Upgrading SQL Remote

SQL Remote installations include a consolidated database and many remote databases, together with a Message Agent at each site.

At each site, the Message Agent handles the sending and receiving of messages. The messages take the form of SQL statements, and the database server handles the actual execution of those SQL statements.

The upgrade requirements for SQL Remote are as follows:

  • Upgrade databases   You must upgrade the database file format by unloading and reloading your database. There is no need for all databases to be upgraded at the same time.

    For instructions on unloading and reloading the database, see Rebuilding version 9 and earlier databases for version 11.0.0.

  • Software upgrades can be one site at a time   Older Message Agents can exchange messages with version 11 Message Agents.

    For version 5 of SQL Remote, the Message Agents can exchange messages with version 11 Message Agents, as long as the compression database option is set to a value of -1. There is no need to upgrade software throughout the installation simultaneously. See compression option [SQL Remote].

  • Message Agent and database server can be upgraded separately   If you are upgrading an existing SQL Remote installation from version 5, you must upgrade the database server before the Message Agent because a new client application cannot work with a version 5 server.

    If you are upgrading an existing SQL Remote installation from version 6 or later, you must upgrade each database server before or along with its Message Agent (dbremote). You can upgrade Message Agents in any order. It is, however, recommended that you upgrade your Message Agent at the same time as the database server for performance reasons.

  • Upgrading Adaptive Server Enterprise consolidated databases   SQL Remote no longer supports Adaptive Server Enterprise consolidated databases. To synchronize Adaptive Server Enterprise databases, you should upgrade to MobiLink.

    For information about migrating from SQL Remote to MobiLink, see [external link] http://www.sybase.com/detail?id=1034174#335.

  • Upgrading with SQL Remote   Support for the VIM and MAPI message systems for SQL Remote has been removed in version 11.0.0. When you upgrade a database that uses VIM or MAPI to SQL Anywhere version 11.0.0, you must change the message type to File, FTP, or SMTP. If the message type is MAPI or VIM, dbremote.exe does not start.

Example

One approach to upgrading version 5 of SQL Remote is as follows:

  1. Upgrade the consolidated database server and Message Agent. Set the compression database option to -1, so that all messages are compatible with the version 5 software at remote sites.
  2. Upgrade remote database servers and Message Agents. You can set the compression database option to a value other than -1 to take advantage of compression and encoding on messages being sent to the consolidated database server.
  3. When all remote database servers and Message Agents are upgraded, set the compression database option at the consolidated site to a value other than -1.