Upgrading

If you have RICOH ProcessDirector installed, you can upgrade your existing system without uninstalling your current software, or you can install on a new system and move your objects to it.

For information about the new functions and updates included in this release, see New in this release.

If you are upgrading RICOH ProcessDirector and have another computer, we recommend that you install on that computer. By installing on a different computer, you decrease the risk of problems and minimize downtime during this process. When the installation finishes, you can migrate your objects from your existing system to the new system. You can then verify the new installation while the old computer is still running.

Start the Migration Assistant on your newly installed system (known as the target system) to access your existing system (known as the source system) and move objects over. The Migration Assistant simplifies the process, so you don't have to manually export objects from one system and import them to the new system.

Database evolution

For many years, RICOH ProcessDirector supported only IBM DB2 as its database. In version 3.12, PostgreSQL replaced DB2 as the default database configuration for RICOH ProcessDirector.

When you upgrade, you have two choices:

  • Continue to use your current database.
  • Migrate from DB2 to PostgreSQL.

    Note: If you plan to migrate from DB2 to PostgreSQL, you can either install the database included with RICOH ProcessDirector or you can install the database yourself. After you complete the RICOH ProcessDirector installation process, you can move your data into the PostgreSQL database.

Each option has different variables to consider, such as:

  • The PostgreSQL configuration can be installed on Rocky Linux compared to DB2, which cannot be installed on Rocky Linux.
  • You already have PostgreSQL installed and you want to configure RICOH ProcessDirector to use it.
  • If you plan to install the upgrade on a different computer, the Migration Assistant can move your objects and settings into PostgreSQL just as easily as into DB2.

Choose which database configuration to use before you upgrade, based on these factors and specifications for your environment.

If you use the Reports feature, you can use the same PostgreSQL database for both running RICOH ProcessDirector and storing the collected data.

Java Runtime Environment requirements

In version 3.14, RICOH ProcessDirector upgraded to use newer versions of Java. Most components updated to either Java 17 or 21. All features and components provided in the base product have been tested and updated to run correctly in this new environment. When you upgrade, all these components are updated automatically.

Extended features provided by Ricoh that aren't part of the standard installation package are not automatically updated. You must contact your Ricoh representative to get updated versions before you start the update. Instructions for determining whether you have extended features are included in Upgrading on the same computer and Upgrading on a different computer with Migration Assistant.

Finally, if your environment includes secondary or application servers, you must also upgrade them to versions that are compatible with the new versions of Java. After you upgrade the base product and all your features (both standard and extended), follow the steps in Installing the Secondary Server feature and Upgrading application servers to update your secondary and application servers.

In this section:

  1. Upgrading on the same computer
    If you are upgrading to a more recent version of RICOH ProcessDirector on the same computer, you need to meet certain requirements and take some preparatory steps.
  2. Upgrading on a different computer with Migration Assistant
    To reduce the risk of problems, we recommend installing RICOH ProcessDirector on a different computer and then migrating your objects from the existing system to the new system.
  3. Completing the upgrade process
    After you upgrade RICOH ProcessDirector, you must do a few more steps to make the transition easier.
  4. Upgrading application servers
    When you upgrade RICOH ProcessDirector, we recommend upgrading your application servers to the same code level.
  5. Backing up data
    You can use a backup script to archive a copy of your RICOH ProcessDirector system configuration.
  6. Exporting media with electronic forms
    To reuse media objects with electronic forms on another RICOH ProcessDirector system, you can export them by copying the media.zip file to another system. The Export Objects function exports media objects but does not export the electronic forms defined for media objects.
  7. Upgrading a manual failover environment
    If you have your primary computers installed in a manual failover environment, you must upgrade both systems.
  8. Upgrading the PostgreSQL database
    When you upgrade RICOH ProcessDirector, you have the option of upgrading the PostgreSQL database during the RICOH ProcessDirector install program or manually, after the install program completes or at a later date.
  9. Upgrading the DB2 database
    When you upgrade RICOH ProcessDirector, the version of DB2 database provided by Ricoh is not updated. You can upgrade the DB2 database before you start the RICOH ProcessDirector install program or after the install program completes.
  10. Migrating data from DB2 to PostgreSQL
    If you previously used RICOH ProcessDirector with DB2 and are migrating to the PostgreSQL database configuration, you must migrate your data from one database to the other after installing the update.
Parent topic: Planning and Installing RICOH ProcessDirector