Database missing from OpenEdge Explorer after 11.6.4 service pack installation

[Keith G.]

I upgraded a customer's OpenEdge 11.2 (on Windows) to 11.6 and all was fine in the OpenEdge Explorer. After the installation of the 11.6.4 service pack, however, the database was missing from the Explorer.

We are going to roll back the server to its 11.2 state and install 11.6 again, leaving it unpatched for now. For the sake of future reference, what can I do to ensure this does not happen the next time we try this?

 

[Keith G.]

Well, the redo of the 11.6 installation gave the same result as above: no database showing in the OpenEdge Explorer. This is quite frustrating.

 

[Rob Fitzpatrick]

Do you have a backup copy of the pre-upgrade conmgr.properties?

 

[Keith G.]

I found it. How can I use that to restore what I need in OpenEdge Explorer?

 

[Rob Fitzpatrick]

Conmgr.properties contains the database setup data that you enter via the OEE UI.

Diff the two files. The old one should have the configuration info you need for your database. Then add the missing info to the new file (back it up first!) and then log back into OEE. I don't work too much in Windows back ends but I think this will do what you need.

 

[Cringer]

You'll probably need to restart the admin service for it to pick up the edited properties.

 

[TomBascom]

I call it "Exploder" for a reason...

 

[Keith G.]

I call it "Exploder" for a reason...

Yes, yesterday's efforts reminded me of that nickname.
I understand why Progress moved to the browser-based manager, but it adds a whole bunch of new complexity and potential for trouble and frustration.

 

[TomBascom]

Progress has not "moved" to Exploder. The Web based admin UI is just an alternative for people who cannot live without mice. All of the tried and true, production proven scripting techniques of the past 30 years continue to work just fine.

IMHO administration via mouse is a bad idea. Always has been. It "makes a good demo" for people who can't see beyond the eye candy. To actually use that sort of interface is foolhardy.

 

[Keith G.]

I believe I tried restarting the admin service in my attempts to bring over the previous configuration from the "conmgr.properties" file, but cannot say for sure if that happened every time. We ran out of time and patience, resulting in the decision to call it quits and restore the previous server VM state.

I am upset that the Progress installation process is not smart enough to reliably bring over the previous OEE configuration. My first 11.6 installation did so, but the 11.6.4 service pack seems to have overwritten it, as did all subsequent "do over" 11.6 installations. This all worked without incident on two other machines there, but of course the most important server gave us fits.

 

[Keith G.]

Progress has not "moved" to Exploder. The Web based admin UI is just an alternative for people who cannot live without mice. All of the tried and true, production proven scripting techniques of the past 30 years continue to work just fine.

My perspective is from being used to the old, super-simple "ProControl" tool. But you are correct. I always appreciate GUI software that also offers a good level of usability via the keyboard.

After this weekend's fun, we are definitely going to bone up on the command line-driven administration again with the goal of avoiding the OEE if possible.

 

[TomBascom]

I have much the same opinion of Procontrol