IAS-71022 : IRIS Accountancy Suite Migration Guide

iris-accountancy-suite-migration-guide-ias-71022

IAS-71022 : IRIS Accountancy Suite Migration Guide

15th August 2019

IRIS Accounts Production, IRIS Business Tax, IRIS Personal Tax, IRIS Practice Management, IRIS Time and Fees, IRIS AutoMail, IRIS Company Formations, IRIS Company Secretarial, IRIS VAT Filer, IRIS Trust Tax, IRIS SA700, IRIS Fixed Asset Register, IRIS Charity Formats

You need or would like the software on another machine

This knowledge base article is the outline of how to migrate IRIS Accountancy Suite from one machine to another and links to the how to guides of each step in the process.

Before completion of the migration, it is advised that you remove the licenses from the existing installation.
This is so that your licenses are free on the web server and ready to activate on the new machine. This prevents any hardware validation check issues. 

If you are wanting to perform a test migration while leaving the existing install as ‘live’, taking a backup while the licences are active means the licence information will pull through as part of that backup.
When you restore the backup and test the new install, the licences that have pulled through as part of the restore will fail hardware validation checks and go read only without affecting the existing installation.  

If you have IRIS OpenDocs you need to speak to the IRIS Sales team on 0344 815 5555.
The IRIS Docs software must be carried out by the Professional Services Team.

1. Install SQL Server on the new machine.
   Click here to view the SQL Server installation guide and obtain the latest supported SQL Server express download.
   Follow the guide here to configure the SQL Protocols to work for the IRIS Practice software
   Download SQL Server Management Studio from here and install.
   SSMS will be necessary to perform the restore process.
   
2. Install IRIS on the new machine making sure you install the relevant version.
   Click here to view the IRIS Downloads page and location the relevant version, download the selected IRIS version from the table and save the IRIS installer.  
   Instructions for installing IRIS can be found here. 
   Instructions for a network install can be found here.
   
3. Backup the Iris SQL database.
   Click here to view the guide. 
4. Migrate the DATA folder
   The DATA folder contains certain items that cannot be stored in the SQL database, such as: documents, templates, record of tax returns sent, that you will want to transfer across along the SQLBAK folder which is the default location for your IRIS database backup that you took in the previous step.
   The DATA folder from the old IRIS directory should be copied into the new IRIS folder on the new machine, renaming or overwriting the existing DATA folder.
   
5. Restore the IRIS database.
   Click here to view the guide. 
   
6. Recreate the IRIS logins.
   Click here to view the guide.
   
7.  Remove & Reactivate the Licences.
   Click here to view the guide.
8.  (IRIS Practice Management users only) Create a mapping for Communications  
   Click here to view the guide.