There are many reasons to upgrade both hardware and software, unsupported releases, security updates or simply making use new features.

The process of performing an upgrade can be as simple as reinstallation of a software package all the way through to a complete hardware rebuild and a new operating system or migration from a physical server to the cloud.

As TapeTrack is a Client/Server architecture, upgrading the client side software is a fairly simple process as there is no need to backup the database or stop the Framework Server whilst the upgrade is completed. The other point to remember, upgrading TapeMaster (or Lite, or Checkpoint) on one computer will only affect that computer. Any other computers you have TapeTrack Client Software installed on will need to be updated on their own. It is also possible to have different versions of TapeMaster (or Lite, or Checkpoint) on several computers all able to simultaneously connected to the Framework Server.

Upgrading TapeTrack Desktop Client Software Process:

• Downloading the latest release executable
• Uninstalling the currently installed version
• Installing the latest release

For detailed information see:
Upgrading Lite
Upgrading TapeMaster
Upgrading Checkpoint

Upgrading the Framework Server, although similar to the Desktop Client side software, requires a few more steps to ensure the database integrity is maintained.

You will also need to schedule a time to perform the upgrade as you will need to shut down the Framework Server so consideration will need to be given to when any Syncs are scheduled or Customers may be accessing the data.

For detailed information see Upgrade Server.

Upgrading to a new operating system, such as Windows Server 2019, the actions required depend on the process you select for the upgrade.

Most server upgrades will allow you to select an option to keep personal files, while by design this should ensure the integrity of your database and associated files, it is best practice to take a backup of the database, Sync files and any other scheduled TapeTrack task files.

The other option is a custom install which, by default, doesn't keep any files, applications or settings so you have to take a complete backup of all TapeTrack data, associated files and a listing of all scheduled tasks, including any files the scheduled task use as well as execution times and permissions.

When upgrading your operating system, although TapeTrack is compatible with all Windows operating systems from 2008 Server and Windows 7, it is a good idea to upgrade to the latest release of TapeTrack at the same time especially if your version of TapeTrack is more than two years old.

The files are shown with the default installation location, as this location can be altered at installation you files may be installed elsewhere, such as D drive. The file structure should maintain the same structure from the TapeTrack directory.

Files you need to backup.

Other things to be aware of are scheduled TapeTrack events, such as Syncs that are executed from batch files. These can be backed up and transferred to the new sever installation, or recorded manually and created on the new installation.