It is not as easy as you thought.

Moving the databases is one thing.

Snow Inventory Server is also not the biggest challengs, as you have seen.

Snow License Manager will give you a headache, because the SLM setup is simply stupid.

• you have to add your license key during the setup, but this key will not work as it is linked to your old server hardware. You will have to reach out to Snow support to get this fixed.
• you will have not only to create a new database on the new server (other than Snow Inventory, SLM cannot work with an existing database as you have seen), but you will also have to wait for the entire SRS import to finish. Then throw away the new database and get the old database online. Of course, you can't select the database name during setup.
• the 'LicenseManagerUser' will be generated as well. Setup will fail if that user already exists in the database, so you have to delete 'LicenseManagerUser' before executing the setup. Unfortunately, that user is the owner of some database schemes and the Data Update Job.

So the procedure will be more like:

• take care of the license key issue
• rename SnowLicenseManagerDatabase
• remove all jobs owned by LicenseManageruser
• reassign all DB schemas owned by LicenseManagerUser
• delete LicenseManagerUser
• install SLM creating a new SnowLicenseManagerDatabase
• remove / rename SnowLicenseManagerDatabase
• rename old SnowLicenseManagerDatabase back
• make new LicenseManagerUser dbowner of SnowLicenseManagerDatabase
• reassign all DB schemas to newly created LicenseManagerUser
• recreate Data Update Job (exec jobadd 'LicenseManagerUser')
• Open Snow MACC on the new server and check if the Data Update Job runs correctly

Kind regards,

Axel

BTW: I have added an idea to the ideas board about a year ago: "SLM Setup: use existing database" with the enormous number of one upvote:

Looks like, nobody is interested in changing this system behavior?

https://ideas.snowsoftware.com/ideas/IDEAS-I-1516

Hi Mike,

As your question includes "...and also change the SLM and SIS servers that interact with them" the pointers given until yet may not take this into account.

It sounds similar to the question Can you install SLM on an additional server?

Please have a look at the discussion(s) and my answer given there, as it is scribbling the whole process of "If it comes to reinstalling LM and/or IS on new server(s), you should proceed as follows"

Key fact is: you have to first install on new servers (with new/empty DBs created by the LM-/IS-Setups), then updating to the very same IS-/LM-Version you had in place, when you backed up your DBs. Then replace the new DBs with your backed up ones.

Hint:

to get the version of IS and LM you have to have in place for your old DBs you may have a look (in your backed-up DBs) with:

select [DBVersion]              FROM [SnowLicenseManager].[dbo].[tblSystemInfo]

select [ServerVersion] FROM [SnowInventory].[inv].[DbVersionHistory] WHERE Version=(select [SnowInventory].[inv].[GetDbVersion]())

Here is my answer copyed over from Can you install SLM on an additional server? :

If it comes to reinstalling LM and/or IS on new server(s), you should proceed as follows:

- Carefully get and note the ACTUAL versions of IS and LM (e.g. ISv6.07.00, LMv9.17.00)

- Stop all Snow-Services on old IS and LM (including Integration Manager, SUS, .....)

- make sure, DUJ is currently NOT running and last run was without errors/problems

- make a full backup of IS- and LM DB

- make a full OS/App Backup of current IS/LM Server (just in case you have to 'roll back' and/or need to peek at some (config-)files you did not take care about before the 'big change'/reinstall

- Take the DBs offline and detach them

- make backup of config of IntegrationManager (registry hive and - possibly from file system - key files gathered for SAAS-Connetors)

- make backup of IS-Serves config file ("C:\Program Files\Snow Software\Snow Inventory\Server\snowserver.config")

- make backup of configs of IS-/LM SUD (registry hive)

- make backup of LM-Servers web config ("C:\Program Files\Snow Software\Snow License Manager\Web\Web.config")

- Stop here and think about

- any other customization that have been made during operation after initial install which has changed config files of IS, LM and/or IM and is not saved in Snow-DBs)

- about other customizations/integrations which may have to be adopted to reflect new servernames/IPs (FW-Rules not to forget)

- RE-install IS and LM (in that order) on the new server and let them create new DBs (possibly needing new LM activation Code for new HW-ID of LM server. Hint: request an Offline Activation Code, it may be helpfull to have it in future steps)

- reinstall IM (if it was installed on one of the old - yet to retire - servers.

- Update IS and LM by SUS to the EXACT SAME VERSIONs noted earlier

- check functionality (walk through your testing-procedure as you - hopefully - do, when testing updates/upgrades (in Test-Env) before doing so in production. If Test is ok, proceed, otherwise.... (you know, now the hassle starts...)

- stop all Snow-Service (on IS, LM, IM accessing the Snow-DBs).

- drop/delete the newly created Snow-DBs

- restore/attach/online the DBs backed up before from the 'old' environment

- Use 'Snow Web Configurator' to (re-)set the Credentials for the 'LicenseManagerUser'

- Use 'Snow Web Configurator' to reapply the new LM License Activation Code (if you requested an OfflineKey, this should be easy now)

- reapply registry config of IM, SUS (and possibly other integrations you may have had in place)

- compare LMs old and new web.config file and adopt accordingly (It's a good idea to compare all other snow-serices config files as well - use a decent diff-tool to see and decide on any differences you may come accross, then adopt accordingly)

- regenerate APIkey in DB by using SQL-Console: EXEC SnowLicenseManager.inv.UpdateAPIKey;

- restart all Snow Services (on IS, LM, IM, SUS, ....)

- Login to SMACC-IS and SMACC-LM and check the new Inventory Server/Source (eventually you have to 'enable' the new Inventory server

- check ALL LOGs of ALL Snow-Services and correct any reported error-situation (Note: it is a good idea to do this check on old system as well BEFORE even stating the whole porcess. This way you know about any issue that may have existed before and could not be blamed to the reinstall-process).

- get some snowpacks and import them with IS, check correct import

- run DUJ at least twice and check for errors and correct function (Logs, effects in IS and LM)

- Adopt snowagent client configs to send to new IS (you may have to take care of certificates for the IS!!)

- test, test, test,.... (did I mention that you have to test, test, test,...)

- ready! Have fun...

- Keep all backups for a full restore/fallback for at least 2 Month. Just in case some slipped by fact urges you to go back.

BTW:

All this is from the top of my head and I may have _MISSED_ something (your environment may vary and may have other dependencies) - So: USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! Usual disclaimers apply!

Expect the unexpected!

But all in all this is the 'red line' and it's 'doable'.

Arising glitches/found issues usually can be diagnosed and corrected easily.