Following best practices
Before deploying a new release in a production environment, Actuate recommends testing the installation.
Using a test environment
Set up a test environment then migrate to iHub when the testing is complete. You cannot mix Actuate products from different release levels. For example, you cannot use Actuate 10 design tools with BIRT iHub.
How and when you upgrade to iHub depends on your site configuration and requirements. Complete the following general tasks in this order to determine how to upgrade your site to iHub:
Create a test environment for iHub. The test environment can be on the same machine that hosts the earlier Actuate installation or on a separate machine.
Install the software in the test environment and upgrade earlier versions of designs and files. Also update any custom applications that you built using Actuate iHub Integration Technology. Verify that your applications work properly in the new Actuate iHub Integration Technology test environment.
Ask application developers and a few users to perform some typical tasks in the test environment.
Create a production staging area.
Install the remaining iHub desktop products, if required, in production environments on the user workstations. Verify that the desktop products function properly.
Schedule a low-impact time to switch to iHub to complete the transition.
Setting up a production staging area
A production staging area is one that you can use for testing and also configure as the live production system. The production staging area can be a separate configuration on the live production machine or a separate machine. You can install all iHub products or the iHub server products and a subset of the desktop products.
If you plan to test iHub desktop products, identify which users to include in the final testing. Developers and users can then confirm that applications perform as expected in the iHub production staging environment.
Complete the following general tasks to test iHub:
Install BIRT iHub software in a production staging area.
Install iHub desktop software on the test user machines. Using separate folders, you can install iHub desktop software in conjunction with the earlier desktop software. Users can continue to use the existing Actuate software in production while testing the iHub desktop software.
Verify that the iHub production staging environment works correctly.
Install the remaining iHub desktop products, if you installed a subset earlier.
Verify that all the iHub desktop products work correctly.
Begin setting up a production environment, described in the following section.
Setting up a production environment
When testing is complete, confirm that your applications work as expected in the iHub environment. Set up the production environment and schedule a date and time to switch from earlier versions to iHub.
When you switch to iHub, use the following procedure list as a general guideline:
Shut down all Actuate servers.
Back up earlier Actuate Encyclopedia volumes.
Upgrade existing Encyclopedia volume schemas. Install upgraded design and document files.
Install upgraded design and document files.
Keep Encyclopedia volume data separate from iHub binaries.
Start BIRT iHub.
Inform users that they can start using iHub design tool products.