Indiana University Herman B Wells Library – Customer & Access Services

Tips for installing Infotrieve Ariel 4.x under Windows Vista

By Keith Welch – 7/2008

Introduction:

Ariel's default database, MSDE SQL 2000, is not compatible with Windows Vista. This document does not include step-by-step instructions for using the applications involved in the process, but rather attempts to mention all the essentials so that a computer-savvy person can complete the installation.

Installing Ariel under Vista with a MS SQL Express 2005 server database:

  1. Log on to the Vista workstation as a user with administrator rights.
  2. Download and run the MS SQL Server 2005 Express installer. (

NOTE! The download information states that the .NET 2.0 framework is required for installation of the SQL Express server. .NET 2.0 is built-in to Windows Vista, so there is no reason to install it separately. In fact, if you try it, it won’t install.

  1. Configure the new database server using Mixed Mode (Windows Authentication and SQL ServerAuthentication)(fig.1). Make the sa password something 8 characters or longer– the installer will not let you use ‘Ariel’ as a password, as it is not a so-called ‘strong’ password. You will have to go back later and change the password, by-passing the strong password requirement.

Figure 1

  1. When the installation is complete, start the SQL Server Surface Area Configuration Tool (fig. 2), which islocated in the start menuwith the Microsoft SQL server 2005 icons. Use the tool to enable remote connections using both tcp/ip and named pipes. Note: Since we are using a localhost for this database, I don’t know why this was necessary, but I couldn’t get Ariel to work with localhost as the server.

Figure 2

  1. Download and install the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express.
  2. Run Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express, logging in with username sa and the password you chose in step 3. You’ll then see the window in figure 3.

Figure 3

  1. In the left-hand column, right-click the sa icon under heading Security…Logins, andselecttheoptionProperties. You will then see the window in figure 4.

Figure 4

  1. Use this screen to change your saaccount password to Ariel. Uncheck the checkbox labeled Enforce password policy to by-pass the strong password requirement. Click the OK button,and then restart the SQL service (always a good idea after you make changes.)
  2. Install Ariel.
  3. During the Ariel install, you'll be asked if you want to install MSDE. The answer is no.
  4. When prompted to point the installer to your Ariel database, enter: Host=’your computer name\sqlexpress’; username=sa; password=Ariel.
  5. After Ariel is installed, use SQL Server Express Management studio to set the Ariel database compatibility to setting 80 (MS 2000). Otherwise you'll get error messages because of Ariel’s obsolete SQL. To do this:
  6. Run SQL Server Express Management studio, logging in as user sa, password Ariel
  7. In the Object Explorer, expand the server tree, opening the Databases folder and locating the Arieldatabase.
  8. Right-click the Ariel database folder icon and choose option Properties
  9. In the resulting Database Properties window, under the heading Select a page click on options
  10. On the right side of the window is the pull-down menu for Compatibility level. Choose option SQL server 2000 (80).
  11. Finish by clicking the OK button.
  12. Restart the SQL service.

Ariel and SQL Express 2005 Server should now be properly installed.

Copying an Ariel database to a new Vista server

If you are transferring an existing Ariel database to a new workstation, follow these steps and replace the Ariel.mdf and ariel.ldf files on the new workstation after installing the MS SQL Express 2005 server and Ariel.

  1. On the original Ariel server, stop the MS SQL service.
  2. Copy the Ariel.mdffile to the folder containing the server data files on the new server.
  3. Use SQL Server Express Management studio to Attach the mdf file. (Right-click on the database icon in the object explorer, choose option Attach).
  4. Ariel should now work with the old database.

Note: After I migrated the Ariel database files to the new server, the Ariel account we previously used (username=Ariel, Password=Ariel) did not work. I never did find out the reason, and in the end I deleted the Ariel account using the SQL Server Express Management studio and recreated it. I made the Ariel user both a datawriter and a datareader. This might have been redundant, but it worked. --KW

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