We currently have about 500 BES Users, under BES 4.1.6 running Exchange 2007 SP1

We have the BES server running Windows 2003 and SQL DB on SQL2000, we are planning to upgrade to BES 5.0.2 running Windows 2008 (64-Bit) SP2 and SQL 2008, with Exchange 2007 SP1

I am after some ideas, or finding out if what I have figured out is correct or in the right direction.

1. move the SQL DB from SQL2000 to SQL2008 still running as 4.1.6 on the Windows 2003 Server, as mentioned in
How to move the BlackBerry Configuration Database to a new Microsoft SQL Server instance

2. Install BES 5.0.2 on new Server (all Components on the same box except the Database which is on SQL 2008)
3. Create new Database on SQL2008 Server (remote)
4. Point the BES 5.0.2 server DB to the same SQL DB to which the BES 4.1.6 Server is pointing to under SQL2008
5. Drag and Drop the Users from BES 4.1.5 Server to 5.0.2 Server

I know, what I have said above is very high level but I am on the right path ?

on Tsupport and have extra SRP or migration kit?

You have some choices either way. Push apps? Use complext IT Policies?

if no then a cutover upgrade may be best or sping up BES 5 with new Database and use transporter to move users over.

1. move the SQL DB from SQL2000 to SQL2008 still running as 4.1.6 on the Windows 2003 Server, as mentioned in
How to move the BlackBerry Configuration Database to a new Microsoft SQL Server instance

2. Turn services off on old BES
3. Install BES 5.0.2 on new Server and point to old DB
4. If all is done right, enjoy BES 5
5. Beer time

I know, what I have said above is very high level but I am on the right path ?[/quote]

Thanks for this.

Looking at the various BlackBerry documentation, I reading the Preupgrade tasks article " so I can start planning

Can I move the SQL DB from SQL2000 to SQL2008 and point the Existing BES 4.1.6 Server to this new restored DB still running on the Windows 2003 Server ? and then I can proceed with the other steps another day ? Will this be ok ? OR does SQL2008 DB require BES 5.0 ?

4.x does not support SQL 2008.

BlackBerry - BlackBerry Enterprise Server Compatibility

Thanks for this. I did see that earlier but was hoping i didnt have to restore and point BES to the new DB at the same time - well thats how it is, thats how it shall be.

I am working through this, and reading through the "How to move the BlackBerry Configuration Database to a new Microsoft SQL Server instance" KB Article, am I correct in saying that we do Task 1, Task 2(Step 1, Step 2 and Step3).

Once we do step 3 of Task2, we stop there and not do any more steps from the article and then Install BES 5.0.2 ?

also, knottyrope mentions that i point to the OLD DB once BES is installed, wil this cause any issues ?, as I have been reading also that we can use transporter to move users - why do this then when we can use the old DB anyway ?

From my previous Rely above, please Ignore my comment quoted above, I forgot that these steps have to be done anyway

I did the following steps but I was hoping to see different results to what I did, so hope someone can point out where I went wrong for future ref.

1. Used "How to move the BlackBerry Configuration Database to a new Microsoft SQL Server instance" KB Article to do the steps listed below:
a). Step 1- Task 1 - Took Backup of Current DB on SQL2000
b). Step 1- Task 2 - Prepared the New SQL 2008 Server Permissions
c). Step 2- Turn TCP/IP and Named Pipes ON
d). Step 3- Checked Agent running fine

2. Installed BES 5.0.2 on New Server
3. Stopped Services on old box and switched it off
4. From KB Article, did Step 4 - Task 3, Detached the DB from 2000 SQL Server, Copied the files to SQL2008, and Attached to new SQL 2008 Server
5. Task 4 - point BES to Newly attached DB on SQL2008 which started upgrading it.
6. BES running.

Test Emails were not working, as it showed that User were pointing to old BES server. Entered a New Temp BES 5.0.2 SRP Key (this was used to install BES anyway), then brought old box back on as it had a different key and moved user from OLD bes to New BES.

I thought by doing this, I shouldnt have had to move the user ... and everything should have worked seamlessly.

Did I need to put the SRP & CAL details of the OLD BES Server when installing BES 5.0 ?

Please advice

I think you forgot to enter in the same Blackberry name for your server and you added in a new name that needed users to be moved to new BES.

Ok, so am I correct in now saying or assuming that the steps should have been....
1). Build New Server i.e. Server B;
2). Shutdown the 4.1 BES server i.e. Server A;
3). Rename Server B to Server A;
4). Install the BES 5.0 with the same name as Server A

This was I wouldnt need to enter the CAL's etc a it would pick them up from the DB.

thinking about this more, i dont think I need to do Step 3, as informed earlier, as long as BES is installed with the "Old BES name" it should be fine. correct ?

that should be correct but

4). Install the BES 5.0 with the same BlackBerry name as Server A

I followed the Steps above but when I got to the point of Installing BES 5, I selected to Create a New Configurational Database and also tried this with pointing to an Existing DB (after attaching the copy of the OLD BES Server to SQL) and get the Error that its checking the domain for other BES servers etc and came up with the attached message which did not allow me to do anything further.

Do I need to run this upgrade file ?

look at page 46
http://docs.blackberry.com/en/admin/...1-5.0.2-US.pdf

I have read the section and I followed it.
1. Changed the BESMgmt.cfg file with "Upgrade" option and named Database Entry.
2. Ran create BESMgmt.cfg - which successfully upgraded the Schema at the end
3. Disabled services/ shutdown old bes
4. Detached DB from SQL2000
5. Copied and attached it to new server SQL2008
6. Installed BES as documented on New server by selecting existing configuration DB
7. Entered same BES name here as the OLD one

Clicking NEXT at this point gave me the attached Error.

I see that the documentation says "In the Accounts and Folders dialog box, in the Name field, type the name of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server that you want the BlackBerry Administration Service to display.", but because I am doing a cutover installation, I believe I should use the same name (as knottyrope mentions above) and not a New name, so why get this attached Error ?

It would be easier to troubleshoot in situ but i assume you have backups of everything so this is how to do it right first time every time

when you move a blackberry serivce from one server to another there are certain steps to take.

1 - stop all bes 4.1.x services
2 - backup the sql database
3 - run BB50UpgradePrep.exe on the 4.1.x server (this tool os found in the 5.0.2 installer in the tools folder)
4 - move you sql database. to do this properly you need to

detach from sql 200X
file copy the ldf and mdf to the new server
attach to the new server
get a copy of the errors.sql file from the 4.1.X installer
Database\DBInstallScripts\SQLServer\4.1.2\errors.s ql
open in query analyser
edit the last line "_Database_" and change to "BESMgmt" or you db name

5 - now to modify the besmgmt db because it refrences the old bes host and fqdn in its config

so open the db in management studio
look for the table that is dbo.serverconfig
edit the top 100 rows
edit the MACHINENAME to the new server name
press enter
now look for dbo.mdsconfig
do the same again for MDSHost (FQDN), MachineName and ServerName. the last will be of the context oldname_mds-CS_1 just change the first bit to newname_mds-cs_1

6 - now the databse is correct you can do this install of 5 on the new server and it should grey out the blackberry enterprise server name (it will be the old one) and it will all work

[quote=Kul;1693461]Clicking NEXT at this point gave me the attached Error. QUOTE]

Saw this link BES 5.0.1 to BES 5.0.1 KNife Edge but the DB is not used as the old BES Server is switched off.

So why still get this Error ?

I will try your method and post the results of how it goes...