Archiving plugin for application migration

This is a deprecated feature. Please, read more information in our deprecation schedule.

Important notes

• This feature is NOT to be used to migrate On-Premise to Cloud.
• This feature is not intended for backup purposes. For backup purpose, read this guide.

• Try this first using a VM or a test environment.

Introduction

With Archiving plugin you can export a template, users, and track data to another GpsGate server. While this does not cover full server migration, it makes it easier to migrate one or several applications and related data to another server. 

Archiving exports track data to a folder, FTP server, or Amazon S3 storage, and then imports it to a server of your choosing. It is possible to set up Archiving so that it exports data directly to another GpsGate server instance.

You can also archive other data types, such as:

• Application data including reports and POIs.
• User data including Device Mapper information.

Requirements

1. Access to both servers at the same time. 

2. Both servers plugins should be in the same latest version (Update All in both).

3. Make sure you have the exact same number of plugins in both servers.

4. Make sure you have the same custom variables created in both servers (if you have them).

5. Install Archiving plugin in both servers.

Setting up Direct Export

1. On the source server, as we are going to make a one-time transfer of all available data we will set up a new Export Rule via Site Admin > Archiving > Export Rules > Manual Export Rules > Add Rule.

2. On the Export Rule settings page, specify the name of the rule and the Application Tags defining which applications are taken into account when exporting data (you can set application tags in Site Admin > Applications > Application Tags).

3. Select the Direct option in Destination settings. When you choose this option, an ExportRuleKey will be generated. On Path input the destination server’s URL without the “.../SiteAdmin/...” part. e.g. https://yourserver.com.

Don't click on Test or Save yet! Continue with the next step:

4. On the destination server, create a new Import Rule in Site Admin → Archiving → Import → Import Rules → New

5. Specify an import rule name, select the Direct option, and copy the ExportRuleKey generated in step 3 above. 

6. If you’re migrating data to a freshly created server instance, you don’t need to worry about the Handle Username Conflicts option.

However, if there are existing users in the destination server, this option will determine how to resolve the potential collisions given that the usernames must be unique.

7. Import Reports do not check these when fully migrating applications and users to another server.

8. Tracks: you can filter the imported tracks on the import side as well. For the server migration case, select a desired period to accept the exported data, or uncheck the Import Tracks option if you are not migrating track data.

9. Finally, click on Save Rule.

10. Enable the rule by clicking on the slider to the right.

11. On the source server, continuing from the setup of step 3 above, click now on Test button to verify everything is correct.

12. Select Export Application Data checked to actually export the applications themselves to the destination server.

13. Export Tracks: check this option to export track data from the specified period to the other server. Alternatively, uncheck this to start anew on the other server and only work with newly received data. Either way, do not forget that you will need to reconfigure the devices to send the data to the new server.

14. Export Users:  check this option to export the users and add them to the right applications.

15. Click on Save.

16. You should now have your Export rule ready

17. Click on RUN to run the export task.

Check the export status in the source server in Archiving > Archiving Reports > Report Overview

After the export is completed successfully, the included data should be available on the destination server.