AUTHANVIL UPGRADE CENTER

Upgrading your AuthAnvil Installation from v1.5 to v1.6

Find out for yourself how AuthAnvil marks the new standard in reliability and performance, designed for businesses of all sizes and individuals who demand the most from their authentication experience.

Simply follow the steps below to make sure your authentication server is properly upgraded to the latest version of AuthAnvil.

Note: AuthAnvil v1.6 is now available. Get it here.

Note: You do NOT need to uninstall RWW-Guard if you have it previously installed.

Note: AuthAnvil 1.6 requires SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008 or the Express versions of either database preinstalled or accessible on a network resource.

To start the upgrade process for AuthAnvil please follow these steps:

1 Download the AuthAnvil v1.5 Database Backup Utility, v1.6 Database and Server installers and any required agents.
  • Download the AuthAnvil v1.5 Database Backup Utility here.
  • Download the AuthAnvil v1.6 Database Configuration utility here.
  • Download the AuthAnvil v1.6 Strong Authentication Server installer. here.
  • Download any required AuthAnvil Agents here.
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    2

    Backup your existing AuthAnvil settings and configuration
    Once you have downloaded the Backup Utility's, you can then use the following instructions to backup your existing configuration.

    To back up AuthAnvil, follow these steps:

    • Retrieve the existing AuthAnvil database password. You can do this by:
      • Opening the Web.config for the AnvilManager web application in Notepad. This is typically found at:

              C:\InetPub\wwwroot\AnvilManager\Web.config

      • Search for the section that reads:

              <connectionString>
                   <add name="Anvil" ... Password = SOMERANDOMPASSWORD;"/>
              </connectionString>

      • Write down (and/or copy to clipboard) the password found there. NOTE: The password does NOT include the trailing ';'.
    • Open up a new Command (cmd) window.
      • Click Start, and then click Run.
      • In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
    • Change the command window directory to the location you saved the aabackup.exe by entering CD Directory Path.
    • Backup your existing AuthAnvil configuration using the aabackup.exe tool including the password retrieved in the last step.

           C:\aabackup.exe SOMERANDOMPASSWORD

      This will generate a new backup file in the working directory, named AuthAnvilBackup-dd.m.yyyy.bup. ie: AuthAnvilBackup-20.5.2007.bup, representing an AuthAnvil backup performed on June 20th, 2007.

    This backup file will be used during the database setup for AuthAnvil v1.6
     
    3 Uninstall old version of AuthAnvil
    Now that all configuration data has been backed up, you can uninstall the existing product. Although it is possible to do in-place upgrades, we recommend you completely remove the product and reinstall it afterwards:
    • Click Start, then Control Panel, and finally Add or Remove Programs.
    • If installed, click on any AuthAnvil agents (ie: Windows Logon Agent, RADIUS Server etc) and then click Remove. Follow instructions for removal.

      NOTE: If the AuthAnvil Windows Logon Agent is installed, you will be required to reboot your server after uninstall.

      NOTE: If installed, click on AuthAnvil DCOM Bridge, and then Remove. Follow instructions for removal.

    • Click on AuthAnvil, and then Remove. Follow instructions for removal.
     
    4 Install the new database configuration utility
    With the products now removed, you can setup the database.

    To install the utility and import the backup file:
    • Launch the installer by double clicking the AuthAnvil_DatabaseInstaller.exe. Follow installation instructions.
    • During the installation of the AuthAnvil Database Tools you will need to create a Windows user for access to the database. This user service account will require impersonation rights on the domain, but does not require any other rights. We recommend a dedicated account be created for AuthAnvil that is not used for anything else. If you are unsure, simply create an account named “AADBUser” and give it a strong password.
    • The destination SQL Server can be local or external to your domain. If it’s external you will need to manually enter the SQL Instance path. The scan option is available only if the SQL Browser service is running on the local machine.
    • Select the SQL authentication method you normally use for SQL.
    • Enable the the option 'Restore data from a Bup file.'
    • Click the browse button and select the bup file created earlier.
    • Write down the user credentials and SQL Server instance name that is on the final screen of the dialog. They are required for installing AuthAnvil in the next stage.
     
    5 Installing AuthAnvil Strong Authentication Server
    • Launch the AuthAnvil installer by double clicking the AuthAnvil.exe file.
    • After agreeing to the user agreement you will need to enter the user credentials and path for the SQL Server instance created during the AuthAnvil Database Setup from step 4.
    • Pick which website in IIS you want AuthAnvil to run under and the installation path. If unsure, select “Default WebSite” or the first item in the list.
    • After picking an installation path. Complete the wizard by clicking finish.
    • After installation, the setup program will launch the locally defined web browser to the AuthAnvil Manager console, typically installed to: http://localhost/AnvilManager/.
    • You can log in to the AuthAnvil Manager with normal administrator Windows credentials.
     
    6 Test new AuthAnvil and RWW-Guard installation
    With all the previous configuration settings now restored, your installation SHOULD be back and fully working.

    To test that this is true for AuthAnvil, follow these steps:
    • Log in to the AuthAnvil Manager.
    • Click the System Test tab. When the system test is complete ensure all users, tokens and settings passed.
    • Click the Tokens tab, and then click Test Token. Follow the on screen instructions and ensure you can successfully authenticate that token.

    Once AuthAnvil is fully tested to be working, you can turn to RWW-Guard if it is installed. To test RWW-Guard, visit https://yourserver/remote/ and attempt a logon.
     
    7 Backup your new AuthAnvil configuration and settings 
    You are     almost done! Actually... you are. All that is left is to backup your newly configured AuthAnvil system settings. You might even consider setting up a scheduled task to do this on a regular basis.

  • Open the AuthAnvil Database Configuration Utility located typically at Start > All Programs > Scorpion Software > AuthAnvil > AuthAnvil Database Management > AuthAnvil Database Management
  • Select the Use existing Windows account option. Entering the credentials from step 4.
  • Pick or enter your SQL Server instance name.
  • Select your authentication method.
  • Enable the Backup existing database option.
  • Click the Backup button and note the confirmation message below the button as well as the location the file is saved in above the button.
  • Store the file in a safe location.


    • Running a backup via Command line
    To backup your AuthAnvil data from a command line simply do the following:
  • Open a command window in the same directory as the AuthAnvil Database Management tool typically

          CD C:\Program Files\Scorpion Software\AuthAnvil Database Management\

  • To run the backup you enter the exe's name followed by the SQL instance name.

         aabackup.exe SQLInstanceName

  • Confirm the backup by pressing 'Y'

    • Your bup file is created and saved in the same directory. If you recieve an error, run the backup through the Start menu wizard and confirm the SQL instance name.

    NOTE: Why is backing up AuthAnvil configuration data important? Besides the traditional answer of data diligence for recovery operations, there is a very practical reason for doing so. The original token import file that you are emailed includes token information at the time that they were programmed. Once a token has been used for a period of time it has the potential to be "out of sync" with the server if you re-import the token information at a later date for the original file. The solution is to manually resync the token after re-import, which can be tedious if you are managing a lot of tokens and have to manually resync each one. A better solution would be to simply restore the most recent AuthAnvil BUP, which will include the most recent keys used during the last successful authentication challenge.

    If you have any problems during your upgrade process, please open a new support case at our Online Service and Support Center.
     Known Issues
    • Some users are reporting that when logging off of the AuthAnvil Windows Logon Agent using Start->Log Off, the session hangs, and a failure occurs in msgina.dll (a piece of Microsoft's subsystem). We are researching this behaviour in an effort to determine if a fix can be provided by our team. In the meantime, if such an event does occurs to you, reconnect to the server via console and kill the hung session in the Users tab of the Task Manager. To connect via console in XP SP2, Windows Server 2003 or Vista type the following:

      mstsc.exe /console /v:yourservername

      To connect via XP SP3, Windows Server 2008 or Vista SP1 type the following:

      mstsc.exe /admin /v:yourservername

      You can avoid this problem by using:

      Start->Windows Security->Log Off.

     

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