Appendix F. Upgrading From a Previous Version

Table of Contents

The recommended upgrade procedure

This appendix describes the PaperCut NG standard upgrade procedure. PaperCut NG supports upgrades using a simple install-over-the-top procedure. We recommend reviewing all steps prior to commencing the upgrade procedure.

The recommended upgrade procedure

  1. Download the PaperCut NG installer for your platform. In accordance with best practice we recommend that you archive your install programs just in case you need to reinstall in the future or roll back to a previous version.

  2. Download the PaperCut NG installer for your platform. In accordance with best practice we recommend that you archive your install programs just in case you need to reinstall in the future or roll back to a previous version. Take some time to read the release notes for this version as they may highlight considerations during upgrades.

  3. Schedule approximately 10 minutes downtime. It is suggested to choose a time of day with minimal network activity. If there is a large volume of data in the system (for example if the system has been running for more than a year, or there are more than 5,000 users) the upgrade may take longer. With very large installations it may be appropriate to schedule an hour or more of downtime.

  4. Take a point-in-time backup of the data by pressing the Backup Now button located under OptionsBackups. This will ensure you have a copy of the important data.

  5. As a precaution on very large systems, we recommend backing up the whole PaperCut NG directory. Existing overnight backups may have taken care of this task, however take a few moments to grab an up-to-date backup now. For example, create a zip archive of the directory:

        C:\Program Files\PaperCut NG\
                        

    or the equivalent path on Linux or Mac.

  6. Run the installer downloaded in step 1 and install into the same location as the existing install.

  7. After the install has completed allow a few minutes before accessing the system. The system may need to perform a database upgrade and this will be performed in the background. If you try to access the application while a database upgrade is in progress a message displaying the upgrade status will be displayed. IMPORTANT: Do not shutdown the application while an upgrade is in progress. Wait for the upgrade to complete.

  8. Although upgrading secondary servers, locally installed user clients and release stations is not strictly required, we strongly recommend doing so. The developers strive to maintain backwards compatibility between versions, so in most cases these external components will continue to function, but to take advantage of new features they must be upgraded. We recommend taking the time now to upgrade secondary servers with the install-over-the-top procedure.

  9. After the install is complete, log into the system and perform some tests to ensure all is working as expected and the system is monitoring user activity as expected. Sites running on Novell OES Linux are advised to restart their iPrint Print Manager. Administrators may find the post upgrade test plan useful.