Niagara AX to N4 Migration Guide

To use the Migration Tool provided by Tridium you will need a backup(dist file) of a station that is running on AX 3.8, |You cannot migrate only the bog file or a station running a version lower than 3.8.

Backup the AX station

If you need to include the alarms and histories files in the backup please follow the next steps:

In Workbench, open the station and access the BackupService property sheet.

backup-1
Related Backup Service properties shown above are:
1. In the BackupService for each AX-3.8 station to be migrated (whether host or Supervisor):
Exclude Files: remove *.hdb; *.adb;
Exclude Directories: remove file:^history and file:^alarm
2. In the Supervisor station’s BackupService, if configured for provisioning:
Exclude Files: remove *backup*;
This allows prior station backups to be brought over to the new N4.0 Supervisor.

Run the migration tool


Included with Niagara 4 Supervisor or engineering workstation is a command-line utility that you run from a console. This utility is known as the N4 migration tool or migratory.

The Niagara console is found in C:\Niagara\Niagara-4.x.x.xxx\bin\console.exe or in Stat - Niagar 4.x folder - console

N4Mig-console

The migration tool takes a source file, typically AX-3.8 station backup .dist file, and outputs a migrated N4.0-compatible station folder. You can then use Workbench to open a platform connection to the target platform (for example, a converted controller), and install this station using the N4.0 platform Station Copier.
Important points to remember are:
• A source backup .dist file is not harmed in any way, regardless of the migration outcome.
Migration output always goes to a different location, along with a text log file that contains execution details.
• The migration tool does not require AX-3.8 installed on the same PC, only a path to the source backup .dist files.
• You run the migration tool from the standalone Niagara Console window, typically launched from the Windows Start menu.
The following is the log generated while running the migration tool on a very simple Supervisor station backup file. The migrator ran in a standalone Niagara Console window.
NOTE: Running the migrator in the embedded Workbench Console is not supported, as it does not properly process the necessary user inputs that may be required if your NiagaraAX station contains passwords that need to be encrypted with a passphrase.

 

Example migration tool processing a Supervisor station backup


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------–-
C:\Niagara\Niagara-4.x.xx.xx>n4mig C:\niagara\niagara-3.8.111\backups\
backup_Supvsr_150526_1545.dist
INFO [15:48:41 26-May-15 EDT][sys.registry] Up-to-date [92ms]
INFO [15:48:41 26-May-15 EDT][sys.registry] Loaded [32ms]
INFO [15:48:42 26-May-15 EDT][sys] Niagara runtime booted
("C:\Niagara\Niagara-4.1.xx.xx") on Win-23A9-FCD0-B958-4E02
[15:48:42 26-May-15 EDT][migration]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[15:48:42 26-May-15 EDT][migration] Migrating station
backup_Supvsr_150526_1545.dist to backup_Supvsr_150526_1545.dist
Station to be migrated: Supvsr
-------------------------------------------------------–---–---–---–---–---–---–--
Migrating station Supvsr to Supvsr
Migration Templates:
1: Controller Migration Template (ControllerMigrationTemplate.ntpl)
2: Supervisor Migration Template (SupervisorMigrationTemplate.ntpl)
You can also use 'c' for default Controller and 's' for default Supervisor template.
Please select a Migration Template: 2
Using Migration Template SupervisorMigrationTemplate.ntpl
Completed Migration
Source: C:\Users\John\Niagara4.0\Rocket Industries\migTemp\Supvsr
Target: C:\Users\John\Niagara4.0\Rocket Industries\stations\Supvsr
Migration Report: C:\Users\john\Niagara4.0\Rocket Industries\stations\Supvsr_miglog _1505261548.txt
Important Migration Notes - see Migration Report for details
Using Migration Template SupervisorMigrationTemplate.ntpl
config.bog: REMOVED all uses of type niagaraDriver:NiagaraFoxService in bog


In the example above, the migration tool was launched with only the “n4mig” command and the source backup .dist file path (C:\niagara\niagara-3.8.111\backups\ backup_Supvsr_150526_1545.dist), without any options or explicit migration output location. As shown, the migration template was not specified, so the tool paused and prompted for the migration template (1 or 2). After this was entered, the tool continued processing and completed the migration.
The migration tool posts information while processing the backup .dist file. By default, the migration output goes to the stations folder of your Workbench User Home, as shown in the following figure.

N4Mig

In this example, notice that the migration process created a Supvsr folder and an associated log file in the stations folder. The target station name is automatically determined from the station name inside the station backup .dist file.
Entries in the log file (migration report) display source and target locations for items written, actions performed, and so on. If needed, you can use command line options to create a greater level of log detail.