LabLynx KB:System replacement

This is an article specific to the Category:LabLynx knowledge base. Its context outside of LabLynx, Inc may not be apparent, thus why it appears inside the LabLynx KB namespace.

Replacing an existing system

System replacements are necessary when LabLynx or a third-party reseller has been contracted to host and configure the LIMS system locally. Usually trial installs have been performed, but these trial systems are not the most recent and complete versions of the LIMS. As such, LabLynx will issue system replacements to individual customers to replace their existing LIMS with the most recent version being hosted by LabLynx. These install instructions assume you have an existing version of the LabLynx LIMS currently operating on your server. When replacing an existing system first make sure you backup the Web files and folders and the database of your existing system before proceeding with the system replacement.

Before the install

Before proceeding with the install:

Validate the system requirements and settings in the first section of the system install instructions. Also validate that a printer has been installed on the Web server. See step four in the same set of system install instructions.
Get all users off the LIMS application and reset IIS. (From the Web server select Start/Run/iisreset.)

IServer Install

If the iServer Setup exe was not provided you will first need to download the latest version of it. This file can be retrieved from the LabLynx FTP site ftp.lablynx.net under the llx/iserver directory. To set up iServer properly you must be logged into the web server as an administrator. If you have previously installed iServer, please run the uninstall exe from the Start/All Programs/LABLynx iServer/Uninstall menu item. Then run the latest version of the iServer setup on your Web server.

IServerManager

You will also need to download the latest version of IServerManager.exe if it was not provided in the install package. This file can be retrieved from the LabLynx FTP site ftp.lablynx.net under the llx/iServer Manager directory. This file needs no install.

Installing the replacement

Web folder replacement

The replacement package will include a LIMS directory (inside the Web directory). This is the Web application. Copy this directory over to your existing LIMS directory on the Web server. If the name of your Web folder is not LIMS, rename the LIMS folder that was included in the replacement package to your Web folder name and proceed with coping over your existing folder.

You will need to reconnect the LIMS application to the database once the db has been restored. Directions are below.

Database replacement

The replacement package will include a database directory. In that directory you will find the database backup that can be restored. Copy the database directory included in the replacement package to your database server. (NOTE: Database names and passwords cannot contain any of the following special characters: "?" , "#", "&".)

For SQL server:

From the Database Server select Start / All Programs / Microsoft SQL Server / Enterprise Managers.
Navigate to the list of databases.
Find the LIMS database in the list and right click on it.
Choose All Tasks and click Restore Database.
Choose the From Device radio button.
Hit the Select Devices button.
Hit the Add button.
Hit the ... button and browse for the backup file included in the replacement package.
Hit OK three times
Select the Options tab.
Check Force Restore Over Existing Database.
Click OK. It should now restore the new database over the existing one.

For Oracle:

Note that the restore of the backup file must be performed from a Windows machine (preferably the Web server). We have experienced character interpretation issues when restores have been performed from UNIX machines. LabLynx also requires the use of the WE8MSWIN1252 character set. Failure to use this character set could cause the system to fail in certain areas.

You will need to drop and recreate the lablynxuser schema in your database. From the database server, login to SQLPlus as sys. Here is a sample script to help drop and recreate the schema:

            drop User lablynxuser Cascade;   --Only used on system replacements
            create user lablynxuser
            identified by lablynxuser
            default tablespace T_LABLYNX
            temporary tablespace T_LABLYNX_TEMP
            quota unlimited on T_LABLYNX;
            /
            GRANT CONNECT, RESOURCE TO lablynxuser;

Once the above script has been run and the lablynxuser has been created you can restore the backup over it.

Included in the database directory along with the backup file of the database is a LIMS_RESTORE_DB.bat file. This file is used to do the db restore and will need to be modified. To edit the LIMS_RESTORE_DB.bat file right click on it and select edit. (Notepad is fine.) You should...

Replace the ??? with the system password. (set UserPass=system/???)
Replace the ??? with the TNS name. (set TNSNAME=???)
Replace the ??? with the Location of the backup file. (set DMPLocation=C:\???\)
In most cases the from user and to user can stay the same (lablynxuser). If lablynxuser is not the name of your schema then please change the to user name setting. (set TO_USER=???)

After you have finished editing the LIMS_RESTORE_DB.bat file save it. You can now double click the file to restore the database.

Set file folder permissions

We now need to set permissions to two folders on the web server. Give the Internet guest user account (IUSR) the authenticated user account and, if using IIS 6.0 or higher, the IIS_WPG user account full control (or at least read, write, modify, read & execute and list folder contents) to the following folders and their children:

C:\iServer (Or the alternate location you chose for your iServer folder)

C:\inetpub\wwwroot\LIMS (Or the alternate location you chose for your Web folder)

(NOTE: You can facilitate this by hitting the Advanced button on the security tab. Then choose the "reset permissions on all child objects and enable propagation of inheritable permissions" option and hit OK.)

Set LIMS connection to the database

From the Web server open the iServerManager.exe.
From the menu choose File / Open.
Browse for the setting.isv file stored under the LIMS Web directory. Select it and hit Open.
You will need to modify the server entry. (This is the database server name for SQL server systems and the TNS name for Oracle systems.) You will also need to modify the database password entry. Once those settings have been changed you should hit the Save Encrypted button.
If the setting.isv file is not available the global.asa file can be edited manually. To do this open the global.asa file in Notepad. Scroll down the file until you see the following text:

            '*************** Setup of Database Connection *************
            strDatabase = "????" 'Name of database
            strServer = "????" 'Blank string if database is on the webserver, IF NOT IP address of database server
            strUser = "????" 'Database user
            strPwd = "????"  'Database user password
            '**********************************************************

Replace the ???? with the applicable values:

strDatabase = This is the name of the database. It is not used in Oracle systems.
strServer = This is the name or IP of the server for SQL Server systems. It is the TNS name for oracle systems.
strUser = This is usually sa for SQL Server systems and lablynuser for Oracle systems.
strPwd = This is the database password.

Afterwards, save the global.asa file.

6. Reset iis. (From the Web server hit Start/Run/iisreset.)

The system should now be functional. You can login to the application with the sysadmin / lablynx user password combination. If any additional scripts or directions were included you can proceed with them now.