TOP Server V6 to V7 Upgrade Guide

While this guide focuses specifically on systems that are already running version 6.17 or 6.18, it can serve as a guide for migrating any TOP Server configuration between systems.

Before the Upgrade

Get Started

With any system upgrade we recommend that you:

• Know, consider, and follow your company's change management practices, involving all other stakeholders in the process.
• Test your migrated configurations on test systems before going live.
• Have backups of your V6 configurations.
• Develop a migration plan, even when migrations appear to be simple.

• Have an active Support & Maintenance Agreement - the Technical Support team's time and expertise in assisting with migrations is reserved for support holders.

Finding Your Support Status

To determine your TOP Server support status, open the TOP Server License Utility to obtain your activation IDs.

You can use our support entitlement validation to view the support status, or contact our team for assistance.

If your support is expired, your license is only eligible to run on TOP Server versions released prior to the Support Expiration Date. Use the TOP Server Version & OS history page to determine what version your license is eligible for.

You can also request a quote to upgrade and have your support/maintenance reinstated, or convert your perpetual licenses to subscriptions.

Collect an Application Report

This step is optional, but recommended.

Use the Application Report Utility to collect a backup of the server configuration and associated settings and logs. This report is a useful reference to diagnose any issues that may arise during the upgrade and migration process.

Follow the steps in Generating an Application Report.

Certificates

To align with best security practices, TOP Server V7 uses certificates with 2048-bit public keys rather than the 1024-bit keys used in TOP Server V6. This change has varying impacts on different classes of certificates within TOP Server V7.

Exporting Existing TOP Server V6 Certificates

This step is optional.

Imported instance certificates and external certificates in trust stores are not migrated. If these certificates are not accessible outside the TOP Server V6 instance, export them prior to uninstalling so they can be imported into TOP Server V7.

See FAQ 4180: Importing/Exporting Certificates in TOP Server for detailed instructions on how to export certificates.

External Certificates in Trust Stores

Any external certificates in trust stores are not migrated. These certificates must be manually imported into TOP Server 7 trust stores. If these certificates are not accessible outside TOP Server 6, it is recommended that they be exported from the trust stores before uninstalling.

Backup the Current Project

1. Open the existing software by double-clicking the desktop icon or selecting Configuration from the System Tray.

2. Select File | Save As.

3. Follow the prompts to save the current project to a local directory.

Upgrading

Download and Install TOP Server 7

1. Download the installer for TOP Server 7.0.

2. Launch the TOP Server installer wizard.

3. Launch TOP Server Configuration.

4. Verify the project from the previous version is loaded (or locate and load).

After the Upgrade

Certificates

Imported Instance Certificates - Must Be Re-imported

Imported instance certificates are not migrated from TOP Server 6 to TOP Server 7 and must be re-imported. This class of certificates includes:

• Any of the Instance Certificates that have been imported (CA-Signed, Imported Self-Signed, etc.)

See FAQ 4180: Importing/Exporting Certificates in TOP Server for detailed instructions on how to import certificates.

Instance Certificates - Automatically Regenerated

Instance certificates generated by TOP Server V6 cannot be migrated. Instead, these are automatically re-generated by TOP Server V7. THIS WILL AFFECT CURRENT CONNECTIONS. Clients using these class of certificates must trust the new certificates:

• OPC UA Server Interface Instance Certificate

• OPC UA Client Driver Instance Certificate

• Configuration API Service REST Server Instance Certificate

• IEC 61850 MMS Client Instance Certificate

• MQTT Client Driver Instance Certificate

Trust must be re-established for secure connections to the OPC UA Server Interface and OPC UA Client Driver. The certificates associated with Trusted Clients and Trusted Servers are not transferred from TOP Server 6 to TOP Server 7.

OPC UA Server Interface Connections

If the external client does not prompt certificate exchange with the OPC UA Server Interface, a certificate must be manually generated from the server and uploaded to the client. If the client automatically prompts certificate exchange, skip steps 2 and 3 below.

1. Navigate to OPC UA Configuration from the System Tray.

2. Select the Instance Certificates tab.

3. Select Export server certificate under "Server".

4. Upload this certificate to the external OPC UA client.

5. Select the Trusted Clients tab.

6. Click on the name of the client to connect to and then select Trust.

OPC UA Client Driver Connections

If the OPC UA Client Driver does not automatically prompt certificate exchange with the external server, a certificate must be manually generated from the server and uploaded to TOP Server 7. If the OPC UA Client Driver automatically prompts certificate exchange, skip steps 2 and 3 below.

1. Navigate to OPC UA Configuration from the System Tray.

2. Select the Trusted Servers tab.

3. Select Import and upload the server certificate.

4. If the server has a red X, click on the name of the server to connect and select Trust.

AVEVA (Wonderware) SuiteLink Connections

The default application name server_runtime does not change from V6 to V7.

You will need to go into Project properties in V7 and make sure that the Suitelink Interface is enabled.

OPC DA Connections

The new TOP Server OPC DA ProgID is SWToolbox.TOPServer.V7

Upgrade in Place

When we install over a V6, we automatically put in a redirect for you so that clients don't have to change.

New Machine

If your clients are on other machines and connecting via OPC DA and expecting the old V6 progID, SWToolbox.TOPServer.v6 to be present, you will need to go into the TOP Server Settings, ProgID Redirect tab, and add SWToolbox.TOPServer.v6 to the list of ProgIDs that the new server will respond to.

If you have made client connections from remote machines via DCOM, you will need to review the security settings you had in place on your older machine to ensure that all the required settings have been made.

V6 Program Data Entry

After migration is complete, a V6 Program Data entry will remain in addition to V7. The V6 entry can be deleted with no impact on the function of TOP Server 7.

Conclusion

This FAQ is intended to give a basic overview of the upgrade process from TOP Server v6 to v7. It outlines some possible considerations and provides a solid foundation to upgrading the server while minimizing the associated risk.

What Is Migrated

What Is Not Migrated

Questions/Concerns?

You can contact us by clicking Ask a Question above. Our clients with active support and maintenance agreements receive first priority for assistance.

For further questions or assistance, our experienced team is more than happy to help. We can be reached by: