Create a pilot Alloy Navigator database

This step imports all Alloy Navigator Express data (i.e. the configuration information and data records) from the production database to a new pilot Alloy Navigator database.

1. Run the Database Management tool for Alloy Navigator and click Next to continue.
2. Choose the Migrate data from a previous version of Alloy Navigator option and click Next. The Choose the source database version page opens.
3. Leave the Create Pilot Database option selected and click Next.
4. On the Choose the source and target database page, specify the following settings:
   1. Enter the name or IP address of the SQL server where your production database is hosted.

      NOTE: If you are connecting to a named SQL Server instance, it must be specified in the form Servername\Instancename; for example: SQLSERV001\SQLEXPRESS. If the server uses a non-standard port, add the port number, separating it with a comma; for example, SQLSERV001\SQLEXPRESS,5618.

      The new database will be created on the same SQL Server instance as the source database. or details, see Database engine requirements.

   2. Provide your credentials to log in to the SQL Server using an account with the sysadmin role on the SQL Server and the Administrator role in the source Alloy Navigator database:
      • To use your Windows account, choose Windows Authentication. You are not required to type in a login name and password.
      • To use your SQL Server account, choose Standard Authentication and enter your SQL login name and password.
   3. Choose the name of the source database from the drop-down list.
   4. In the Target DB field, enter a name for the pilot Alloy Navigator 2023 database. Since the pilot database is temporary, it is convenient to use a temporary name. For example, you can add "_Pilot" to your production database name.
   5. Optionally, configure advanced database settings:
      • To use the default collation and database file settings, leave the Configure advanced database properties (collation, storage, etc.) check box cleared and click Next. Proceed to the Workflow upgrade page.
      • If you want to use a non-default collation for the database and/or specify custom names, locations, and allocate initial sizes for the database files, select the Configure advanced database properties (collation, storage, etc.) check box and click Next. Configure the advanced database options on the following two pages:
      • Optional: On the Specify the default collation used for the target database page, choose another collation. Click Next.

        INFO: For information on choosing the appropriate collation contact your database administrator, check the SQL Server documentation or MSDN library.

      • Optional: On the Specify the target database files page, enter the names for the Data and Transaction Log files with their locations and initial sizes. You can browse for a file by clicking the ellipsis button in the Location field. Click Next.

        NOTE: If you expect that your Alloy Navigator database can be large, you may decide to spread data across multiple files or even disks. In that case, you can click Add in the corresponding section to define secondary Data Files and their additional Transaction Log files.

        INFO: For information on complex database file configurations, refer to your SQL Server documentation.

5. On the Workflow upgrade page, choose the workflow migration option that suits your needs and click Next.

   INFO: For details, see Pilot upgrade.

6. If the New permissions page appears, view your existing security roles and permissions on new functionality and objects introduced in the new version.

   INFO: For details, see New permissions.

   To assign new permissions to all members of an existing security role:

   1. Select a role in the left hand pane.
   2. Click the plus icon (+) to expand object class nodes.
   3. Using available check boxes, select the new permissions this role should grant. To select or deselect all permissions in the list, click Select All or Deselect All, respectively.

   Click Next.

7. On the Back up the source [Product Name and Version] database page, browse for a folder on the SQL server for the backup file and specify its filename. The "Create Pilot Database" step will not affect your source database, however, a backup copy is required for the migration process. Click Next. The Database Account page opens.
8. Specify the Database Account.

INFO: For details, see Database Account.

Provide the credentials for an existing SQL Server login that will serve as the Database Account. Alternatively, click Create SQL Server Account and create a new SQL Server login for this task.

Click Next. The Database Access Key page opens.

9. Once you specified the Database Account, the Database Management tool generates a Database Access Key. A registered copy of this key must exist on each computer that requires access to the Alloy Navigator database. After the upgrade, this key will be distributed to all target computers automatically, during their first login to the database. However, you can always manually distribute the key, if needed.

INFO: For details, see Distributing the Database Access Key.

By default, the key is exported into the [KeyName].reg file on your desktop. To change the default path or name, click the ellipsis button and specify a new location.

Click Next.

10. On the Ready to proceed page, click Next to start creating the pilot database. The migration process may take considerable time depending on the size of your production database.

    When the pilot database is created, the Summary page opens with the information about the newly created database. Click Finish to start the activation of the new database.

    INFO: For the activation instructions, see Activating the product.