Licensing and Installing the PI Server

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... iii

Chapter 1. Overview ................................................................................................................... 5

Chapter 2. Generate a PI Server License Activation File ....................................................... 6

Do You Need a License Activation File? ............................................................... 6
How to Get a License Activation File ..................................................................... 6
If You Cannot Generate a License Activation File................................................ 9

Chapter 3. Install the PI Server ...............................................................................................11

Download the PI Server Installation Software ....................................................11
Copy Necessary Files onto the Computer ..........................................................12
Install the Prerequisites ........................................................................................12
Install the Server Software ....................................................................................12

Chapter 4. Verify the PI Server License Activation and Installation ...................................14

Chapter 5. Upgrade an Existing PI Server .............................................................................16

Upgrade the License Activation File ....................................................................16
Upgrade the PI Server Software ...........................................................................16

Chapter 6. Installing High Availability (HA) Servers .............................................................18

Chapter 7. Installing PI Server with Microsoft Cluster Services..........................................20

Microsoft Cluster Licensing .................................................................................20
Microsoft Cluster Installation ...............................................................................20

Chapter 8. Upgrading PI Server Collectives (PI HA and Microsoft Cluster) .......................22

Collective Downtime During Upgrades ...............................................................22
Which Server to Upgrade First? ...........................................................................22
Upgrade the PI Servers .........................................................................................23
Designate a New Primary Server (PI HA) ............................................................23

Licensing and Installing the PI Server iii

Chapter 1. Overview

These instructions explain how to download and install the PI Server software and license
activation file. The basic steps are as follows:
1. Generate a PI Server License Activation File (page 6)
2. Install the PI Server (page 11)
3. Verify the PI Server License Activation and Installation (page 14)
If you are not sure whether your upgrade requires a new license activation file see “Do You
Need a License Activation File?” (page 6). For upgrade instructions, see “Upgrade an
Existing PI Server” (page 16).
This document also provides instructions for installing and upgrading PI Server collectives:
Installing High Availability (HA) Servers (page 18)
Installing PI Server with Microsoft Cluster Services (page 20)
Upgrading PI Server Collectives (PI HA and Microsoft Cluster) (page 22)

Licensing and Installing the PI Server Page 5

Chapter 2. Generate a PI Server License Activation File

Chapter 2. Generate a PI Server License Activation

File

PI Server versions 3.4.370.52 and higher require a license activation file to run. This section
explains how to determine whether you need a license activation file, how to get a license
activation file, and what to do if your license activation file generation fails:
Do You Need a License Activation File? (page 6)
How to Get a License Activation File (page 6)
If You Cannot Generate a License Activation File (page 9)

Do You Need a License Activation File?

All new PI Server installations require a license activation file. PI Server software upgrades
do not typically need a new license activation file. You need a new license activation file for
an upgrade only in the following cases:
If you have significantly changed the existing PI Server computer. The PI license
activation file identifies the PI Server computer based on its hardware and software
configuration. If you change the configuration (such as add new drives or change the
operating system or the network card) then you might need a new license activation file.
If you are changing your Server configuration in any way. For example, if you add more
components (such as ACE) or system limits (such as tags).
If you are not making any of these changes, and if the PI Server is currently version
3.4.370.52 or higher, then you do not need to generate a license activation file.

How to Get a License Activation File

You must generate the license activation file before you install PI Server. The Tech Support
web site provides an online self-service tool called My License Activations (MLA) that you
can use to create your site-specific PI Server license activation file. If you are not registered
on the Tech Support web site (http://techsupport.osisoft.com) please register now.
To generate your license activation file:
1. Go to the Tech Support web site (http://techsupport.osisoft.com) and choose My Support >
My License Activations.

Page 6
 How to Get a License Activation
File

2. This page shows a table listing all the PI Servers licensed to the specified organization
and site. If you have access to multiple organizations and/or sites, make your choices in
the drop-down menu. If your site does not appear in the menu:
Talk to the PI contact person in your organization and request that you be added to
the list.
If you are the main PI contact in your organization, then visit the following page:
(http://techsupport.osisoft.com/Techsupport/NonTemplates/AddSite.aspx)
Here you can request to be added as site contact. This will allow you to generate a
license activation file for the servers under that site.
3. Find the entry for your PI Server in the table and then click the Generate link in the far
right column. This launches the license activation system.
4. Read the instructions and follow the steps for generating your license activation file. If
you need help with these steps, use the detailed instructions in the following section,
“How to Use the License Activation System.”
When you have successfully generated your license activation file, you get a zipped file
called pilicense.zip. Copy this file onto the computer that will be the PI Server and unzip
it. If you have problems generating a license activation file, see “If You Cannot Generate a
License Activation File” on page 9.

How to Use the License Activation System

This section provides detailed instructions for using the MLA license activation system to get
your PI Server license activation file. Follow the steps described in the previous section to
launch the license activation system. The following instructions explain each step in the
system:
1. Verify the PI Server Manifest. Click the “PI Server Manifest” link. A window appears
showing you the license details for the selected PI Server. Check to make sure the server
type, data stream limit, add-ons, and interfaces are correct.

Note: If you’re installing PI High Availability (HA) Servers, make sure that your
manifest shows the correct number of additional PI Servers.

If you see a problem in the manifest, click on the “MLA Problem Report Form” link and
submit that form to report the problem. You should get a response from OSIsoft within
24 hours. If you cannot delay the installation, you can generate a temporary license
activation file and continue with the installation. For more on temporary license
activation files, see “If You Cannot Generate a License Activation File” on page 9.
2. Download the Machine Signature File (MSF) Generator Utility. This generator utility
creates a signature file that identifies some characteristics of the computer for licensing
purposes. Click on the “Machine Signature File Generator Utility” link. This takes you
to the Download Center to download the Machine Signature File generator.
At the top right of the Download page, click the Download Now link.

Licensing and Installing the PI Server 7

Chapter 2. Generate a PI Server License Activation File

This downloads the generator utility (MSFWinGen.exe) that creates a machine

identification file for your new PI Server.
3. Copy the MSF Generator Utility to your PI Server and run it. Copy the generator
utility (MSFWinGen.exe) onto a local disk on the computer that will be the PI Server (if
it is not already there).
Run the utility on the computer that will be the PI Server. This generates the Machine
Signature File (MSF). If you generate the MSF on the wrong computer (on your personal
desktop computer, for example) then the license activation file will match that computer.
If you install the PI Server on a different computer, the Server will not run as expected.
4. Copy your PI Server's Machine Signature File to an internet-accessible computer. If
your PI Server computer has internet access you can skip this step. Otherwise, copy the
file, open an internet browser and navigate back to the MLA license activation system
page.
5. Select your Machine Signature File. Click the Browse button and browse to the
machine signature file that you created. Now you’re ready to generate the license
activation file.
6. Generate License Activation File. Click the “Generate License Activation File” button.

The OSIsoft license agreement appears. Click I Agree. If the license activation file is
successfully generated, the successful activation page appears. (If the license activation
file is not successfully generated, see the following section, If You Cannot Generate a
License Activation File.)
Click the “Download Activation File and Save to Disk” button. This downloads a zip file
called pilicense.zip. Copy the pilicense.zip file onto the computer that will be
the PI Server.
Unzip the pilicense.zip file. It contains the following files:

Page 8
 If You Cannot Generate a License
Activation File

pilicense.dat – this is your license activation file

PI_License_Readme.pdf – information about the license activation file
Manifest.html – a list of the contents of your license activation file

Make a note of the directory location where you saved pilicense.dat (on the computer
that will be the PI Server).

If You Cannot Generate a License Activation File

If your license activation file generation is not successful, a page appears saying why the
generation failed. The most common reason for failure is that the machine signature file
doesn’t match the file on record for that PI Server.

The machine signature file (MSF) identifies a computer based partly on its hardware and
software configuration. When you generate a new license activation file for an existing PI
Server, the generator looks at the machine identification information in the existing license
activation file. If your new MSF does not match the information in the existing license
activation file, then you get an error. Here’s what might be wrong:
You generated the MSF on the wrong computer. If you ran the MSF generator utility on
the wrong machine (on your desktop, rather than the PI Server computer, for example)
then the MSF will not match the existing license activation file. To fix this, run the MSF
generator on the PI Server computer and then try to generate the license activation file
with this new MSF file.
You significantly altered the hardware or software configuration on the PI Server
computer (for example, you added new drives or changed the operating system or
network card), or you moved the PI Server to a different computer.
Someone at your workplace has already generated the license activation file on a
different computer. You can check to see the history of when the license activation file
was generated. Go to the My Support > My License Activations page on the Tech
Support web site. Find your Server number in the table and then, in the “Activation
History” column, click View. Scroll down the page to see the Activation history for that
Server.

Licensing and Installing the PI Server 9

Chapter 2. Generate a PI Server License Activation File

If you cannot successfully generate a license activation file for the PI Server, then you should
open a License Activation Support ticket. You can also get a temporary 14-day license
activation file at this time. Click to select the relevant checkboxes and then click the “Return
to My License Activations” button.

The license activation system also enforces some frequency restrictions. License activation
file generation fails in either of the following situations:
When you attempt to generate a license activation file too soon after already running
through the process once on the same PI Server
When you attempt to generate a license activation file for the same PI Server too many
times in one 24-hour period
If you can’t generate a license activation file because of frequency restrictions, then wait and
try again later.

Page 10
 Download the PI Server Installation
Software

Chapter 3. Install the PI Server

This section explains the basic steps for installing your PI Server software:
1. Download the PI Server Installation Software (page 11)
2. Copy Necessary Files onto the Computer (page 12)
3. Install the Prerequisites (page 12)
4. Install the Server Software (page 12)
For more information on installing and configuring new PI systems, refer to the PI Server
System Management Guide and to the release notes for your software.

Note: If you currently have PI Server version 3.0 or 3.1 you must upgrade to 3.2 before
upgrading to 3.4.x.

Download the PI Server Installation Software

This section explains how to download the PI Server installation software from the Tech
Support web site. If you have a physical PI Server installation CD or if you have already
downloaded the necessary installation kits, skip this step. To download the installation
software, follow these steps:
Go to http://techsupport.osisoft.com. Sign in and choose My Products from the My Support
menu at the top left of the screen. The My Products page provides download access to most
of your licensed software. (Please note that there may be up to a 24 hour delay for newly
processed products to appear on the page.)
1. Find the Server software that you want to install and click on the Download link in the
right column of the table.
2. The Download page appears. It displays a table of all the installation kits available to
you.
3. Download a Prerequisites kit. OSIsoft provides “Prerequisite Kits” to install all the
prerequisite software for you. If you know for sure that the computer already has the
prerequisites, you can skip this step.
a. In the download center table, select the appropriate kit for your operating
system:
Windows 2000 SP4 (32-bit)
Windows XP SP2 and later (32-bit) - (includes Windows 2003, Vista, 2008)

Licensing and Installing the PI Server 11

Chapter 3. Install the PI Server

Windows XP SP2 x64 and later (64-bit) - (includes 64-bit Windows 2003, Vista,
2008)
b. Click the Download Now link at the top right of the page.

4. Download the PI Server Software:

a. Select the appropriate PI Enterprise Server Install Kit from the download
list. There are different versions of this kit. Unless you are installing the PI
Server software on a 64 bit computer, you should select PI Enterprise
Server Install Kit. Otherwise, choose the 64-bit PI Server installation kit
that matches the computer that will be the PI Server.
b. Click the Download Now link at the top right of the page. This download
might take several minutes.

Copy Necessary Files onto the Computer

To install the PI Server software, the following files must be on the computer on which you
plan to install:
License activation file (pilicense.dat)
OSIsoft Prerequisites Kit
Enterprise Server Install Kit

Install the Prerequisites

Run the OSIsoft Prerequisites executable file. This executable launches the WinZip file
extractor. Unzip the installation files and run the setup program. The setup program checks
the computer for PI Server prerequisites and installs any that are missing. When the
installation is complete, the setup program displays a dialog stating what was installed.

Install the Server Software

To install the PI Server, run the PI Enterprise Server installation executable. This executable
launches the WinZip file extractor. Unzip the installation files and run the setup program. The
setup program prompts you for some configuration information, such as the location of the

Page 12
 Install the Server Software

license activation file, archive size and location, and so on. Here are some issues to consider
when you enter this information:
PI Archive file size: By default, the PI Server installer creates three archive files of 128
MB each. Archive sizing is an important part of Server configuration but you can change
the size and location of the archive files after the installation is complete. Note the
following resources on archive sizing:
The Intro to PI Server System Management Guide has a chapter on managing
archives.
The Tech Support web site has a spreadsheet on hardware and system sizing that
includes tips on archives. On the Tech Support home page, click Download Center
> Supporting Files > Extras. Download the Hardware and Systems Sizing
Recommendations Spreadsheet.
PI Archive and Event Queue location: It is important to install the Event Queue and the
Archives on separate hard drives. The Snapshot Event Queue file is designed to buffer
data collected in the event of an archive failure. Placing the Event Queue on the same
drive as the archives severely limits the benefit of this system.
To specify a location for the Event Queue during installation, click the Advanced button
on the Default Archive Information screen.
Setup prompts you to specify size and location of various PI Server files. Make a note of
the values you specify.
When the installation is finished, verify that the PI Server installation was successful. See the
following section, “Verify the PI Server License Activation and Installation.”
If errors occur during installation, contact OSIsoft Technical Support
(http://techsupport.osisoft.com/Contact+Us) and examine the installation log files as directed.

Licensing and Installing the PI Server 13

Chapter 4. Verify the PI Server License Activation and Installation

Chapter 4. Verify the PI Server License Activation

and Installation

To verify that PI Server installed properly, run the PI System Management Tools (Start >
Program Files > PI System > PI System Management Tools) and connect to the PI Server.
In the PI Server help file, find the System Manager Checklist. Check the items on this list.
Each item has a link to a help topic explaining how to do the check.
To verify the license activation content:
1. Run the PI System Management Tools (SMT) and connect to the PI Server.
2. In the list of plug-ins on the lower left side of the SMT window, expand the Operation
entry and select Licensing.

The License Viewer appears. The License Viewer shows the license activation
information for the selected PI Server.
3. Click to expand “General” and check “Exp Time.” This is the time when your license
activation expires.
4. Click to expand “Resources.” View the pibasess.MaxAggregatePointModuleCount to
verify the number of data streams permitted with your license activation. Total data
streams include points and modules. You can also see how many data streams are
currently in use, and how many are left.
5. Under Programs, check which applications are allowed to run on the PI Server.

Page 14
 Install the Server Software

If you have any questions about your license activation, please contact OSIsoft Technical
Support (http://techsupport.osisoft.com/Contact+Us).

Licensing and Installing the PI Server 15

Chapter 5. Upgrade an Existing PI Server

Chapter 5. Upgrade an Existing PI Server

A PI Server upgrade can be a license-activation-only upgrade or a software upgrade. PI

Server software upgrades do not require a new license activation file. The following sections
explain both types of upgrade.

Upgrade the License Activation File

Some PI Server upgrades require only a license activation file upgrade. For example, if you
increase the data stream limit, you need a new license activation file. To upgrade your PI
Server license activation file, follow these steps.
1. Generate new license activation file as described in “How to Get a License Activation
File” on page 6. If you are upgrading a PI HA collective, be sure to generate the license
activation file on the primary Server.
2. Rename or move the old license activation file: PI/dat/pilicense.dat. If you are
upgrading a Microsoft Cluster, the license activation file should be on the shared drive in
the cluster.
3. Put the new license activation file (pilicense.dat) in the PI/dat directory.
4. If you are upgrading a PI HA collective, repeat steps 2 and 3 for each server in the
collective.
Within 15 minutes, the PI Server License Manager reads the new license activation file.

Upgrade the PI Server Software

Before you begin a Server upgrade, verify that you have a good recent backup stored
somewhere other than the PI Server computer. If you have configured the PI Server for
automatic backup, check the backup log to verify that the last backup completed successfully.
To upgrade the PI Server software, follow these steps:
1. Stop the PI Server by executing the following command file:
\pi\adm\pivrstop.bat

2. Confirm that PI processes are stopped. You can use PI SMT to view PI Services. Open PI
SMT and select the PI Server in the Servers list. Under Operation, choose PI Services.
3. Run the PI Enterprise Server installation executable. This executable launches the
WinZip file extractor. Unzip the installation files and run the setup program. The setup

Page 16
 Upgrade the PI Server Software

program will prompt you for some configuration information, such as location of the
license activation file, archive size and location, and so on.
If errors occur during installation, contact OSIsoft Technical Support
(http://techsupport.osisoft.com/Contact+Us) and examine the installation log files as
directed.
4. When the installation is complete, start the PI Server by executing the following
command file:
\pi\adm\pisrvstart.bat

5. Use PI SMT or the Windows Services panel to confirm that PI processes are started.
6. When the installation is finished, verify that the PI Server installation was successful. See
“Verify the PI Server License Activation and Installation” (page 14).
After the upgrade, check site-specific files for significant changes.

Note: If you are upgrading from PI Server 3.4.364.32 or earlier, you need to reconfigure
your automatic backup procedures. See the following section, “Upgrades from PI
Server 3.4.364.32 or Earlier.”

Upgrades from PI Server 3.4.364.32 or Earlier

If you are upgrading from PI Server 3.4.364.32 or earlier, you need to reconfigure your
automatic backup procedures after the upgrade:
1. Delete the existing automated backup task.
2. On the PI Server computer, log into a Windows account that has administrator privileges.
3. Open a Windows command window.
4. Change to the PI\adm directory. For example, if the PI Server is installed in the C:
directory, you would type:
cd C:\PI\adm

5. Type the following command:

pibackup -install

This sets up the PI Server backup as a Windows Scheduled Task. The PI Server Backup task
appears now appears in Windows Scheduled Tasks (you can open Scheduled Tasks from
the Windows Control Panel).

Licensing and Installing the PI Server 17

Chapter 6. Installing High Availability (HA) Servers

Chapter 6. Installing High Availability (HA) Servers

For a PI Server High Availability (HA) collective, the licensing and installation instructions
are very similar to those for a regular PI Server. For licensing, you follow all the licensing
steps described in “Generate a PI Server License Activation File” (page 6) on the computer
that will be the primary PI Server. Do not generate a separate license activation file for each
server in the collective.
Here are the basic steps for installing PI Server HA Collectives:
1. Check your license manifest. The license activation file determines the number of
secondary servers that will be able to connect to the primary server. In the manifest, look
for the line that says Additional HA Servers. This number must match the number of
servers in the collective in addition to the primary server. For example, if you want to
create a PI HA collective consisting of a primary Server and two secondary Servers, then
the line in the manifest should say:
Additional HA Servers: 2

2. If you see a problem in the license manifest, click on the “MLA Problem Report Form”
link and submit that form to report the problem. You should get a response from OSIsoft
within 24 hours. If you cannot delay the installation, you can generate a temporary
license activation file and continue with the installation. For more on temporary license
activation files, see “If You Cannot Generate a License Activation File” on page 9.
3. Run the MSF Generator on the computer that will be the primary node. (The MSF
Generator generates the machine signature file required by the license activation system.
See in “Generate a PI Server License Activation File” on page 6 for details.)
4. Generate the license activation file for the primary node computer. When you have
successfully generated your license activation file, you get a zipped file called
pilicense.zip. This zipped file includes the license activation file for the primary
server (pilicense.dat). It also includes a temporary license file
(temporylicense.dat) that you can use to test the PI Server software installation on
the secondary nodes before adding them to the collective.
5. Copy the pilicense.dat file onto the computer that will be the primary PI Server.
6. Copy the temporylicense.dat file onto each computer that will be a secondary node.
7. Install the PI Server software on each PI Server in the collective. Use the same
configuration values and file structure for each installation. For example, if you install the
PI Server in C:\PI on the primary Server, use the same path on all the other PI Servers
in the collective. When prompted for a license file navigate to the appropriate file:
On the machine that will be the primary Server, use the pilicense.dat file.

Page 18
 Upgrade the PI Server Software

On each machine that will be a secondary Server, use the temporylicense.dat

file. The temporylicense.dat file is a temporary license activation file that
allows you to test the PI Server installation before adding the secondary server to the
collective. When you add the secondary server, the Collective Manager automatically
replaces this temporary license activation file with the license activation file on the
primary node.
8. As with any other PI Server installation, it is important to install the Event Queue and the
Archives on separate hard drives. The Snapshot Event Queue file is designed to buffer
data collected in the event of an archive failure. Placing the Event Queue on the same
drive as the archives severely limits the benefit of this system. Choose the same Event
Queue and Archive location on all the PI Servers in the collective.
To specify a location for the Event Queue during installation, click the Advanced button
on the Default Archive Information screen in the installation setup wizard.
9. When you have installed the PI Server software on all the computers, you can use the
Collective Manager to configure the Collective. To start the Collective Manager, go to
Start > Program Files > PI System > Collective Manager.
For instructions on upgrading PI HA Servers, see “Upgrading PI Server Collectives” on
page 22.
For more detailed information on configuring and managing PI HA Server Collectives, refer
to the SMT help for the Collective Manager plug-in.

Licensing and Installing the PI Server 19

Chapter 7. Installing PI Server with Microsoft Cluster Services

Chapter 7. Installing PI Server with Microsoft Cluster

Services

PI Server software is supported on a two-node, single quorum Microsoft Cluster. The

licensing and installation for such a cluster is slightly different than for a regular PI Server
installation:
Microsoft Cluster Licensing
Microsoft Cluster Installation

Microsoft Cluster Licensing

Clusters have a special cluster license activation file. Follow the instructions for creating a
license activation file in “Generate a PI Server License Activation File” (page 6). Run the
MSF utility on either one of the machines in the cluster. When you get your license activation
file, place it on the shared drive in the cluster.

Microsoft Cluster Installation

Install the PI Server on each node of the cluster. For each node, install PI on a shared disk,
but not on the quorum disk. Note these important installation requirements:
Use the same installation path for each node. For example, if one node installs the PI
Server onto the drive F:\PI, then the other node must install the PI Server using the
same path.
You must have the cluster service running during installation of the PI Server. While you
are installing the PI Server on one node, use the Cluster Administrator to pause the other
node. This way, the node you’re installing on maintains control of the shared disk, in case
a reboot is necessary during the installation.
The installation setup program prompts you for the PI Server archives location. Be sure
that both cluster nodes have access to the archives.
When you are installing the first node of the cluster, the setup program asks if you want
to install the default interfaces in the PI directory on the shared disk or in the directory
where the PI SDK is installed. Install the default interfaces in the directory where the PI
SDK is installed.
Do not configure PI services to start automatically during reboot.

Page 20
 Microsoft Cluster Installation

Configure the PI System components as resources of the cluster. After installation, use
the PI Cluster Wizard (PIClusWizard.exe) in the PI/adm directory to create a cluster
group and cluster resources.

Licensing and Installing the PI Server 21

Chapter 8. Upgrading PI Server Collectives (PI HA and Microsoft Cluster)

Chapter 8. Upgrading PI Server Collectives (PI HA

and Microsoft Cluster)

This chapter discusses PI Server software upgrades, not license activation upgrades. For
instructions on license activation upgrades on collectives, see “Upgrade the License
Activation File” on page 16. This chapter also includes instructions for designating a new
primary Server in a PI HA collective:
Collective Downtime During Upgrades
Which Server to Upgrade First?
Upgrade the PI Servers
Designate a New Primary Server (PI HA)

Collective Downtime During Upgrades

You can usually upgrade PI Server collectives without requiring downtime of the entire
collective. Clients using the PI SDK, such as PI ProcessBook 3.x or PI DataLink 3.x, are
automatically re-directed to another collective member, provided that PI SDK PR1
(1.3.4.333) or later is installed on the client node. Interfaces that are properly configured for
buffering will queue all data for each specific collective member separately while it is being
upgraded, ensuring no data loss. Nevertheless, you should advise your users that you will be
performing the upgrade, and request that they report any observed issues.

Which Server to Upgrade First?

Some versions of the PI Server might have specific requirements about upgrade order. Check
the release notes for your PI Server version before you decide which Server to upgrade first.
Absent any version-specific restrictions, OSIsoft recommends upgrading the primary Server
last. However, unless specifically restricted by a particular PI Server version, you can
upgrade the Servers in any order. If there are multiple secondary servers in the collective, or
if the collective members are geographically dispersed, you should take into consideration
factors such as WAN performance and availability of local resources (should a problem arise)
when determining upgrade order.

Page 22
 Designate a New Primary Server
(PI HA)

Upgrade the PI Servers

For each server in turn, follow these steps:
1. Using Collective Manager or piconfig, ensure that all collective members are in sync and
not in an error state. If there is a problem, force a sync and resolve any errors before
proceeding.
2. Ensure that you have a valid, verified, and recent backup of the primary PI Server. If not,
and you have configured standard PI Server backups, browse to the Windows control
panel on the primary Server and open Scheduled Tasks. Run the PI Server Backup task
to execute a backup.
3. Isolate the PI Server from all incoming process data, from client applications such as
ProcessBook, and from other members of the collective. The easiest way to do this is to
physically disconnect the Server from the network. During upgrade, users and
applications fail over to another member of the collective.
4. Use the pisrvstop.bat command to stop the PI Server. (If this collective member is a
Windows cluster, use Cluster Administrator to stop the PI Server instead of the
pisrvstop.bat command.)
5. Run the PI Server installation kit on the collective member. If the installation kit prompts
for a reboot after installation is complete, reboot the computer.
6. Start the PI Server with the pisrvstart.bat command. (If this collective member is a
Windows cluster, use Cluster Administrator to start the PI Server instead of the
pisrvstart.bat command.) If you had to reboot the computer in Step 5, and the PI Server
services are configured for automatic startup, the PI Server should already be running.
7. Using Collective Manager or piconfig, verify that all collective members are in sync and
not in an error state. Verify that data is flowing to the upgraded collective member and
that data can be retrieved from it.
8. Repeat Step 4 through Step 7 for each of the remaining collective members. (If this
collective member is a Windows cluster, fail over the PI Server cluster group and then
repeat Step 4 through Step 7 for each node in the cluster.)
For more details on Cluster Installation, see the PI Server Installation and Upgrade Guide.
For more detailed information on configuring and managing PI HA Server Collectives, refer
to the SMT help for the Collective Manager plug-in.

Designate a New Primary Server (PI HA)

If you want to designate a new primary PI Server by either using a new computer or
promoting a secondary PI Server, you must first generate a new license activation file. To do
this, follow these steps:
1. Generate a new machine signature file and a new license activation file on the computer
that will be the new primary PI Server (How to Get a License Activation File). You need
a new license activation file because the existing file matches the machine that is the old
primary PI Server.

Licensing and Installing the PI Server 23

Chapter 8. Upgrading PI Server Collectives (PI HA and Microsoft Cluster)

Note: It is best to generate the new license activation file before you designate the
new primary Server. However, OSIsoft provides a grace period for PI HA
collectives. If a server is configured to be primary, and if it does not match the
machine signature in the license file, the collective can run for the HA grace
period. The grace period is typically 30 days.

2. Copy the new license activation file to all the members of the collective. (The Collective
Manager does not automatically take the license file from the new primary PI Server
unless you re-initialize.)
3. Designate the new PI Server. The steps are different depending on whether you are:
Creating a Primary PI Server with the Same Name
Promoting a Secondary PI Server
See the High Availability and PI Server Replication manual for detailed instructions.

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