Upgrading GridLink

Every time when we release a new GridLink version, we list all enhancements and bug fixes in this version in the release notice. Usually it is up to the users to decide whether they need to upgrade based on the release information. We have been adding more and more features into both AXIS and GridLink. Please note that a new AXIS version might require the latest GridLink version in order to make a new feature working. When this happens, it is required to upgrade GridLink to the latest version.

We would answer all questions and investigate all problems asked / reported by users with any GridLink version; however, we would only put bug fixes into the latest release version. Since GridLink doesn't perform any actuarial calculation, we would not expect the upgrade to be as difficult to be approved by clients' policies, as we often see in AXIS upgrade.

Please also note that all versions of GridLink are compatible with all AXIS versions (from 11.3.02.001 to the AXIS version that this GridLink version is released with) so the upgrade to GridLink software itself will never force business users to have to upgrade AXIS actuarial system version.

Instructions

When a new GridLink version is available and you want to upgrade your GridLink farm, please note that you need to upgrade both GridLink Utility and GridLink Controller Service on all servers. Please follow the instructions below:

1. Backup GCDB.axs under the GridLink installation directory on the Profile Host, in case that you need to recover the farm profiles later.

2. Run the current GridLink Utility, and select the menu "Maintenance - Suspend Farm".

3. Make sure that there's no AXIS jobs running on the farm.

4. Run the installation package of GridLink Utility on the machine where the utility was installed before.

5. Upgrade GridLink Controller

You need to run the new GridLink Utility, log on to Profile Host, select the menu "Service - Upgrade Service" to upgrade the new version on all servers.

6. In the new GridLink Utility, select the menu "Maintenance - Resume Farm".

Now you have successfully upgraded GridLink service!

Please note that you should NOT use "Service -Uninstall Service" menu to uninstall GridLink service during the upgrade. It will remove all the existing farm profiles. If this has happened, please do the following on the Profile Host to recover your profiles:

1. Run GridLink Utility, and select the menu "Maintenance - Suspend Farm".

2. Make sure that there's no AXIS job running on the farm.

3. Close GridLink Utility

4. Stop GridLink service on Profile Host.

5. Copy the backup of GCDB.axs to the GridLink installation directory.

6. Restart GridLink service Profile Host.

7. Run GridLink Utility to log on to the Profile Host again. The utility will update the whole farm with the original farm profiles.

8. In GridLink Utility, select the menu "Maintenance - Resume Farm".

For Users Using GridLink Older Than 3.70

If your current GridLink version is older than 3.70, please note that we have enforced drive mapping checking in 3.70. AXIS remote job will not start if any of the drive mappings specified in the Farm Settings dialog using GridLink Utility and applicable to the user didn't succeed. Please review all of your drive mapping settings and make sure that they all succeed before you upgrade to 3.70 or a later version.

In the case that you have a few Access Groups created (e.g. AG1 and AG2) and you only intend to use a mapped drive for one of the groups (e.g. AG1), you can associate this drive with group AG1, so that this drive will not be mapped when a job is launched under group AG2.