How to Update Antero 6.15 Databases to Antero 7

This article will serve as a guide for Antero administrators ready to update their Antero 6 database(s) to Antero 7.

Before Updating

• Make a backup of all Antero databases via the Antero application to capture all data in case any issues are encountered.
• Ensure that all users have closed Antero 6.15.1314 on their workstations and that no users are entering data. 
• Make a note of the Antero "Images" path, which is the general storage location for the Antero 6.15 application. In the "Images" directory, there is a folder for each database, and inside of each folder, there will be images, documents, and certain other user files if any have been added to the given database. In the course of the update, all items in the "Images" path will be placed into a network shared Antero 7 storage directory, which will be created later in this guide.
  
  

Updating Antero 6.15 database(s) to Antero 7

1. Download and install the latest full version of Antero 7 from this link: Latest Downloads - AllMax Software LLC

2. Upon startup, Antero 7 will attempt to locate a valid license database. Once it fails, the Server Select window will be displayed as in the image below:

3. In the Server name field, type the name of the computer hosting the SQL Server instance where the Antero license database and user database(s) will reside.

If the SQL Server instance is running on the local PC, enter "localhost" without the double quotes.

If there is an error connecting to the server (displayed as a red icon beside the Server name field), see the most common reasons below:

• The user performing the update and conversion does not have a login to the SQL instance with the needed permissions.

• Traffic over TCP Port 1433 is blocked.

• Other network-related issues.

4. In the Product Key field, enter the 10-digit Antero product key provided via email the account manager assigned to your facility or company. (This is sent to the main facility contact after an MSP renewal. For assistance, please contact AllMax technical support at 800-670-1867)

5. Storage Path will take a UNC path (shared network folder path beginning with two backslashes \\) to the network shared storage directory, which must be accessible by every user of the software. There are a few items that get stored in the storage directory: custom report templates, images, documents - all of which are user files, no application files are stored in the storage path.

Instructions for creating the shared storage directory:

• Decide where the shared storage directory will reside. The root of the C:\ drive is a good place to put it, or at the root of your storage or data disk. It can be on the server, or any other computer, but it must always be accessible to all users of Antero, so it cannot be on a PC that will ever be off, or off when users are attempting to use Antero. Do NOT make the share on the Windows desktop of any computer.
• Create a new folder in the location you decided on.
• Name it something like AnteroShare.
• After the folder is created right-click on it and select Properties
• From the Properties window, select the Sharing tab at the top of the window.
• Click the Share… button.
• If you have an Active Directory user group created for your Antero users (recommended), enter the name of the group in the top-most text box and click the Add button.
• If you do not have an Active Directory user group for your Antero users, enter “Everyone” without the double quotes into the top-most field, and press the Add button.
• You may also do this with individual local users if in a Workgroup environment. Simply enter the name of the local user account into the top-most field and click the add button.
• After adding the group or individual users, ensure that you set the column labeled “Permission Level” to Read/Write as in the image below, and then click the Share button. Enable Network Sharing if prompted.
  
  
• The folder is now shared with the users/group and every user or every user in the group has read/write access to it. Make a note of the UNC path of the network share, which you can retrieve from the properties window of the shared folder. It will begin with “\\”, without the double quotes like in the image below.

 

5. Return to the Server Select window.

6. Enter the UNC path to the network share you just made into the Storage Path field. It should look like the path in the image above: \\SERVERNAME\SharedFolderName

7.  Once all of the fields in the Server Select window are filled, press the TAB key on your keyboard to activate the green checkbox, and then click the green checkbox in the top-right corner of the Server Select window. The Antero license database will be created, along with a folder in your storage directory.

8. If successful, your Antero 7 license database has been created. You will be presented with a window with a few options. Select the option shown below, labeled "Convert existing database(s) to current version".

9. You will then be presented with a window asking you to confirm whether or not you want to open the conversion utility for Antero. To update the Antero 6.15 databases to Antero 7, AllMax Software has developed a conversion tool. Click the Yes button to allow Antero to open the conversion tool. Antero 7 will close, and the conversion tool will be started.

10. The conversion tool requires 3 inputs:

• Database Server - This is the name of the server hosting the Antero 7 license database created in an earlier step. You may type in the name of the server, and if the server is the local computer, simply enter "localhost" without the quotes. Alternatively, if the client PCs and server are attached to a Windows Domain, you may click the button with 3 dots in the Server Name field to allow Antero to attempt to locate all of the machines on the network so that you can choose the correct server. If the client PCs and server are instead on a Workgroup, clicking the button with 3 dots will likely only show the local PC.
• Database to convert - Click the button with 3 dots in the 'Database to convert field' to select the 6.15 database to convert.
• Database name - Enter a unique name that will be applied to the database during the conversion. The name cannot be the same as the 6.15 version of the database. Example: The 6.15 database is named "MyDatabase". To meet the naming requirements, the name provided cannot match the name of any existing database in the SQL instance, including the name of the 6.15 database. A simple solution is to append the number 7 to the 6.15 database name, like "MyDatabase7".
  
  

11. Once all of the fields have valid inputs, the Start Conversion button in the top-right area of the window will become enabled. Click the Start Conversion button to begin.

12. If no errors are encountered, the update and conversion of the 6.15 database will take place. Once the progress bar reaches 100% and is closed, the conversion and update is complete. If errors are encountered, please contact AllMax Technical Support at 800-670-1867.

13. Close the conversion tool window, and open Antero 7. You will be presented with the Select Database window.

14. Select the converted database, and open it.

15. The database update and conversion process are complete. Repeat steps 10 - 15 for each database you will be updating. To open the conversion tool again, open the Antero 7 application, and click the File tab at the top of the window. Next, navigate to the Database Admin section, then select the Convert Existing Database option on the right-hand side of the window.

Next will be installing the Antero Service, which handles the automatic creation of your scheduled Work Orders in Antero 7.

Installing the Antero Service

 

1. Open the Windows File Explorer and navigate to the Antero 7 installation directory, which is by default C:\Program Files (x86)\AllMax Software\Antero.

2. In that directory, locate the Antero Service installer, which is labeled "Setup_AnteroService.exe".

3. If the local PC or server will be hosting the Antero Service, double click the Setup_AnteroService.exe file to begin.

4. If the local PC or server is not the machine that will host the Antero Service, copy the installer to a folder on the machine that will host the Antero Service, and double click the installer to begin.

5. The Antero Service installer will check for required software. If the required software is installed, click the Next button. If any required software is missing, you will prompted to install it.

6. Continue through the installer, and install the Antero Service.

7. Once the installation is complete, check the checkbox labeled "Launch Antero Service Configuration", and press the Finish button. The AnteroServiceConfigurator application will open after a short time.

8. The AnteroServiceConfigurator has a few options:

• Database Server Name - this is the name of the server hosting the SQL Server instance with the Antero 7 license database. Type the name of the server into this field.
• Work Order Interval - this is the interval in minutes at which the Antero Service checks for new scheduled Work Orders to create. If Work Orders are due to be created, the Antero Service will create them. If no Work Orders are due to be created since the last check, the Antero Service will wait for the specified number of minutes before checking again. AllMax recommends that this value not be set to less than 5 minutes.
• Procedure Interval - this is the interval in minutes at which the Antero Service checks for new scheduled Procedures to create. If Procedures are due to be created, the Antero Service will create them. If no Procedures are due to be created since the last check, the Antero Service will wait for the specified number of minutes before checking again. AllMax recommends that this value not be set to less than 5 minutes.
• Use Connection Pooling - this allows the use of connection pooling for SQL connections, and is optional for the Antero Service. From Microsoft: "Connection pooling reduces the number of times that new connections must be opened. The pooler maintains ownership of the physical connection. It manages connections by keeping alive a set of active connections for each given connection configuration. Whenever a user calls Open on a connection, the pooler looks for an available connection in the pool. If a pooled connection is available, it returns it to the caller instead of opening a new connection. When the application calls Close on the connection, the pooler returns it to the pooled set of active connections instead of closing it. Once the connection is returned to the pool, it is ready to be reused on the next Open call." - Link to Microsoft article: Connection Pooling

9. Once the required inputs are entered, click the Save button in the top-right area of the Antero Service Configurator window. A dialog will open to inform you that the settings were saved. Click OK to continue. You may now close the Antero Service Settings/Configurator window.