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This is a work related note.

Recently we decided, nay, were forced into upgrading our Navision system from version 3.6 to 4.0 SP3. This was so that we could install the client onto any new workstations we purchased that came with Vista, as Navision 4 works in vista. I should specify that we didn’t upgrade the database components, only the server and client executable. Not much work.

I purchased a new server to run the Navision database on, this server would also be running the timekeeper database as well, so I bought something fairly beefy: Dual Xeon X5405 processors (2.0ghz Quad core), 4GB 667mhz RAM, 3x 146gb 2.5″ 10k rpm SCSI drives in raid 5, dual gigabit NICs.  I installed Navision 4.0 server onto the server and it sat for a few days as TimeTech installed timekeeper onto the server in preparation for testing. We needed to test the interaction between timekeeper and Navision, as they send data back and forth between their databases to send time/job info to the wanding stations on the plant floor.

The initial tests looked good, so I set up a few workstations up with Navision 4. client installed in parallel. This was to ensure that securities and such were not broken when we converted the Navision database to 4.0. There were a few initial security issues as Navision 4 treats some thing differently than Navision 3.6, but these were resolved quickly and written down for later reference. Since everything was going so smoothly, I decided on an upgrade date of Wed, Jan 14, for Navision. This was only going to be Navision that would be upgraded on that day, Timekeeper could wait till the next week.

Wednesday rolls around and I am at work with Scott at 5:30am, ready to start the update process at 6:00am. We got an early start at 5:50am as all the jobs on the database had been completed. I shut down the services and start to copy the database files to the new server. This will only take 20mins or so as it is only 18GB. In the meantime we start running the upgrade on the client computers using the Microsoft supplied discs for Navision 4.0 (sorry, we’re supposed to call it “Microsoft Business ’solutions’ - Navision” ). The installer is able to do an upgrade using the existing Navision 3.6 install.

The upgrade is very quick for each client, a simple install and a reboot. We are flying along and already had 13 or so workstations done when I noticed that they were all starting to give SQL errors on reboot. Upon further examination, our disk management software had failed, along with Smarteam (our second most used program in the building), system restore, Internet Explorer, and Windows Search. They all would crash immediately.

This confused me as I had installed the client on no less than six computers just a week prior and had seen no issues. The only thing I could think of that had changed, was the uninstall of Navision 3.6 when it was upgraded to 4.0. To see if this was the issue, I decided to uninstall Navision 3.6 from a workstation that had had Navision 4.0 installed in parallel the week prior. As soon as I uninstalled Navision 3.6 the system exhibited the same symptoms as all the workstations that had been updated. To top it all off, we couldn’t uninstall any programs, or reinstall anything, that errored out as well. This was not good, seeing as it was almost 8:00am.

For a laugh, Scott and I decided to try a repair using a windows install disc. After 37 minutes of teeth biting as the repair ran, I was happy to see that the issue appeared to be resolved. We quickly started repairs on the other 12 workstations and decided on what to do with the failed upgrade. In the end it was decided to go ahead and install the Navision 4.0 client on all the workstations in parallel to Navision 3.6, this way at least we could use the new database. Not ideal, but the best we could do given the situation.

What kind of crap software nukes an OS when it is uninstalled? Especially when it is the same manufacturer!? These were completely up to date systems, with the exception of SP3. My only thought is that Navision 3.6 is so old, that the uninstall removes a component, that 8 years ago was not vital to windows running, but now is. Thus windows refused to work with the missing components.

At 11:30am we finally switched over to the new database, only 3.5 hours late, and with 3.5 years taken off my life. Tomorrow, we tackle the Timekeeper upgrade.

F*ck you Microsoft.