Upgrade RAS 2.0.107 to 3.0.39 fails with error "database conversion failed"

Hi,
I have tried to upgrade Remote Admin Server from version 2.0.107 to 3.0.39 but it fails almost immediately after starting. Here is what is shown in the log:

...
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> New state of service: 'service stopped'
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> Migration mode: 1
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> InitMigrationProgress: Entered
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> Database Migration...
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> delete_threats_enable = 1, delete_threats_number = 6, delete_threats_type = 1
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> delete_scans_enable = 1, delete_scans_number = 3, delete_scans_type = 1
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> delete_events_enable = 1, delete_events_number = 3, delete_events_type = 1
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> delete_firewalls_enable = 1, delete_firewalls_number = 3, delete_firewalls_type = 1
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> Database conversion started...
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> Destination database type is MS Access
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> ConversioType=1
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> SrcDB=C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ESET\ESET Remote Administrator\Server\database\era.mdb
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> DstDB=C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ESET\ESET Remote Administrator\Server\database\era.mdb
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> TmpDB=C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ESET\ESET Remote Administrator\Server\database\era_new.mdb
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> Empty=C:\DOCUME~1\XXXX\LOCALS~1\Temp\era.mdb (of course, XXXX is not XXXX, but the real admin account, not relevant here)
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> Cannot copy empty db "C:\DOCUME~1\XXXX\LOCALS~1\Temp\era.mdb" (code 2)
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> Database conversion failed
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> Execute sequence terminated with error
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> SafeServiceOperation (type=1)
<2008-12-19 10:00:05> Starting prior server 'ERA_SERVER'...
<2008-12-19 10:00:08> Prior server successfully started (attempts: 2)

My question is why NOD32 is trying to convert database from C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ESET\ESET Remote Administrator\Server\database\era.mdb when the real location for the previous database is C:\Program Files\Eset\ESET Remote Administrator\Server\dat\??

I have started era_server_nt32_enu.msi package.

Mladen

 

Know issue I already told them about it.

It occurs when installing via remote desktop.

Becuase of the way remote desktop works the temp derectory usually has the session number appended to it.

So the file it fails to copy is most likely to be found at

C:\DOCUME~1\XXXX\LOCALS~1\Temp\1\era.mdb

The reason it fails is becuase whoever wrote the install routine has harcoded the temp path rather than using the Environment variables.

They will need to fix it soon as nearly every admin I know uses remote desktop to install upgrade apps.

As a work around if you have physical access to the server you can install it at the console. Doesnt help for remote sites though.

Cheers

Mike

 

Mike,
thank you very much for the explanation. Since I do have physical access to the server I will do that way
Regards,
Mladen

 

If you need a workaround, try running terminal services with the /console switch.

e: Correction, the switch has been changed to /admin for newer versions of mstsc.

 

I wouldn't bother with v3 to be honest. There are other bugs in the software, and despite emailing one of the mods on this forum... no feedback. No one from ESET has even acknowledged the new version yet by stickying a post in this forum - which is strange... Usually they're on the ball with those posts!

What's going on ESET?

 

I tested myself the v3 of the ERA . Additionally , earlier today I upgraded two companies (one small and one middle-sized) with the new ERA and have no problems . I noticed issues with previous betas but not with the current one .
All the installs I have performed were either clean or from ERA 2.0.110

 

Smacky

Top tip

Thanks for that

Mike

 

Smacky,
thanx for the tip Using the /console switch I was able to upgrade from version 2.0.107 to 3.0.39 without any problems using Remote Desktop connection.
Thank you all for your help.
Regards,
Mladen

 

Just to give some more general info on this kind of conflict, some applications are written "poorly" so that they are always expecting to have access to session 0 (console) for the user interface and will not work correctly if that isn't there. Odds are Eset will correct this in the next release since it is a fairly substantial thing to overlook, but you could run across plenty of other applications that behave in the same way. The /admin (RDP 6.x) or /console (RDP 5.x) forces your terminal services client to use session 0, but it will also bump off anyone logged in locally, so watch out for that. Microsoft says that they added in some compatibility layers in Server 2008 that redirect output that tries to go to session 0 to the one you are actually using which may provide a workaround to prevent this from happening on that OS, but I'll believe that when I see it.

 

It's funny how upgrading from ERAS v1.x to v2.x works fine via standard RDP (not console)... But surely this sort of thing should have been noticed in the beta??

 

Please run RDP with admin rights (mstsc.exe /admin) or right-click the installer and select "Run as administrator".

 

Sorry to correct you but that is misinformation.

It is nothing to do with admin rights. Its how remote desktop treats the temp path for session numbers as stated above.

The /admin switch is the replacement for /console which connects to session 0 thus avoiding the issue. I think the original version of the switch was better named.

As an additional note I don't think windows 2008 allows connection to session 0 anymore so sloppy installers will need to be fixed.

Cheers

Mike

 

You are correct...

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb756986.aspx

Macros, this needs a proper fix. Could you tell us when this is going to be fixed?