the location of the images has changed. You will need to update the links to the images. See Renaming file paths and folders

Are you able to launch the natives from the hyperlinks in the records?

oIf no, the most likely cause is that the links to the native files were not updated. You will need to first update the links (see Renaming file paths and folders), and then run the CreateHyperlinks CPL (see CreateHyperlinks) to create new hyperlinks in the records.