Moving Consignor On-premises to a new server

Do you need to move Consignor to a new server and would you like to do it yourself? This tutorial will explain how to. However, we do not recommend moving Consignor yourself unless you have knowledge of setting up SQL servers. 

Important note: When you have moved Consignor to a new computer /server, you can no longer use the old installation. If you do, shipment and package numbers will be reused which could result in penalties from carriers and lost or returned shipments.

Consider checking our system requirements here before getting started, to make sure you have the hardware needed. This guide is for installations of Consignor with the SQL database on the same machine. We also recommend that you update your Consignor BEFORE making a server move. Making sure that everything runs with the latest version reduces the risk of problems related to the server move.

Follow these steps to move Consignor to a new server:

1. Step 1. Make a backup of your Consignor database
2. Step 2. Install Microsoft SQL server 
3. Step 3. Install Consignor On-premises
4. Step 4. Restore and update the database 
5. Step 5. Move the installation ID
6. Step 6. Redirect clients to the new server
7. Checklist - things to remember after the move
8. Trouble shooting

Step 1. Make a backup of your Consignor database

To move Consignor you need a new backup of the database. Make sure the backup is new to avoid reusing any shipment or package numbers. 

1. Stop any Import and Export setup running in your Consignor. Go to Setup, locate any Import Setup and Export Setup icons, open them and remove the check mark in Import Active and Export Active.
   
   
2. Go to File > Backup and Shrink.
   
   
   
   
3. Under Settings, set the Destination path and click Backup. It is a good idea to choose a network path that the new server has access to, so you easily can copy the file to the new server.
   
   
   
   
4. The backup is complete when you see the text Backup.bpl completed in the bottom left-hand corner of the Consignor window.
   
   
   
   
5. Move the backup file to the new machine. A database backup can only be restored from a local drive.
   
   
6. Stop and deactivate the ConsignorServer service.

Step 2. Install Microsoft SQL server 

First step on the new machine is to install Microsoft SQL Server.

You can download an installation package from Microsoft here. The express version can be downloaded for free.

If you have an older version of Windows, you may download Microsoft SQL Server 2012 from Consignor here. Note that this version is prepared for Consignor and assumes that you install a database named Consignor and have the SQL database and Consignor on the same machine.

We recommend using at least Microsoft SQL server 2012 or newer. Please note that .NET framework version 4 or newer is required to benefit from all features in Consignor.

Step 3. Install Consignor On-premises

1. Download and install Consignor On-premises on the new server: SetupSRV.exe.
   
   
2. Enter your SQL credentials when you reach the Create Consignor On-premises Database screen. The Database Server Name and the User Password is the instance and the password you created during the SQL server installation. If you don't see your Database name in the drop-down menu, try to click Previous and check Advanced Options before clicking Next again. Once you have entered the correct information, click Next. (If you used the older SQL 2012 version from Consignor, no changes are needed in this step).
   
   
   
   
3. Click Start to start creating the database.
   
   
4. When you launch Consignor for the first time, it will ask for a product key. Click Cancel.
   
   
   
   
5. Consignor will now start and is ready to restore the database.

Step 4. Restore and update the database

1. Go to Tools > Advanced > SQL Explorer.
   
   
   
   
2. SQL Explorer inside Consignor is password protected for security reasons. Contact Consignor Customer Service for help to enter the control code. (Entering the Password Safezone inside Consignor is always the customer's own responsibility!).
   
   
   
   
3. In SQL Explorer, right-click on the Consignor database and select Restore database.
   
   
   
   
4. Select the database backup file you made on the old machine and click Restore.
   
   
   
   
5. After the database is restored it must be updated. Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Consignor and locate the program file UpdateDatabase. Run the file as administrator.
   
   
   
   
6. Click Update. The update will take a few minutes. Click Close when it is complete.
   
   

Step 5. Move the installation ID

Consignor depends on a number of webservices and requires that you move the installation ID to work properly. 

1. Go to Tools > Advanced > Move installation.
   
   
   
   
2. Move Installation is password protected for security reasons. Contact Consignor Customer Service for help to enter the control code. (Entering the Password Safezone inside Consignor is always the customer's own responsibility!).
   
   
3. Choose the second option and enter the name of your old computer and click Move.
   
   
   
   
4. When you see the message below, your Installation has been moved and you will need to restart Consignor. We also recommend restarting Windows at this point.
   
   

Step 6. Redirect clients to the new server

1. Go to Edit > Server Connection.
   
   
2. Enter the new server name and click Test connection. 
   
   
   
   
3. If the connection is successful, you must restart Consignor and it will now point to the new server.

If you are running Windows Firewall on the new server,  you need to add an exception in the Firewall to allow the clients to connect. See our article Opening Windows Firewall for client connections to server. 

Checklist - things to remember after the move

When you're done with the Consignor installation and moving the database, there are a few things to remember. Not all of the points below are relevant for all installations.

• Remember to stop the ConsignorServer service on the old server if you didn't do this in step 1.
  
  
• Activate Export and Import setup on the new server. Remember to change paths if relevant and check that there is access.
  
  
• Test your printer settings, try printing a test label and an A4 document.
  
  
• If the ConsignorServer service is running on a specific user, this user must have all the necessary rights.
  
  
• If you have remote Consignor Clients, make sure to enable the TCP/IP configuration for the Consignor instance in SQL Server Configuration Manager. This is needed in order for a remote Consignor Client to be able to connect to the SQL Server. The Named Pipes protocol is NOT needed.
  
  

Trouble shooting

This section will explain some of the most commonly known errors you may experience when moving Consignor to a new server. If you encounter any problems not described here, we recommend contacting Consignor Customer Service for support.

Problems with database backup

Making a database backup as described in step 1 fails.

Suggested solution:
Try to make the backup from SQL Management Studio instead. It is also possible to make a database backup from SQL Explorer which can be opened in Consignor by going to Tools > Advanced > SQL Explorer.

Installation ID already in use

Consignor says that the Installation ID is already in use.

Suggested solution:
Your installation ID has not been moved correctly to the new installation. Try to perform Step 5. Move your installation ID again. If the warning persists, contact Consignor Customer Service who can help you fix the issue. 

No data in Consignor Portal

If for some reason you have not been able to shut down the old Consignor completely after the database backup was made, or you have restored an older database, shipments on the old installation and on the new installation will have identical IDs in Consignor Portal's database and Portal upload will fail.

Suggested solution:
You can reset the shipment IDs - go to Tools > Options > Restricted and click Reset Shipment Global Unique Id.

Make sure that Consignor Portal is enabled. Go to Tools > Consignor Portal status and click Enable Consignor Portal.

SQL error on stack

Problem:
Clicking on a stack in Outbox generates an SQL error

Suggested solution:
Run a database update

Other trouble shooting tips:

• Service user account: Some customers use a specific user account to run ConsignorServer service but forget setting this up on the new server. This could result in some processes not working because of lacking access rights. Often error messages do not reflect issues due to access rights so make sure the service user has the appropriate rights.
  
  
• SQL user rights: Make sure your SQL user has the correct access rights and you are running Mixed mode authentication.
  
  
• Uninstall old service: Uninstall the Consignor Server service on the old machine if the machine is still in use. We occasionally see customers who restarted the old machine and caused the old Consignor to restart, resulting in duplicate data/imports.