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Upgrading from AGRIS 9.5.0.x and higher to 21.3.0

Table of Contents

Must Read – Warnings, Critical Changes, and Install Tips

CRITICAL CHANGE: New for users upgrading from 9.5.0.x:
The installation of AGRIS 21.3.0 will change the location of SYSMENU.EXE. This can impact scheduled tasks and environments where AGRIS operates as a published application in Citrix or Remote Desktop. User intervention may be required to address system pathing issues if they arise.
TIP: Download the install package in advance (see STEP 1) as this can take some time to complete (download is approximately 541MB). There is no impact on users by simply downloading the install package (SETUP.EXE), so users can remain in the system during this step. Users will need to exit AGRIS while AGRIS is installing (Steps 2 – 4).
TIP: If there are standalone computers to update (e.g., remote oneWeigh workstations), complete Steps 1-4 on those units and perform all steps locally on the standalone machine.
TIP: This document assumes an existing installation of AGRIS 9.5.0.x or higher is already in place and that all machines running AGRIS meet the system requirements of the new release.

Background Information

Since AGRIS installs are cumulative, applying the latest one can help ensure that you are getting the most out of the system. There are 5 major steps associated with the upgrade process. This document will guide you through performing those steps correctly and in the recommended order.

STEP 1. Download the AGRIS 21.3.0 Installer on the AGRIS Database Server

1. Go to the console of the AGRIS database server and open a Web browser (NOTE: It may be best to use the Edge or Internet Explorer browser as the Chrome browser may block the links).

2. Blank out the address line, then type in https://culturana.force.com/s/login and press Enter.

3. Sign in to the Greenstone Community with your credentials.

   1. If you have not already signed up for the Community, then click 'Not yet a Greenstone Community member? Click here!'. New registration reviews and approvals usually occur within 8 business hours or less.

4. In the search at the top, type "AGRIS 21.3.0 IS AVAILABLE" or click HERE.  Scroll down the page to the Download AGRIS 21.3.0 section and right-click the setup.exe link and choose 'Save Target As…' or 'Save link as…'

5. To download to the desktop, click Desktop on the left side of the window and then click Save on the bottom, right side. Do not rename the file.

   1. If an older Setup.exe file is found, click "Yes" when prompted to overwrite the file.

   2. If you administer Citrix and/or Terminal Servers, you may wish to download Setup.exe directly to the Apps\AGRISDIST folder for installation via the network on those machines.

   3. Alternatively, you may find it easier to simply download the setup.exe to the desktop of each server instead of trying to browse to setup.exe via the network. If so, just repeat Steps 1-5 on each of the servers.

6. The AGRIS 21.3.0 installer will begin downloading. This can take several minutes depending on your internet download speed.

   1. There may be Software Updates or Service Packs available for 21.3.0. Please review the "AGRIS 21.3.0 IS AVAILABLE" page on the Community site to determine if either are available and how to load them.

7. When the download is complete, move or copy the setup.exe to the AGRIS Distribution Folder, which is typically located on the server at Apps\AGRISDIST

   1. If an older Setup.exe file is found in this folder, click "Yes" when prompted to overwrite the file.

STEP 2. Backup and Verify that Your AGRIS Data is Protected

1. Determine if your regular backup and verification processes provide an acceptable level of protection in the event there are issues with the dataset conversion process.

2. You may desire to manually backup the data immediately prior to installing 21.3.0 by copying the datasets, userprog and support folders via Windows Explorer, or by using an existing backup and verification process.

3. Note: Recommendations pertaining to backing up AGRIS data may be found HERE.

4. Note: Additional backup steps for those running AGRIS with MSSQL can be found here: https://culturatech.atlassian.net/wiki/x/2JPFBQ.

STEP 3. Install AGRIS 21.3.0 on the Server(s)

1. .NET Framework 3.5:

   1. For Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2016, this version of the .NET Framework must be installed manually. It may already be installed on your machine(s), however you need to confirm this before proceeding. Procedure:

      1. Click Start and type "Server Manager", then click on the Server Manager.

      2. Click on the Local Server in the selection tree.

      3. Scroll down to the ROLES AND FEATURES section

      4. In the TASKS dropdown, select Add Roles and Features

      5. On the Before you Begin step, click Next

      6. On the installation type step, select Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next

      7. On the Server Selection step, ensure your server is selected and click Next

      8. On the Server Roles step:

         1. For Windows Server 2012 R2: checkmark Application Server, click Next

         2. For Windows Server 2016: click Next

      9. On the Features step, checkmark the .NET Framework 3.5 Features option. Checking this will automatically check the .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) option. For AGRIS, you do not need to checkmark the options for HTTP Activation. Click Next until you are on the Confirmation step.

      10. On the Confirmation step, click Install

      11. Once the installation is complete, click Close to close the Add Roles and Features Wizard.

      12. Close the Server Manager.

2. WARNING: Due to enhanced security features in Windows, please ensure that the installer is unblocked prior to installation using the following steps:

   1. Right-click on the downloaded Setup.exe and click Properties

   2. At the bottom of the General tab, look for a button that says "Unblock"

      1. If the button exists, click Unblock and then click OK

      2. If the button does not exist, click Cancel and continue with the installation as normal.

   3. Right-click the SETUP.EXE and choose Run as Administrator. If there is a User Account Control message, click Allow.

3. If you are upgrading from 9.5.0.X, a window appears describing the change to the location of SYSMENU.EXE ("Important-Before you Install") that was mentioned previously. Please read the message carefully and click Yes.

4. If prompted to install Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2, click Install. You will be prompted to reboot after this.  You can choose to reboot now or later, however rebooting after the .NET Framework installation is mandatory before proceeding with the remainder of the AGRIS installation.  Reboot and then log back in as the same user, and the AGRIS installation will automatically continue.

5. "A previous AGRIS version has been found on your system. Removal of the previous version of AGRIS is required. Would you like to uninstall the old version?" > click Yes.

Upgrading from version 10.0.0 and greater will uninstall the previous version automatically. NOTE: Please be patient as this may take a few minutes.
Upgrading from version 9.6.0.X and prior will require you to click through the prompts to complete the uninstallation of the previous version: