Server Management: Upgrade BI / Move BI license

This forum has articles regarding decisions and implementations surrounding BI that need to work.
What hardware is needed to run the BI server?
How should the network be set up?
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varghesesa
Posts: 90
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2019 9:52 pm

Server Management: Upgrade BI / Move BI license

Post by varghesesa »

Introduction

Common requests are
  • What are the recommended steps to upgrade from BI4 to BI5.
  • I just bought a new server. How do I move BI to the new machine?
Upgrade

Steps to upgrade from BI4 to BI5. Version 5 is a full install upgrade, so you would download from the Download page at http://blueirissoftware.com/Download, and use the same version 4 license key to register only AFTER deciding to upgrade.

Shutdown BI4
  • Secure the license key.
    Suggestion: Click the Help button (? button).
    Copy Email support info to copy critical system info to the clipboard.
    Then paste the clipboard into an email and send email to yourself.
    This way you have a copy of all your support info.
  • Global settings -> About dialog -> Export settings (v4). Save this file to a thumb drive. Settings are designed to go in one direction. Going back to v4 requires restoring BI4 settings, NOT using settings modified/exported by v5.
  • Turn off BI V4 including service if running as a service.
Start BI5
  • Install BI5 (download from website)
  • Blue Iris 5 is considered a new application for your Antivirus and Firewall software. The exceptions you added for BI4 needs to be replicated for BI5, including Antivirus exemptions for the BI executable, blueiris.exe. The Window Tuning article walks you through all the checks.
  • Start BI5. Cameras and recordings should come up since info is already in registry.
    If it does not, import your BI4 settings. Global settings -> About dialog -> Import settings (only necessary if registry was mistakenly deleted)
    Insert license key (optional. you can run trial as well)
    Right click in clip list -> Database -> Repair / regenerate.  Just to be safe.
Cleanup
Uninstall BI4 (Once BI5 is up and running)



Move
Steps to move BI to a new machine.

Old machine
  • Secure the license key.
    Suggestion: Click the Help button (? button).
    Copy Email support info to copy critical system info to the clipboard.
    Then paste the clipboard into an email and send email to yourself.
    This way you have a copy of all your support info.
  • Global settings -> About dialog -> Export settings. Save this file to a thumb drive.
  • Stop BI.
  • (optional) If you want to keep your recordings, move all local directories containing clips and the database directory to external storage.
    If you want to start with new recordings, skip.
New machine
  • Install BI on new machine
  • Add Security Software Exemptions. See Windows Tuning Article for details.
  • Start BI. Run BI using the 15-day trial to setup your machine properly.
  • Global settings -> About dialog -> Import settings (pull in BI camera and storage info from old machine)
Optional: Readjust storage on new machine. Import recordings and alerts from old machine. Could start out new as well.
  • Activate the red shield.  This will allow BI to run but stops core functionality such as Triggers/Recordings/Alerts and other stuff temporarily.
    Most importantly you are preventing writes to the database while trying to restore the old database.
  • (Optional) Re-adjust storage locations if desired. Global settings -> Clips and archiving. You could have BI just keep the same directory structure setup on previous server.
  • If you want to move BI recordings/files from previous machine to new machine, do so now, i.e. New -> New. DB -> DB etc.
  • Right click in clip list -> Database -> Repair / regenerate. Just to be safe.
  • If clip list does not show prior clips / alerts, then restart the console.
  • Un-pause BI (turn shield to green).
  • (Optional) When BI first started, it created default BI directories (C:\BlueIris). When you imported your settings, the directories specified in your import settings were created (if different from default directories). If you then changed those drives/directories a third time, you may want to delete the previous directories as a final cleanup.
Move license
  • Now that your new server is setup, deactivate your license on your old machine.
  • Insert license into new server.


Gotchas

Gotcha 2: Forgot password

Run REGEDIT and delete this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Perspective Software\Blue Iris\server\users\local_console

Then find the key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Perspective Software\Blue Iris\Options

and set the "runasadmin" value back to its default of 1. This is the "require run as administrator" checkbox on the Settings/Startup page. This will disable the login prompt altogether and start the software.

server management_password.png
server management_password.png (29.27 KiB) Viewed 11434 times

Gotcha 1: Import settings fails

You just installed / re-install BI and you try to import your bi setting which you had saved. When trying to import, BI terminates without any message and after a restart I get the error shown below.
import fails.png
import fails.png (8.81 KiB) Viewed 13488 times

Running BI without admin privileges or security software such as Kaspersky is preventing access to the registry.
  • Run REGEDIT and locate the key "HKLM\Software\Perspective Software\Blue Iris Import". It's the import key you want.
  • Find the 'a1' key in "HKLM\Software\Perspective Software\Blue Iris Import" and right-click edit permissions. Add "full control" to the administrators group.
  • You should now be able to delete the import key and startup.
Go through the Windows Tuning article to make sure Windows is not in conflict with Blue iris.

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