What you should know before upgrading from Ignite 6.X to Ignite PI 

1. In Ignite PI, Oracle files can be viewed at any dimension level, not only under a specific wait event.  This capability is only available for performance data collected after the upgrade to Ignite PI.
    
2. Session IDs are stored in a new Repository field in Ignite PI.  With the exception of Oracle monitored databases that have been monitored by later versions of Ignite 6.5, only newly-monitored Session IDs will be displayed in Ignite PI.
    
3. For SQL Server monitored databases, Ignite PI is now able to monitor specific SQL statements that are run inside of stored procedures and batches.  This capability is only available for SQL Server instances registered after the upgrade to Ignite PI.
    
4. Ignite PI uses a different hashing algorithm for SQL statements monitored in DB2 and Sybase databases.  For this reason, continuity is not maintained with DB2 and Sybase SQL Statement identifiers (i.e. hashes) collected prior to the upgrade.  Consequently, any hash values that have been named will not carry forward to the newly-assigned hash values.
    
5. Ignite PI monitoring for Oracle databases displays more accurate CPU wait time than previous 6.x versions.  Newly-collected wait time may therefore display increased CPU wait time.
    
6. Ignite PI has improved threading capabilities that enable it to continously monitor your database(s).  As a result, Ignite PI will, in many cases, report  more wait time than Ignite 6.x did, resulting in longer bars in Ignite charts.
    
7. Ignite PI won't monitor Oracle 8.0 due to JDBC driver incompatibilities.  Ignite PI can monitor Oracle 8i (8.1.7) and above.
    
8. Ignite PI supports Oracle name resolution with tnsnames and LDAP (aka Oracle Internet Directory, or OID).  ONames, however, is not supported.  If you used ONames to register monitored databases in Ignite 6.x, you will need to create a tnsnames.ora with the proper connection string for Ignite PI to reference.
    
9. Some Ignite 6.x alerts used Oracle database links to retrieve alerting information.  Ignite PI no longer supports the maintenance of database links.  See Section 5 below called "Check your Alerts".


10. Ignite PI does not support the Ignite for Java feature.  If you currently use Ignite for Java and wish to continue to do so, do not upgrade your Repository to Ignite PI.  You can continue to use Ignite for Java in Ignite 6.x.
     
11. Upgrading your Repository to Ignite PI will consume roughly 10-15% more space in your Repository.
     
12. Logins set up in the Ignite Web Client (IWC) to connect to your Ignite 6.x Repository will not be upgraded to Ignite PI.  The Custom Users feature in Ignite PI should be used to configure logins and security.
      

If you have any questions about the above changes, please contact Confio at support@confio.com.

Imported Repositories

If you have decided to upgrade a copy of your Ignite Repository (by exporting the schema, then importing it into another schema), the newly-created schema might be lacking Oracle permissions needed to upgrade to Ignite PI.  To grant the needed permissions:

1. Copy the following statements into a file (e.g. grant_repo_privs.sql)
   
   

    

   prompt repouser Enter Repository User:
   accept repouser
   grant create table to &repouser;
   grant execute on dbms_lock to &repouser;
   grant execute on user_lock to &repouser;
   grant select on dba_jobs_running to &repouser;
   grant select on v_$timer to &repouser;
   grant select on v_$parameter to &repouser;
   grant select on v_$mystat to &repouser;
   grant select on v_$session to &repouser;
   grant select on gv_$session to &repouser;

    

2. In the instance holding the Repository, log in to SQL*Plus as SYS
3. Run the file:
   
   

   SQL> @c:\grant_repo_privs.sql

Step 1: Prepare the Repository for Upgrade

1. Download and install Ignite 6.5.50 or higher.  When the Repository is opened and upgraded, a new Oracle package (called con_pi) is installed that prepares the Repository for upgrade to Ignite PI.
    
2. Open a SQL*Plus session and log in to the Repository using the Ignite user credentials.  Do this on a machine that can stay connected to the Repository for a long time.
    
3. Run the following statements.  This may execute for a long time, so proceed to the next step if the statement does not complete within a few seconds.  You can keep your Ignite monitors running while this executes.  You may choose to spool the output to a file.
   
   

   SQL> set serveroutput on size 1000000
   SQL> exec con_pi.prepare_repo();

 

4. Since this procedure may take a long time to run, you can check its status by opening another SQL*Plus session, logging in to the Repository, and running the following to periodically check on its execution status:

 

SQL> set lines 1000
SQL> select * from conpi_status;

 

CATEGORY        STATUS
---------------          -------------------------------------------------------
DB                       ORA111_TESTBOX (10 of 13)
TIMESLICE         2008/01/18 05:29:59
STATUS              Processing timeslice 376 of 2236

 

Keep checking on the status until it says:

CATEGORY        STATUS
---------------          -------------------------------------------------------
DB
TIMESLICE
STATUS              Preparation for Ignite PI is complete (xxx.yy s)

 

5. The prepare_repo command in the initial SQL*Plus session should have completed and you should see completion results displayed.  If you do not see results, you can safely re-run Step 3.  Example completion results:

   Checking status of Repository [IGNITE]
   
   DSSX1_TXP03 [ORACLE,id=1] : 82 of 82 timeslices need preparation, needs index on CONSW_1.D
   DSSX4_TXT20 [ORACLE,id=2] : 7848 of 7848 timeslices need preparation, needs index on CONSW_2.D
   DSPYE_RDPROD [ORACLE,id=5] : 130 of 366 timeslices need preparation, needs index on CONSW_5.D
   
   Repository data must be prepared for Ignite PI.
   
   
   Preparing each Monitored Database in Repository [IGNITE]
   
   DSPYE_RDPROD [ORACLE,id=5] : 14414 rows in 130 timeslices (1.97 s, .015 s avg)
   DSSX1_TXP03 [ORACLE,id=1] : 639546 rows in 82 timeslices (157.85 s, .037 s avg)
   DSSX4_TXT20 [ORACLE,id=2] : 10519141 rows in 7848 timeslices (2568.73 s, .327 s avg)
   DSPYE_RDPROD [ORACLE,id=5] : index created (.47 s)
   DSSX1_TXP03 [ORACLE,id=1] : index created (.23 s)
   DSSX4_TXT20 [ORACLE,id=2] : index created (245.18 s)
   
   
   Preparation for Ignite PI is complete (2974.43 s)
   
   Next, open the Repository in Ignite PI to complete the upgrade.
   
   PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.

    

6. If you do not see the output line saying “Next, open the Repository in Ignite PI to complete the upgrade.”, then the Repository is not yet ready to be opened in Ignite PI.  Follow the instructions in the message to complete Repository preparation.

    

Step 2: Back up your Ignite Repository

When you are ready to upgrade to Ignite PI, you should first back up your Repository.  Once your Repository is upgraded to the Ignite PI format, you will not be able to view your data using the legacy Ignite client.

Step 3: Upgrade the Repository to Ignite PI

1. Install Ignite PI 7.0.  Make sure you install Ignite PI on a server that:
   • has network connectivity to the Repository and all of the monitored databases, and
   • is available at all times (e.g. a laptop might not be a good choice), and
   • is not running applications where performance is critical (e.g. do not install Ignite PI on monitored database machines), and
   • is not a virtual machine.
      
   The following should also be taken into consideration when choosing an appropriate server to install Ignite PI Server.  See article on System Requirements.
    
2. Close down all Ignite 6.5 (or lower) clients that may be connected to the Repository.
    
3. Make sure the SQL*Plus processes used to prepare the Repository have been disconnected.
    
4. If you have been running the Ignite Web Client (IWC) to view the Ignite 6.x Repository, shut down the IWC process.  If you are running the IWC on Windows, this is done in the Services window by stopping the Ignite Web Client service and then changing the service's Startup property to Manual (right-click the service, choose Properties, then change the Startup Type).
    
5. When you open Ignite PI in a browser window, the Repository Setup Wizard will automatically display.  Click the "Start Wizard" button.  On the second page of the Wizard, choose the option to “Upgrade an Ignite 6.5 Repository” and follow the Wizard instructions. 
    
   • If some of your Oracle monitored databases were registered into Ignite 6.x using ONames or TNS aliases, the Wizard will tell you that name resolution must be configured before the databases can be monitored.  It will also provide instructions for configuring name resolution.  This configuration can be done after the upgrade, so you can continue with the upgrade and do the naming configuration at a later time.
      
   • The Repository will be automatically upgraded to Ignite PI.  It is not necessary for your registered monitored databases to be running during the upgrade.
      
   • When the upgrade has completed, Ignite PI will automatically start monitors that had schedules defined (i.e. “Always Run” or “Custom” schedules). Monitors that were set to “Manually Start and Stop” will not be automatically started after the upgrade. 

Step 4: License Keys

Ignite PI will continue to use the license keys that you had previously configured in Ignite legacy. 

However, license key support has changed for SQL Server clusters.  For these monitored databases, please contact your Confio Sales Representative to obtain a new license key.  They will need the information returned from the following queries run on the SQL Server instance: 

select coalesce(SERVERPROPERTY('ComputerNamePhysicalNetBIOS'),
                           SERVERPROPERTY('MachineName')) HOST
select COALESCE(SERVERPROPERTY('InstanceName'),'$DEFAULT') INSTANCE
exec master..xp_msver ProcessorCount

Step 5: Check your Alerts

The Ignite PI upgrade converts alerts to a newer format.  Some Ignite 6.x alerts used Oracle database links to retrieve alerting information.  The Ignite PI upgrade will not drop database links, so the alerts will continue to function until the links become invalid (e.g. user password or connection string changes). 

Ignite PI will no longer maintain the database links:

• The password in the link will not be updated when the Repository password changes.
   
• The link will not be recreated if the monitored database moves to another machine.

Since database links are not supported in Ignite PI, alerts that use links need to be manually updated to a supported format.  If a database link is dropped or its password changes, alerts that use the database link will produce errors (e.g. “remote database”, “database link”, or other errors). 

You can recognize alerts that use database links by looking at the Alert SQL.  Database links are used if the tag #DBLINK# is used in the Alert SQL.

Please contact Confio Support for assistance with updating your alerts that use database links.

Finished

Congratulations!  You have now successfully upgraded your Repository to Ignite PI, and you can begin using the new and advanced features of Ignite PI.