Multiple databases and their licenses need to be installed on one server.
PM8: All Versions
PM8 Premium only
When you one two or more PM8 licenses and want them hosted on a single server some additional configurations are required. For example, when you have a PM8 license and purchase a company that also has a PM8 license and you want to put them on the same server.
Determine the databases you want and some logical names. Note in the examples the consistency between names and where the PM8 prefix is used.
In this example, the two companies are referred to as Locksmith1 and Locksmith2, but when you do this pick something more meaningful. Don't use any spaces in the name.
e.g.
¶ Database 1
Business unit = “Locksmith1”
DatabaseName = PM8Locksmith1.fdb
DocStor DatabaseName = PM8Locksmith1DocStor.fdb
Environment = Locksmith1
DatabaseAlias = PM8Locksmith1
DocStor DatabaseAlias = PM8Locksmith1DocStor
¶ Database 2
Business unit = “Locksmith2”
DatabaseName = PM8Locksmith2.fdb
DocStor DatabaseName = PM8Locksmith2DocStor.fdb
Environment = Locksmith2
DatabaseAlias = PM8Locksmith2
DocStor DatabaseAlias = PM8Locksmith2DocStor
The naming convention between the main DatabaseAlias and DocStor DatabaseAlias is important. The DocStor database alias must be the same but with "DocStor" on the end. To protect the pairing of the databases, this relationship is mandatory. Additionally, the main database and DocStor database have internal identifying information so you cannot use the wrong DocStor database.
Open the databases.conf file in notepad.
The location of this file is:
C:\Program Files(x86)\WH Software\PM8\FB3\databases.conf
Or for 32bit Windows:
C:\Program Files\WH Software\PM8\FB3\databases.conf
Notepad must run as administrator in order to save your changes
There will be two lines:
PM8=C:\ProgramData\WH Software\PM8\Database\PM8.FDB
PM8DocStor=C:\ProgramData\WH Software\PM8\Database\PM8DocStor.FDB
Based on our examples above, we want to change this file to have just the following two lines:
PM8Locksmith1=C:\ProgramData\WH Software\PM8\Database\PM8Locksmith1.fdb
PM8Locksmith1DocStor=C:\ProgramData\WH Software\PM8\Database\PM8Locksmith1DocStor.fdb
PM8Locksmith2=C:\ProgramData\WH Software\PM8\Database\PM8Locksmith2.fdb
PM8Locksmith2DocStor=C:\ProgramData\WH Software\PM8\Database\PM8Locksmith2DocStor.fdb
This file is used by the database engine to associate a name (PM8Locmsmith1) with a database file (PM8Locksmith1.fdb). See the note earlier about the DocStor naming convention.
If you wish to store the databases in a different local location this is where you define that location.
On the server (but the same changes will need to be applied to each workstation), edit the following file:
C:\ProgramData\WH Software\PM8\PM8.ini
In that file there will be two sections that look like this (likely the blank lines will be missing but you may make blank lines to make the file more readable):
[Environments]
Default=Environment-Default
[Environment-Default]
ServerName=localhost:PM8
Based on our examples above, we want to change this part if the file the following:
[Environments]
Locksmith1=Environment-Locksmith1
Locksmith2=Environment-Locksmith2
[Environment-Locksmith1]
ServerName=localhost:PM8Locksmith1
[Environment-Locksmith2]
ServerName=localhost:PM8Locksmith2
This change is making two “Environments” each of which point to another section in the same ini file, which in turn specifies the server (localhost) and database alias (as we set earlier in databases.conf)
Later, the same change needs to be made to all workstations (but possibly not all environments on each workstation), but on the workstations, the reference to
localhostwill be the name of the server on which the databases are hosted.
Locate the existing 2 databases (PM8.fdb and PM8DocStor.fdb).
Change the names:
PM8.fdb to PM8Locksmith1.fdb
PM8DocStor.fdb to PM8Locksmith1DocStor.fdb
Copy the Locksmith2 databases from the other locksmith. Make sure they are not in use and pay attention the renaming them.
Change the names:
From Locksmith2 server PM8.fdb to this server PM8Locksmith2.fdb
From Locksmith2 server PM8DocStor.fdb to this server PM8Locksmith2DocStor.fdb
Still on the server, for each environment one at a time do:
Tools menu choose Configure DocStor database. Then choose the first option Repair DocStor connection alias then click OKStep "2.b" above re-establishes the database alias for the associate DocStor database that is stored inside the main database. If you do not do this then you will get an error message when you log in as a user.
Still on the server, run PM8Back.exe, click the configure button and ensure that all environments are selected for backup and ensure that the Windows Scheduled Task is created and active. See the article Overview of backups
Do not do anything that directly accesses the FDB database files such as your own backup processes or even anti-virus software. Read the documentation about this as it is very important.