Migrating databases from custom database location

[jamie_rosenzweig]

I have created a customization for work where the "DatabaseConfiguration.xml" finds all the relevant customized databases in the folder "C:\Advance Steel 2020". It works great. I'm currently using AS2020 and will install AS2022 but haven't done so yet.

I can't seem to find anywhere if the .xml file modifies the behavior of the Migrate Settings Tool and where it will migrate database info from and want to know before I try in case I stuff things up.

Will I need to:

1. Move my customizations back to default locations (C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Advance Steel 2020\AUS), install AS2022, then run Migrate Settings Tool, OR

2. Install AS2022 then run Migrate Settings because it should understand where the .xml has database locations set?

[Flies-Eyes]

Unfortunately, you find that the migration tool does not work well with customised systems.  It barely works with "Out of the Box" system updates.

My only suggestion is to keep a detailed record of all the customised changes you have made to the base system and every year when they throw the new annual release at us that you go through in detail and make your custom changes again.  You will find that the majority of your customisations won't migrate across.  If you ask the software vendor for a detailed list of steps their migration system goes through that also can not be provided.     

The ongoing need to go through this pain each and every year with the annual migrations is the single biggest productivity killer our industry continues to endure. It must cost our industry billions each year in lost productivity and software vendors see no reason to change their attitude towards improving.

[bigcarl5000kg]

@Flies-Eyes ,

Unfortunately, I can only confirm this, there are a lot of lost hours, where one still has to check whether and what has been migrated.

[jamie_rosenzweig]

Thanks for you inputs. I'll give a quick update of where I got up to.

Without going into too much detail we use AS to produce steel design drawings (less detail than shop drawings) with the intent of producing shop drawings in the future. Our current customized setup for AS2020 yields 30% productivity gains (conservative estimate). There is still some manual drafting over the top of AS output, but it's manageable.

So this is what happened:

1. I copied my databases back to default locations then installed AS2022 (safe option if .xml is ignored).

2. Ran AS2022 to make sure the install was working fine. Ran the Migration Tool to copy customization across.

3.  Migration log showed no errors. Great! (or so I thought).

4. Opened AS2020 on one screen, AS2022 on another, then started to copy all customization comparing differences along the way. This took about 4 hours. Easy enough but tedious process. Did I get everything? Who knows.

5. First thing I noticed that was wrong was that my template .dwt was not saved to AS2022 file format. It remained AS2020... 

6. I opened up all .dwt/dwgs and then saved them manually noting that OOTB AS files were already AS2022 file format.

7. I finished setting up tool palettes etc. and created a simple model to test cameras with custom user drawing styles.

8. No cameras would register drawings to the model. Big problem.

9. Tried default cameras with default drawing style but same situation. Big problem.

10. A force update on them crashes AS every time.

11. I copied backup databases to default location to run OOTB setup to see if (8 & 9) above were caused by customization. Perhaps I missed something but also remembered that any "author text" in databases that I set didn't get copied across so this didn't help my cause.

12. AS wouldn't load after this so I decided to do a reinstall as an easy option. Big problem.

13. The uninstall didn't remove all the directories so I manually deleted them. Big problem.

14. I ran AS2022 setup again but it didn't install any files to C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Advance Steel 2022 !

15. Checked forums/knowledgebase articles for solution.

16. Tried a few different things but after 3 or 4 attempts I became more confused as to why AS doesn't allow repair or reinstalls as an option as that would have saved me the last 2 hours of my time.

17. I found an article that Autodesk has removed repair/reinstall options from version 2022 and onwards... err, why?

18. AS2020 is still working and runs great with the customizations. We should just keep using that! It has a few bugs but at least it can be reinstalled... 

So I found out peoples frustrations with the process. It was a waste of 8 hours of my time. If only Autodesk put as much effort into products other than Revit that would be nice.

[Flies-Eyes · Accepted solution]

Yep, sounds like the typical headaches caused each and every year.  I can only suggest that you make a long list of the manual updates you need to do so you have a record for next year's fun and frivolities.  If you ask Autodesk if fixing the migration system is a priority they would deny there is an issue with the existing solution.  I am pretty sure you can also attest that is not true.  

We are in the process of developing our own migration system so we can understand and control the outcome. The current offering is not a long term viable solution.   The software vendor can't provide either a mature system or provide the tools for those take the brave step to customise the system to make it output something half decent.

We have all been pushed kicking and screaming onto subscriptions, so we either have a license or not.  Why they still force us to go through the annual process of migrating our systems is complete madness.  On top of that we now need to migrate systems not just Autocad, but Revit, Advance Steel, RSA, Navisworks.