Migrate to a new computer

This article is a how-to guide for system administrators—or others with a similar IT background—who are migrating their Typefi Server to a new computer.

The general process for migrating to a new computer is the same, regardless of whether you use Typefi Server for Cloud, Workgroup, or Desktop.

There are two ways you can migrate your Typefi Server to a new computer: 

• Self-service. If you want to complete the migration process yourself, please follow the steps in this article. If you migrate to a new computer and upgrade to a later version of Typefi Server, make sure you complete the migration process before upgrading. We strongly suggest that you discuss this migration with your Solutions Consultant before upgrading.
• Full-service. If you want us to complete the migration process, please contact your Solutions Consultant to schedule a time. 

Prepare to migrate

If you are migrating your Typefi Server to a new computer, please submit a support request in advance so that we can make the transition seamless.

Here's an example support request:

Your email address: aliceinwonderland@typefi.com

Subject: Migrating Typefi Server to a new computer

Description: We are migrating Typefi Server to a new computer and need a new license for the installation.

Type: Task

Priority: Normal

Component Affected: Licensing Issue

Priority-based response times are offered for all support tickets; if you'd like an idea of when you can expect a response, please see our article on response times.

While you wait to hear back from your Solutions Consultant, please do the following:

1. Review the system requirements and the product support compatibility matrix. Make sure the version of InDesign you are using is compatible with the version of Typefi Server you are using.
2. Make a backup of your server (for macOS, see Back up your Mac; for Windows, see Backup and Restore in Windows 10).
3. Retrieve your Typefi installation code. You'll need it when you license your Typefi Server on the new computer.

Install Typefi Server and Typefi Designer on the new computer

First, we will install the Typefi software on your new computer.

1. Install Typefi Server. For instructions, see Typefi Desktop installation guide and Typefi Workgroup Server and IDS installation example.
2. Install Typefi Designer. For instructions, see Install Typefi Designer.
3. If you use Typefi Writer, install it on the new machine too. For instructions, see Install Typefi Writer.

Milestones

• I can sign in to my Typefi Server on the new computer. (There isn't any job history yet, and it's currently unlicensed, but we'll fix both soon!)
• When I open Adobe InDesign, I can navigate to Window → Typefi.
• (Typefi Writer workflow only) When I open Microsoft Word, I see the Typefi tab in the Word ribbon.

Bring over the job history from the old computer to the new computer

This step is optional and only required if you would like the job history. Copying the job history cannot be done with a straight Windows copy command as permissions, and other necessary attributes need to be brought across. While the copy method is entirely on you and dependent on resources available, we advise using robocopy or xcopy whenever possible and copying with all permissions in place.

To bring over the job history:

1. Stop the Typefi Server on both the old and new computer: in your Typefi Server, go to Admin → Tomcat → Tomcat.
2. On the new computer, rename the C:\ProgramData\Typefi folder to C:\ProgramData\Typefi.new
3. Copy the entire C:\ProgramData\Typefi folder from the old computer to C:\ProgramData\Typefi.new. Unless previously relocated, the filestore is in C:\ProgramData\Typefi and can be moved.

Milestones

• C:\ProgramData\Typefi.new contains the same files as the C:\ProgramData\Typefi on the old computer.

At this point, you have a fully functional system with a defunct license. We will fix the license in the next step.

License your Typefi Server on the new computer

Your Typefi Server license is bound to the machine it came from and will not function on the new machine.

To license your Typefi Server on the new computer:

1. On the new machine, remove the C:\ProgramData\Typefi\licenses.json file.
2. Start your Typefi Server.
3. Retrieve your installation code.
4. Go to Admin → Licenses → Add and enter your Installation code. If you can't find it, you can copy the installation code from the old computer.
5. Click (do not double-click) Request license. A new tab opens, letting you know if the license request is successful or not. If the license request is successful, your organisation's Tech Rep—the person in charge of licensing Typefi Server—will receive an email with the activation code.
6. Follow the instructions in the email. Make sure you copy and paste the license code exactly as it is written in the email. If the license request is not successful, please contact your Solutions Consultant for the next steps.

Configure your Typefi Server

The next step in the upgrading process is setting up your Typefi Server to connect with Adobe InDesign.

Configure the InDesign engine

1. Open InDesign and minimise it. InDesign must be open while you are running a workflow.
2. In your Typefi Server, go to Admin → External Applications and click InDesign.
3. Click New Engine.
4. Give the new engine a name; for example, ID 2021. The name set here is used in all the workflows. If, at a later stage, you change the name here, then all the workflows will need to be updated as well. We recommend using a simple name, such as ID 2021, which reflects the InDesign version.
5. Choose the InDesign version from the pop-up menu.
6. Click Refresh.
7. Verify the PDF presets are loaded. If they are not loaded, please contact us for assistance.

Update any third-party licenses

If you use third-party software with Typefi, such as movemen MathTools or DeltaXML, you'll need to update the license.

Clean up

Now is a good time to clean up your Typefi Server. Remove any outdated workflow plug-ins and delete old files.

Get the latest plug-in information here. 

Run a test job

As a best practice, we recommend building a test workflow to make sure your Typefi Server is configured correctly.

Troubleshooting

If your workflows are not running, check the job log. If you see this error, Could not run workflow (workflow.typefi_workflow). Invalid license. Contact Typefi to obtain a valid license., then go back to the Admin → Licenses page and delete all licenses except for the most recent one.

Then, run the test workflow again.

If deleting the old licenses did not fix the issue, please contact your Solutions Consultant.

Decommission the old computer

As the last step, uninstall Typefi software from the old computer. For macOS, see How to delete apps on your Mac; for Windows, see Uninstall or remove apps and programs in Windows 10.

FAQ

• Do I have to re-license my Typefi Server when migrating to a new machine? Yes. Our license keys are hardware bonded, so a new key will be required.
• Can I access my job history and files from the old computer on the new computer? Yes. To make your job history and files available on the new machine, you'll need to move across the job folder.
• Can this be done remotely? Yes.
• How long will migrating to a new machine take? Please allow for 1-2? hours of downtime.
• I use Typefi Cloud. Can I migrate my data to Amazon Web Services (AWS)? Yes. The process for migrating is the same for AWS instances as it would be for on-premise instances.