Simple Disaster Recovery

Simple Disaster Recovery

O

NetHelpDesk is unlike most products in the market in so many ways. One of the most notable is the simple disaster recovery (DR) procedure that you can follow, to ensure you are using NetHelpDesk in a new environment very quickly.

NetHelpDesk is comprised of three components. The NetHDClient.exe file that runs the main Windows general user interface (GUI), the Microsoft SQL Server database where the NetHDClient.exe retrieves information from, and stores data in, and the data link file that links the two together, telling the NetHDClient.exe where the database is to connect to.

NetHelpDesk does not rely on any registry keys, no .dll files and so on, so restoring NHD into a new area is simple.

To ensure NetHelpDesk is fully backed up to ensure a simple DR procedure, simply: 1. Back up the NetHelpDesk SQL Server Database to a .bak file.

2. Back up the NetHelpDesk folder, with Win, Web, Log and SQL folders.

These two areas store all of your data, your individual login configurations, your mailbox and calendar settings, everything you need to migrate to a new server quickly.

B

U

P

Backing up the SQL Server Database for NHD

1. On Your Existing SQL Instance, log in with the sa credentials, right click on the NetHelpDesk database, and create a backup.

3. Call the file whatever you like, but we suggest something like: NHDBackupYYYYMMDD.bak, replacing YYYYMMDD with the year, month and day respectively.

4. Always label the file to be .bak at the end, so that it can be restored.

5. Once you have a .bak file of your database, you can reinstate the main database on a new instance of SQL Server at any time.

B

N

H

D

W

,

W

,

L

SQL

1. Go to the installation folder of NetHelpDesk on the server it is installed on. The default folder location is in the root of the C:\ drive, but could have been located anywhere that the installer deemed necessary. The regular choices are the Program Files folder, or on another drive completely.

2. Ensure that no one is logged into NetHelpDesk, and the NHServer program is not running a scan. The files may not copy properly, or a Windows standard usage error may occur.

3. Copy the entire folder. It is not absolutely necessary to copy this folder to use NHD, as NetHelpDesk could be installed using the installer again if required. However, files that govern the NHServer setup configuration, personal Technician learning dictionaries, templates and so on are here. 4. Copy the folder or back up as you would any other folder with important files inside. NHD doesn’t

mind how or where you back this up to, but if you want an exact replica of the setup you have now, it is advisable to do so.

Now that the two main areas of the NetHelpDesk setup is backed up, NHD can be restored on any Windows machine that you require.

R

N

H

D

On the new server, under no circumstances should you need to run the installer programs again. This would only cause unnecessary additional work that is not needed to get NHD working in its new environment. If you would like to start from scratch, you can do. The choice is yours.

What needs to be installed

On the new server, ensure the following have been installed:

1) Microsoft SQL Server Instance (Use the same version or newer than being used previously). 2) Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.

3) .net framework 3.5

4) Outlook if using Calendars with MAPI Profiles.

5) IIS, with the CGI Module and ISAPI Filters if using the web interfaces.

Using NetHelpDesk to install SQL Server Instance

NetHelpDesk comes bundled with a version of SQL Server Express with a 10GB database size limit. If you would like to use NetHelpDesk’s installer to install a brand new SQL Server instance all ready for

NetHelpDesk, use the following procedure:

1. Take a copy of the NetHelpDesk folders NetHelpDesk with Log, SQL, Web, Win folders inside and place on the new server in the same location as on previous server. i.e. if used defaults of

C:\NetHelpDesk, do the same here. The SQL folder is key here, as it contains the installation files. 2. In the Win folder, create a new .txt file called SETUPINCOMPLETE and remove the .txt extension.

Windows will warn you that the file may not be usable if you do, but proceed as this is what is needed.

3. Double click on NetHDClient.exe in the Win folder, and the installer will then ask if you wish to install the web portal, which you can.

4. The next option is to install SQL Server, and it will do so using the installation files in the SQL folder. Let the installer run,

If the SQL Management tool is not yet installed either, a free edition of Database Tools and Management Tools is available for download on the Microsoft website. This is recommended for queries and so on. Alternatively, you can access via our links below:

SQL Management Studio 2008 R2 32 Bit: www.nethelpdesk.com/sqlms32

SQL Management Studio 2008 R2 64 Bit: www.nethelpdesk.com/sqlms64

PLEASE NOTE: NetHelpDesk recommends that you don’t use Windows Authentication. Use SQL Server Authentication instead, using your sa account. This will ensure everyone on your domain can access NetHelpDesk without issue.

The installer will create it’s own sa account for its own SQL instance for you. SQLSERVER SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR (SA)ACCOUNT)

PLEASE NOTE: The sa account will automatically have full access to the instance you are using, and the databases within that instance.

If using an existing instance of SQL Server, and did not setup a ‘sa’ account, the user login you use must have full access to the instance. Alternatively, speak with your SQL Administrator about this account.

Some customers are not comfortable using the same sa credentials. You can create another account, or use a separate instance. We can help with all of this. The important thing is the high level of access to the NetHelpDesk DB. 6. On Your Existing SQL Instance, log in with the sa credentials as detailed above, right click on the

7. Make sure the backup you make is “Full” and save it to Disk, wherever you like. SQL Management Studio suggests a path, but you can add a new one, and remove this suggested path.

8. Call the file whatever you like, but we suggest something like: NHDBackupYYYYMMDD.bak, replacing YYYYMMDD with the year, month and day respectively.

9. Once you have a .bak file of your database, you can now go to your new instance of SQL Server, and there are a few things you need to do first:

10. On the Server Configuration screen, change Start-up Type for SQL Server Browser from

Disabled to Automatic.

11. On the Database Engine Configuration screen, we recommend that you select Mixed Mode

(SQL Server authentication and Windows authentication), and specify an appropriate

password for the default SQL Server System Administrator (sa) account.

12. Go to SQL Server Configuration Manager > SQL Server Network Configuration > Protocols

for NETHELPDESK > TCP/IP.

13. In the Protocol Tab, ensure Enabled is Yes.

14. In IP Addresses tab, scroll to bottom of list and under IPAll; ensure TCP Dynamic Ports is Blank (not zero).

16. Go to SQL Server Configuration Manager > SQL Server Services > Restart the SQL Server

Service.

17. If you have Firewall software (Windows or 3rd _{Party software) running on the Server, add an}

exception/incoming rule to allow TCP Port 14331.

RESTORING THE NETHELPDESK DATABASE INTO THE NEW SQL INSTANCE

1. Open SQL Management Studio and log into your instance using your SA Account (see above).

3. In the Destination for restore section, in the To database field, enter a name for the database (e.g. NetHelpDesk).

4. In the Source for Restore section, select From device, and set the path by browsing using the ellipsis button, .

5. Click Add on the Specify Backup screen.

6. Navigate to the nethelpdesk.bak file downloaded in Step 1 above: e.g. …\NetHelpDesk\SQL\nethelpdesk.bak.

7. Click OK.

8. Ensure the checkbox in the Restore column is selected. 9. Click OK. Click OK again.

CONFIGURING A NEW UDL FILE FOR USE WITH SQLSERVER

Now, the .udl file will be need to be pointed to the new SQL Server Instance. 1. Double click the file to launch the OLE DB Core Services program to edit.

2. In the Connection tab, specify the name of the server or the IP address, followed by “,14331” or whatever TCP port number you have specified in the Configuration Manager.

3. We strongly recommend that you Use a specific username and password, and use the ‘sa’ account mentioned previously.

4. If you must Use Windows NT Integrated Security, make sure that the users connecting have full

access to the SQL Server instance, similar to the ‘sa’ account mentioned previously. If not, the

connection will not work.

5. Select the SQL database created above.

7. If the test does not succeed, switch off the firewall on the server, to ensure this is not blocking connectivity.

REINSTALLING THE LOCALLY INSTALLED FILES ON WORKSTATIONS

From version 10 onwards, NetHelpDesk will be run locally on workstations. This is installed using a new executable, NetHelpDeskClientSetup.exe.

1. This will need to be run again on the machines connecting to NetHelpDesk, should the program be on a server with a new name or IP address.

CHANGING PROGRAM PATHS

1. Log into the Windows Application, click on N > Setup > Advanced Options > Advanced System

Settings Tab and change the folder paths.

2. Click on N > Setup > Advanced Options > Doc Folders/Other Tab and change the folder paths. 3. Create a new scheduled task to allow NHServer to process.

4. If you also need to migrate the web portal, you will need to follow the instructions to set up the portal on the new server from scratch.