Backup and upgrade preparation
When you upgrade from an older version of QlikView to the latest version, ensure that you have prepared your environment correctly by performing appropriate backups. Before upgrading, you should back up all important files to a safe location, including any customizations that you have created since your original QlikView deployment. This topic aims to provide a basic checklist of files you need to back up, and other important considerations. The guidance in this topic applies to a standalone, or multi-server deployment using a QlikView web server.
Backing up files
You can manually back up files, or create your own backup script to automatically back up files to your chosen location. In a QlikView deployment, the most important files to back up are contained in the QlikTech folder in ProgramData, and in the QlikView folder under Program Files. Make a copy of both of these directories to ensure a successful backup.
QlikView Server data directories
In a single-node QlikView Server deployment, the most important directory to back up is the QlikTech folder located in C:\ProgramData\QlikTech. This directory contains a sub folder for each of the QlikView services. Each sub folder contains configuration and settings files that you may have edited if you have customized your deployment. It is important that you back up these files if you want to restore your original configuration when you upgrade your QlikView server.
Use the QlikView Management Console to get an overview of all configuration files contained in the application data folder. In the QMC, you can see the location of the configuration files, file paths, and other custom settings that you may have changed.
When you back up a QlikView Server deployment, you typically back up the following:
- QVPR database (backed up to a .zip file)
- Configuration files (.config files)
- Settings files (.ini files)
- Log files
- Documents
- Bookmarks (stored in .Shared, or .TShared files)
- User objects (stored in .Shared, or .TShared files)
- Tasks (stored in the QVPR database)
The following tables provide more information about these items, and where they are stored in your deployment.
ProgramData
| Folder name | Description of content |
|---|---|
| DirectoryServiceConnector |
Configuration and settings files Log files Resources folder and service key |
| DistributionService |
Configuration and settings files Log files A version of the tasks is sent from the QVPR database to the QlikView Distribution Service, so if the Distribution Service folder is lost, the tasks can still be restored from the QVPR database backup. |
| Documents |
.qvf or .qvw files and other files related to your documents Bookmarks, and user Objects are stored in .Shared files |
| ManagementService |
This is a crucial folder to back up as it includes the QVPR database, and a Backup folder. The QVPR database is automatically backed up here every day as a .zip file. This is the only data directory that is automatically backed up, to reduce the risk of file corruption. Configuration and settings files Log files Tasks - ensure that you back up this folder to save all your tasks. |
| QlikView Documentation | PDF help documentation |
| QlikViewBatch |
This folder contains QVB log files, and only needs to be backed up if you have enabled logging. In QlikView November 2017, and later this folder also contains some QVS related log files. |
| QlikViewServer |
This folder is very important to back up. It contains the Settings.ini, which is the equivalent to the .exe.config files in Program Files for the other services. |
| SourceDocuments | This folder contains the Source Documents, used by the QlikView Publisher to create User Documents. |
| WebServer |
Log files Configuration file service_key |
The Program Files folder contains configuration files that are not accessible from the QMC, so these files can only be edited manually. The most important files here to back up are the QlikView services config files, which contain important configuration, and settings files.
Program Files
| Folder name | Description of contents |
|---|---|
| DirectoryServiceConnector |
Contains the QVDirectoryServiceConnector configuration file. Important to back up if you have made manual changes. |
| DistributionService |
Contains the QVDistributionService configuration file. Important to back up if you have made manual changes. |
| Examples | Contains sub folders, for example QlikView documents and all related data. |
| ManagementService |
Contains the QVManagementService configuration file. Important to back up if you have made manual changes. |
| QvPlugin | Languages to support localized help content. |
| QvProtocol | Contains qvp.dll |
| Server | The Web Server sub folder which contains the QVWebServer configuration file. Important to back up if you have made manual changes. |
| Themes | If you have created custom themes, it is important to include this folder in the backup. |
| Web | Contains the Web.config configuration file. Important to back up if you have made manual changes. |
QVPR database files
The QVPR database is backed up as a .zip file in the following location: C:\ProgramData\QlikTech\ManagementService\QVPR\Backups. The backup file contains .xml and .bak files that need to be migrated to your new QlikView environment.
This is part of the backup of data directories, but is the most important component because it contains configuration files and settings for the QlikView Publishing Repository. By default, the QVPR is backed up daily as a zip file to C:\ProgramData\QlikTech\ManagementService\QVPR\Backups. You can change the frequency of backup, and the location where backup files are stored in the QMC.
QlikView Web Server or Microsoft IIS
When upgrading between major versions of QlikView, the Microsoft IIS settings get automatically reverted to default. If your installation uses a Microsoft IIS web server, it is important that you backup your Microsoft IIS settings before performing the upgrade.
This topic focuses on how to create a back up when using the QlikView Web Server. If you use a Microsoft IIS web server, refer to the Microsoft documentation for instructions on how to back up your IIS websites, certificates, and configuration files. The principles for backup are similar for both types of web server. However, if you have created, for example, a custom authentication solution that runs with IIS, either refer to your own documentation for backup locations, and changes, or contact the consultant that originally created the customization for you.
Log files
Log files contain important information that might help to troubleshoot problems in your deployment. The log files can contain many entries, so if storage is a problem, only select the files you want to keep. However, it is recommended that you back up all log files.
Licenses
Licensing information, and settings are saved by default when a QlikView Server is removed. This information is then reapplied to any subsequent installation of QlikView Server. QlikView uses two licenses which are added to the following locations when you upgrade:
- QlikView Server license - This license file (LEF) is stored in C:\ProgramData\QlikTech.
- QlikView Publisher license - This license file (LEF) is stored in C:\ProgramData\QlikTech\ManagementService\Publisher LEF.
Certificates
When you install QlikView you can choose the QlikView Administrators Group for digital authentication or you can choose to install digital certificates. If you choose digital certificates, and you are running QlikView 12.00, or later, then it is very important that you back up the certificates.
For more information on how certificates work in QlikView, see: Certificate Trust.
A single, standalone QlikView server always uses the following three certificates:
| Location | Issued To | Issued By | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Computer / Personal | <machine-name> | QlikViewCA | Server |
| Local Computer / Personal | QVProxy | QlikViewCA | Client |
| Local Computer / Trusted Root Certification Authorities | QlikViewCA | QlikViewCA | Root |
Certificates are used to authenticate the different services in the QlikView installation, and secure data that may be sensitive. When you upgrade and restore, you need the certificates for authentication so that QlikView services can start up and run correctly.
If you are running QlikView 11.20 or earlier, a different method of encryption is used. This means that old certificates cannot be restored in the new installation, and new certificates need to be generated.
Updating certificates
In a multi-server QlikView environment, the QlikView Management Service (QMS) is your certificate authority, acting like a central node for handling and distributing certificates. The QMS needs to have the root, service, and client certificates installed before you can generate certificates to add more machines.
When you upgrade or restore a new machine to your QlikView deployment, you distribute certificates using the QlikView Management Console. There must be an exchange of certificates between the QMS and the machine you want to add. To do this, in the QMC, you enter the URL to the machine you want to add. When you click Apply, a pop-up window opens and displays the password you need to enter on the remote server machine. After this password has been accepted, the service or services on the remote server machine must be restarted. Once the services have been restarted, the process of generating and distributing a certificate to another machine is complete.
For more information, see: Updating certificates.
Backing up certificates
Use the MMC (Microsoft Management Console) to backup all digital certificates to your chosen location. For a step-by-step description of the procedure, see: Backing up and restoring certificates.
Backing up custom content
You may have added custom content to your deployment, such as a custom authentication, or custom security solution. This customization may have been created by your own organization, or by an external consulting company, but whatever the origin, you are responsible for documenting and backing up your own customizations. If you are unsure about how to back up or migrate any customizations, we recommend you contact the consultant that originally created them.
Changing default file locations
As part of your QlikView deployment it may have been necessary to change some default file locations. When you perform an upgrade, the original folder locations will be restored and any custom file locations will be lost. Before you back up, you can use the QMC to get an overview of all paths to your configuration and settings files that by default are stored in the QlikTech application data folder under ProgramData. To keep folders in your own chosen locations after upgrade, you need to create a backup of any custom file paths you have created. Open the relevant configuration file to see the custom locations you have added.
Configuration files
The QlikView services all have configuration files that you can edit to suit the requirements of your deployment. There are configuration and settings files for each QlikView service, and these are stored in the sub folders in your QlikView data directories. For more details, see the following table: QlikView Server data directories. If you have a created customizations of your own, you will have edited the configuration file for the relevant QlikView service.
From QlikView November 2018, you can monitor all non-default values applied to the services in your deployment (except for the QlikView Server Service, QVS) directly from the QlikView Management Console (QMC). In the QMC, go to status > services and select one of the services in your QlikView Server deployment. If one or more custom config values are in place, they are listed in the information tab on the right-hand side of the screen. The list shows which config settings are modified, on which machine, and what is the existing value compared to the default value. Discrepancies between machines running the same service are listed as well. For more information, see: Services.
If you restore your changed configuration and settings files to your upgraded deployment, you may overwrite important changes that Qlik has added in subsequent release and updates. Therefore, to avoid loss, it is important to note down all the changes, or customizations that you have made to your configuration and settings files. Once you have completed the upgrade process, you need to append your changes to the new config files. If you follow this approach, it will ensure that your deployment includes all the latest config files, as well as all the customizations from your earlier deployment.
For example, if you have created your own customizations in the QlikView Distribution Service, you will have made changes to the QVDistributionService.exe.config file. To back this up, navigate to C:\Program Files\QlikView\Distribution Service folder, and make a copy of the QVDistributionService.exe.config file. Then, after upgrade, append your customizations to this file.
Multi-server deployments
If backing up QlikView from another machine, cluster, or other location, make a backup of each machine that you want to upgrade. Follow the same procedure as you would for a single server installation. In the case of multi-server deployments using a shared application data folder (file share) in a different location, ensure that this folder is also included in the backup.
