How to create a new database but still be able to report on the old one (SL3765)

Create a new Active Administrator database, but still be able to report on the old one.

There may be occasions when a new database is created, but there’s still a need to report on the old one. Please follow the steps below to accomplish this. The original Active Administrator license file and the Active Administrator Console .msi will be needed during this process.

Step 1:

Make a backup of your existing Active Administrator database. The default name of the database is “ActiveAdministrator”.

Step 2:

Create the Active Administrator share, with the exact same name and permissions, on a different machine than where Active Administrator is currently installed. In this example the new machine will be a Windows 7 machine. By default the share name is “ActiveAdministrator” located directly on C:, and the share has Full Control Permissions for Everyone. Apply the same permissions on the new share as you have on the original share.

Step 3:

Copy the folder C:\ActiveAdministrator\Config from the original share to C:\ActiveAdministrator on the new machine:

Create empty folders for the 4 other folders in the share: ActiveTemplates, ADBackups, GPOHistory and GPORepository:

Also, the ActiveTemplates\Activetemplates.xml file needs to be copied from the Active Administrator share on the original machine to the same location on the new machine:

The ADBackups, GPOHistory and GPORepository folders should remain empty.

Step 4:

Via the Active Administrator Server Management Console | Collection Agents tab, deactivate and Remove all your agents:

Step 5:

Close both Active Administrator consoles. Via the Active Administrator Database Maintenance Wizard create a new database with a new name. In this example ActiveAdministrator_New is created.

Step 6:

Reinstall your agents via the Active Administrator Server Management Console > Collection Agents tab. Verify that the new database is listed in the Summary page:

The agent(s) should now be installed pointing to the new database:

Step 7:

Via the Active Administrator Console | Auditing tab verify that the current events are writing to the new database.

NOTE: When a new database is created the alerts will need to be recreated.

Step 8:

On the new machine go to the ActiveAdministrator\Config folder and confirm that the AAConfig.xml file has your old database name:

Step 9:

Install the Active Administrator Console on the new machine. Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) is a requirement for the Active Administrator console, so install this also if needed.

When opening the Active Administrator console you’ll be prompted to apply the license. Browse to your license file and apply it.

Then, when the console first opens you’ll be prompted to Set Active Administrator Server. Browse to the new machine where this console is installed and click “OK”:

The Auditing tab will now display the old database information.