How to Migrate the Canary Historian to a New Server with a Different Machine Name (version 23)

The following article explains the steps that can be taken when migrating the Canary historian to a new server using a different machine name. Note, each environment is unique and additional steps may be required to complete the migration. If wishing to move the historian to a new server with the same machine name, see How to Migrate the Canary Historian to a New Server with the Same Machine Name. The following procedures allow the old server to remain running, not interrupting work flow, while the new server is created.

1. Contact support@canarylabs.com or your Canary representative to request a temporary license to place on the old server. A new license will then be generated for you to place onto the new server once the temporary license has been applied.
2. Install the desired Canary components onto the new server using the Canary Installer.
   • Ensure that the Installation Location, Historian Data Location, and Canary Base Path match the old server. If you are not sure where these are located on the old server, you can check the following registry keys:
   • Installation Location - Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Canary Labs
   • Historian Data Location - Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Canary Labs\Historian
   • Canary Base Path - Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CanaryLabs.
3. Once installed, stop ALL Canary services on the new server.
4. Copy and replace the ProgramData\Canary [Labs] folder from the old server to the new.
   • This will contain config files for local Collectors, Calculations, and/or Axiom applications and charts.
5. Start ALL Canary services.
6. Apply new license onto the new server. See How to License Canary System Components.
7. Configure any collectors that are running to send data to both the old server and the new server.
   • By dual-logging to both, the old server can remain active until it is time to switch over to the new server.
   • The new server will have a "partial" daily file for its dataset(s), but this will be replaced when all of the historical data is copied over.
8. Copy the historical data (.hdb2 files) from the old server to the new including the file that will replace the "partial" file from Step 7. By default, these files are located in C:\Historian Data.
   • It is recommended to wait until the historian does its next roll-over before migrating the data. This allows you to replace the "partial" file on the new server with the complete file from the old server.
   • Note, the historian service does not need turned off on the old server to copy the files; however, the historian service on the new server will need turned off in order to overwrite the "partial file".
9. Any Axiom charts/applications that are pointed at raw tags (as opposed to virtual view tags) will need to reconfigured using the new server name.
   • By default, these files are located in C:\ProgramData\Canary\Axiom\Applications\[user] or \Charts\[user].
   • Open the .AxiomApp2 or .AxiomCht2 files with a text editor and do a Find and Replace of old server name to new.
10. Once configured and satisfied that the environment is running as expected, the old server name may be removed from the collectors that were pushing to both historians.

Note: It may be useful to take screenshots or have the Canary Admin opened on the old server to compare the settings for each service regarding endpoints and access lists.