Multiple Units on Same Machine

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
RussBarth
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Multiple Units on Same Machine

#1

Post by RussBarth »

I'm the stake technology specialist for our stake. Our stake discontinued a ward last year. Apparently the finacial records weren't completely reconciled before that ward's machine was wiped.

Our finacial stake clerk has been asked by headquarters to restore the discontinued ward's MLS data and do one final "send/recieve changes" so that the finacial information can be synched.

I'm trying to get the ward's data running on our stake's computer. I cannot figure how to do this. When I login into our stake's MLS and try to do a restore of the old ward's backup file it says I cannot restore it because it's for a different unit.

I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that multiple units can share the same computer. The user would just choose the unit first and then login. I've also seen this on one of our other ward's machines.

Any help on how to restore the unit's db would be greatly appreciated.

PS I know I could ask tech support through messaging in MLS, I just though this would be a handy thread to have on this forum.
russellhltn
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#2

Post by russellhltn »

I'm not in front of the machine, so I'm having to go by memory.

1) Log in to MLS as the Stake.

2) Go into System Options and create the new unit. Create a dummy login.

3) Log out of MLS, and log back in to the new unit with the dummy login

4) Restore file

The restore may wipe the dummy login. In that case, I hope you know at least one Admin login in the discontinued unit.
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aebrown
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Adding a new unit and restoring an MLS backup.

#3

Post by aebrown »

RussBarth wrote:I'm trying to get the ward's data running on our stake's computer. I cannot figure how to do this. When I login into our stake's MLS and try to do a restore of the old ward's backup file it says I cannot restore it because it's for a different unit.

The thing you have to do first is to add the unit to MLS. To do this, login to your stake's unit as normal (make sure you are an administrator). Then go to System Options, then Unit, and click on Add Unit (blue link in the upper right corner of the bottom section). You will be prompted to enter the unit name and number for the ward (and also the unit name and number of your stake), and you will create an administrator login for that unit.

Then logout from the stake unit. As you return to the login page, you will now see a drop down list for the unit. Choose the new unit, and enter the administrator user name and password for the new unit.

As you enter MLS for this unit, you will see very few options. One is "Restore from a File". Choose that, then navigate to the backup file and click Open. Then you should be back in business.
RussBarth
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#4

Post by RussBarth »

Thanks for all the help.

It worked until I got to the restore part and it then said the DB was too old for the version of the MLS... I'm not sure there is even an upgrade path from an older version of the MLS (assuming I can get my hands on the version that existed at the time of the backup) to 2.8. So I think I'm stuck. Not to mention I'd have to comandeer another machine to put it on.

Our Finacial Clerk is going to call back to headquarters and see if they have another solution.
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daddy-o-p40
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#5

Post by daddy-o-p40 »

RussBarth, the last I heard you just had to burn the backup on a cd-rom and send it to CHQ. You may be able to email it now. Then CHQ can take care of it.

Just call CHQ Membership Line at 800-453-3860 x23500. They'll be able to get you the best way to do this.
"What have I done for someone today?" Thomas Monson
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aebrown
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#6

Post by aebrown »

RussBarth wrote:It worked until I got to the restore part and it then said the DB was too old for the version of the MLS... I'm not sure there is even an upgrade path from an older version of the MLS (assuming I can get my hands on the version that existed at the time of the backup) to 2.8. So I think I'm stuck. Not to mention I'd have to comandeer another machine to put it on.

Our Finacial Clerk is going to call back to headquarters and see if they have another solution.

If it will help, I have installers for practically every version of MLS, so I could send you the appropriate one if you can tell me the date of the backup. But it will be much simpler if headquarters can just convert the backup for you.
jbh001
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#7

Post by jbh001 »

RussBarth wrote:It worked until I got to the restore part and it then said the DB was too old for the version of the MLS... I'm not sure there is even an upgrade path from an older version of the MLS (assuming I can get my hands on the version that existed at the time of the backup) to 2.8.
There is an apparent upgrade path. If you login in here, there is a link to download MLS 2.7.3 which lets you upgrade data from MLS 2.4.3 (and forward) prior to upgrading to MLS 2.8.

The login information was sent out 01-Aug-2007 as an MLS message announcing the availability of MLS 2.6, and also in an 18-Oct-2007 MLS message announcing the availability of MLS 2.7.
russellhltn
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#8

Post by russellhltn »

jbh001 wrote:There is an apparent upgrade path. If you login in here, there is a link to download MLS 2.7.3 which lets you upgrade data from MLS 2.4.3 (and forward) prior to upgrading to MLS 2.8.
Good info! But I wonder how you would do that without either using another machine or uninstalling 2.8 temporally?
jbh001
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#9

Post by jbh001 »

Good point. Before finding this forum, I probably would have just installed the older version of MLS on my laptop and updated the database that way. But it appears that method would be frowned upon unless you scrub the laptop's hard drive afterward.

If you discontinued a ward, do you still have the clerk's computer from that ward or has it already been turned over to the FM group? If you have it, I think that would be the ideal place to install the older version of MLS.

However you do it, I think all you would have to do is install MLS 2.7.3; restore the database of the discontinued ward to that version of MLS to let it upgrade the database; then backup the upgraded database to a file, and finally open that newly updated database in MLS 2.8.1. I would think all of this could be done up to that point without having to dial into CHQ until after you have successfully updated the data to MLS 2.8.1 format. Then you could do the final send/receive changes requested by CHQ.

If there is a unit in your stake that needs to have Desktop 5.5 installed or re-installed, perhaps you could do it then and there as part of (re)installing the Desktop 5.5 image. Specifically, install Desktop 5.5; install MLS 2.7.3; restore the discontinued ward's database to upgrade it; backup the newly upgraded database; upgrade/install to MLS 2.8.1; restore the newly upgraded database; do the final send/receive changes requested by CHQ.
russellhltn
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#10

Post by russellhltn »

Too late now, but I wonder of the right way for future users to do this is to install the discontinued ward's database on the stake machine. Hopefully the MLS updates will keep the database updated and keep it assessable. But I'm not sure if that works if the data is never opened.
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