Background:

This article goes in to depth on the process of cloning a Wyn server, or transferring your Wyn service to another server.

The term cloning is to refer to how all the data from one server is copied or cloned into a new separate server. With some changes in the instructions provided, you can also transfer your server as well, which is similar to cloning other than it ends in only having the new server

For the cloning process, you will need to have 2 different data stores or host the new databases under different names if you are trying to host on same server.

You cannot clone and connect to the same data store with 2 different Wyn services, as this would be setting up a distributed environment incorrectly, which can cause many issues with Wyn and its normal functions.

You need to have different machines to run Wyn as the service can only be present once on an OS, as there is a lot of internal use of ports that are needed.

Please remember to take a backup of the data stores and the wyn.conf before any major upgrade or cloning/transfer process, as to have a restore point in case something goes wrong.

Prerequisites:

1. The version of Wyn on both server machines need to be the same. e.g. 6.0.00295.0 to 6.0.00295.0

   1. Do not register your key until after you finish the below steps as this will use an activation you can not get back via a deregistration.

   2. If you are restoring back to an older version, you can reach out to the support team if you have issues finding the version you need via the Wyn Experts email.

2. You need to be using the same type of database host. e.g. SQL to SQL, Postgres to Postgres, etc.

3. The OS type needs to be consistent between the servers in most cases, but there is some wiggle room with given OS Types

Set up:

1. Have access to both servers. Server 1 is the server you want to clone onto server 2 (the cloned server).

2. Have the database administration tool for the database you are using on both computers to allow you to access and modify the data store databases that Wyn runs on top of.

3. Access your data servers using the corresponding admin tool, and the connection properties.
    
   1. If you need help with the credentials, you can find them in the Wyn.conf if unencrypted.

      1. Check and make sure you can interact with the databases on both machines respectively.

Cloning process:

1. Access your data servers on both machines via their respective administration tool.

2. Then take a backup of the databases from main server: WynIS, WynDataCache, and WynDataServer

   1. If you are using a single data store you will only need to back up the one

3. Take note of where the files are downloaded to.

   1. For PGadmin they were downloaded typically to the documents folder.

4. From there you want to download and transfer the backup files from the main data store to the new data store.

5. Stop the WynService on the cloned server, but not the Wyn database if it is an internal server.

6. After you have these files on the clone server, please verify that you have Wyn installed properly on the correct version to what you have in the main server at time of backup. This install should have unencrypted connection strings as well as the standard internal database, or have been created to point to the new data store area if using external data stores.
   
   
   1. During the install of Wyn, it will fill/create tables within the data store area that it needs to run. These will hold the standard fresh data and will need to be overwritten.

      1. In most cases, you will need to drop these fresh data store to fully replace them. You will delete/drop the databases and restore them to a fresh empty database with the same name as what you have in the conf.

   2. During the restore process please note the extension that the file is saved as, sometimes different apps save the backup as a different file that is not defaulted when restoring. All you need to do is use select all types of files.

7. From there you will want to do a restart the Wyn Service from the services panel or do a restart of the server itself to have the conf reinstated with any changes or alterations.

8. Test if your backup was restored properly. It should have all the same users documents etc at this point as your main server.

   1. If there are any issues repeat the steps 4-7 and try again.

Transfer Process:

This process is how to transfer an entire server to a different machine.

Follow the prerequisite and set up steps as mention above the Cloning section.

Do steps 1- 5 the same as the cloning process.

If using internal data store:

• You may deregister the license to get an activation back for later use with your license key.

• Continue as seen on the cloning process

If using external data store with new data store:

• You may deregister the license to get an activation back for later use with your license key.

• Continue as seen on the cloning process. 

If using external data store keeping the same data store: 

• If using external data store do not deregister the license as it is in the data store already and it will be pointed to on transfer of the data store to the new Wyn service.

• You will edit the Wyn.conf on the new server to point to the data store

  • It is easiest to use the connection strings from inside the old servers Wyn.conf.

• On completion of the conf edit, you will need to restart the service and the Wyn service should be pointed to the data store and work as configure for the server, but will now also have all of the users, documents, etc of the old server.

After completion of the server transfer, follow protocol for your company on how to recycle/decommission servers for different uses.