Upgrading and unbundling the Qlik Sense Repository Database using the Qlik PostgreSQL Installer

[Mario_Petre]

In this article, we walk you through the requirements and process of how to upgrade and unbundle an existing Qlik Sense Repository Database (see supported scenarios) as well as how to install a brand new Repository based on PostgreSQL. We will use the Qlik PostgreSQL Installer (QPI).

For a manual method, see How to manually upgrade the bundled Qlik Sense PostgreSQL version to 12.5 version.

Using the Qlik Postgres Installer not only upgrades PostgreSQL; it also unbundles PostgreSQL from your Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows install. This allows for direct control of your PostgreSQL instance and facilitates maintenance without a dependency on Qlik Sense. Further Database upgrades can then be performed independently and in accordance with your corporate security policy when needed, as long as you remain within the supported PostgreSQL versions. See How To Upgrade Standalone PostgreSQL.

Index

• Supported Scenarios
• Upgrades
• New installs
• Requirements
• Known limitations
• Installing anew Qlik Sense Repository Database using PostgreSQL
• Qlik PostgreSQL Installer - Download Link
• Upgrading an existing Qlik Sense Repository Database
• The Upgrade
• Next Steps and Compatibility with PostgreSQL installers
• How do I upgrade PostgreSQL from here on?
• Troubleshooting and FAQ
• Related Content

Video Walkthrough

Video chapters:

• 01:02 - Intro to PostgreSQL Repository
• 02:51 – Prerequisites
• 03:24 - What is the QPI tool?
• 05:09 - Using the QPI tool
• 09:27 - Removing the old Database Service
• 11:27 - Upgrading a stand-alone to the latest release
• 13:39 - How to roll-back to the previous version
• 14:46 - Troubleshooting upgrading a patched version
• 18:25 - Troubleshooting upgrade security error
• 21:15 - Additional config file settings

 

Supported Scenarios

Upgrades

The following versions have been tested and verified to work with QPI (1.4.0): 

Qlik Sense February 2022 to Qlik Sense November 2023.

If you are on a Qlik Sense version prior to these, upgrade to at least February 2022 before you begin.  

Qlik Sense November 2022 and later do not support 9.6, and a warning will be displayed during the upgrade. From Qlik Sense August 2023 a upgrade with a 9.6 database is blocked.

New installs

The Qlik PostgreSQL Installer supports installing a new standalone PostgreSQL database with the configurations required for connecting to a Qlik Sense server. This allows setting up a new environment or migrating an existing database to a separate host.

Requirements

• Review the QPI Release Notes before you continue

• Using the Qlik PostgreSQL Installer on a patched Qlik Sense version can lead to unexpected results. If you have a patch installed, either:

  • Uninstall all patches before using QPI (see Installing and Uninstalling Qlik Sense Patches) or
  • Upgrade to an IR release of Qlik Sense which supports QPI
• The PostgreSQL Installer can only upgrade bundled PostgreSQL database listening on the default port 4432.
• The user who runs the installer must be an administrator.
• The backup destination must have sufficient free disk space to dump the existing database  
• The backup destination must not be a network path or virtual storage folder. It is recommended the backup is stored on the main drive. 
• There will be downtime during this operation, please plan accordingly
• If upgrading to PostgreSQL 14 and later, the Windows OS must be at least Server 2016

Known limitations

• Cannot migrate a 14.8 embedded database to a standalone
• Using QPI to upgrade a standalone database or a database previously unbundled with QPI is not supported.
• The installer itself does not provide an automatic rollback feature.

Installing a new Qlik Sense Repository Database using PostgreSQL

1. Run the Qlik PostgreSQL Installer as an administrator 
   
   
2. Click on Install 
   
   
3. Accept the Qlik Customer Agreement 
   
   
4. Set your Local database settings and click Next. You will use these details to connect other nodes to the same cluster. 
   
   
5. Set your Database superuser password and click Next
   
   
6. Set the database installation folder, standard: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\14

   Do not use the standard Qlik Sense folders, such as C:\Program Files\Qlik\Sense\Repository\PostgreSQL\ and C:\Programdata\Qlik\Sense\Repository\PostgreSQL\.

7. Set the database data folder, standard: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\14\data

   Do not use the standard Qlik Sense folders, such as C:\Program Files\Qlik\Sense\Repository\PostgreSQL\ and C:\Programdata\Qlik\Sense\Repository\PostgreSQL\.

8. Review your settings and click Install, then click Finish
   
   
9. Start installing Qlik Sense Enterprise Client Managed. Choose Join Cluster option.
   
   The Qlik PostgreSQL Installer has already seeded the databases for you and has created the users and permissions. No further configuration is needed.
   
   
10. The tool will display information on the actions being performed. Once installation is finished, you can close the installer.  
    
    If you are migrating your existing databases to a new host, please remember to reconfigure your nodes to connect to the correct host. How to configure Qlik Sense to use a dedicated PostgreSQL database 
    

Qlik PostgreSQL Installer - Download Link

Download the installer here.

Qlik PostgreSQL installer Release Notes

 

Upgrading an existing Qlik Sense Repository Database

The following versions have been tested and verified to work with QPI (1.4.0): 

February 2022 to November 2023.

If you are on any version prior to these, upgrade to at least February 2022 before you begin.  

Qlik Sense November 2022 and later do not support 9.6, and a warning will be displayed during the upgrade.  From Qlik Sense August 2023 a 9.6 update is blocked.

The Upgrade

1. Stop all services on rim nodes 
   
   
2. On your Central Node, stop all services except the Qlik Sense Repository Database 
   
   
   
   
3. Run the Qlik PostgreSQL Installer. An existing Database will be detected. 
   
   
   
   
4. Highlight the database and click Upgrade 
   
5. Read and confirm the (a) Installer Instructions as well as the Qlik Customer Agreement, then click (b) Next.
   
   
   
   
6. Provide your existing Database superuser password and click Next.
   
   
7. Define your Database backup path and click Next.
   
   
   
   
8. Define your Install Location (default is prefilled) and click Next.
   
   
   
   
9. Define your database data path (default is prefilled) and click Next.
   
   
    
10. Review all properties and click Upgrade.
    
    The review screen lists the settings which will be migrated. No manual changes are required post-upgrade.
    
    
    
    
11. The upgrade is completed. Click Close.
     
12. Open the Windows Services Console and locate the Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows services.
    
    You will find that the Qlik Sense Repository Database service has been set to manual. Do not change the startup method. 
    
    
    
    You will also find a new postgresql-x64-14 service. Do not rename this service. 
    
    
    
13. Start all services except the Qlik Sense Repository Database service. 
    
    
14. Start all services on your rim nodes.
    
    
15. Validate that all services and nodes are operating as expected. The original database folder in C:\ProgramData\Qlik\Sense\Repository\PostgreSQL\X.X_deprecated
    

16. Uninstall the old Qlik Sense Repository Database service.

    This step is required. Failing to remove the old service will lead the upgrade or patching issues.

    1. Open a Windows File Explorer and browse to C:\ProgramData\Package Cache
       
       
    2. From there, search for the appropriate msi file.
       
       
       
       If you were running 9.6 before the upgrade, search PostgreSQL.msi
       If you were running 12.5 before the upgrade, search PostgreSQL125.msi
       
       
    3. The msi will be revealed.
       
       
    4. Right-click the msi file and select uninstall from the menu.
       
       
       
       
    
    
17. Re-install the PostgreSQL binaries. This step is optional if Qlik Sense is immediately upgraded following the use of QPI. The Sense upgrade will install the correct binaries automatically. 
    

    Failing to reinstall the binaries will lead to errors when executing any number of service configuration scripts. 

    If you do not immediately upgrade:
    
    
    1. Open a Windows File Explorer and browse to C:\ProgramData\Package Cache
       
       
    2. From there, search for the .msi file appropriate for your currently installed Qlik Sense version
       
       
       
       For Qlik Sense August 2023 and later: PostgreSQL14.msi
       Qlik Sense February 2022 to May 2023: PostgreSQL125.msi
       
       
    3. Right-click the file
    4. Click Open file location
       
       
       
       
    5. Highlight the file path, right-click on the path, and click Copy
       
       
       
       
    6. Open a Windows Command prompt as administrator
       
       
    7. Navigate to the location of the folder you copied
       
       Example command line: 
       
       cd C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{GUID}
       
       Where GUID is the value of the folder name.
       
       
    8. Run the following command depending on the version you have installed: 
       
       Qlik Sense August 2023 and later
       
       msiexec.exe /qb /i "PostgreSQL14.msi" SKIPINSTALLDBSERVICE="1" INSTALLDIR="C:\Program Files\Qlik\Sense"
       
       Qlik Sense February 2022 to May 2023
       
       msiexec.exe /qb /i "PostgreSQL125.msi" SKIPINSTALLDBSERVICE="1" INSTALLDIR="C:\Program Files\Qlik\Sense"
       
       This will re-install the binaries without installing a database. If you installed with a custom directory adjust the INSTALLDIR parameter accordingly. E.g. you installed in D:\Qlik\Sense then the parameter would be INSTALLDIR="D:\Qlik\Sense".

If the upgrade was unsuccessful and you are missing data in the Qlik Management Console or elsewhere, contact Qlik Support.  

Next Steps and Compatibility with PostgreSQL installers

Now that your PostgreSQL instance is no longer connected to the Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows services, all future updates of PostgreSQL are performed independently of Qlik Sense. This allows you to act in accordance with your corporate security policy when needed, as long as you remain within the supported PostgreSQL versions.

Your PostgreSQL database is fully compatible with the official PostgreSQL installers from https://www.enterprisedb.com/downloads/postgres-postgresql-downloads. 

How do I upgrade PostgreSQL from here on?

See How To Upgrade Standalone PostgreSQL, which documents the upgrade procedure for either a minor version upgrade (example: 14.5 to 14.8) or a major version upgrade (example: 12 to 14). Further information on PostgreSQL upgrades or updates can be obtained from Postgre directly.

Troubleshooting and FAQ

1. If the installation crashes, the server reboots unexpectedly during this process, or there is a power outage, the new database may not be in a serviceable state. Installation/upgrade logs are available in the location of your temporary files, for example:
   
   C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Temp\2
   
   A backup of the original database contents is available in your chosen location, or by default in:
   
   C:\ProgramData\Qlik\Sense\Repository\PostgreSQL\backup\X.X
   
   The original database data folder has been renamed to:
   
   C:\ProgramData\Qlik\Sense\Repository\PostgreSQL\X.X_deprecated
   
   
2. Upgrading Qlik Sense after upgrading PostgreSQL with the QPI tool fails with:
   
   This version of Qlik Sense requires a 'SenseServices' database for multi cloud capabilities. Ensure that you have created a 'SenseService' database in your cluster before upgrading. For more information see Installing and configuring PostgreSQL.
   
   See Qlik Sense Upgrade fails with: This version of Qlik Sense requires a _ database for _.
   
   To resolve this, start the postgresql-x64-XX service.

•  

The information in this article is provided as-is and to be used at own discretion. Depending on tool(s) used, customization(s), and/or other factors ongoing support on the solution below may not be provided by Qlik Support. The video in this article was recorded in a earlier version of QPI, some screens might differ a little bit.

Related Content

Qlik PostgreSQL installer version 1.3.0 Release Notes  
Techspert Talks - Upgrading PostgreSQL Repository Troubleshooting
Backup and Restore Qlik Sense Enterprise documentation
Migrating Like a Boss
Optimizing Performance for Qlik Sense Enterprise
Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows: How To Upgrade Standalone PostgreSQL
How-to reset forgotten PostgreSQL password in Qlik Sense
How to configure Qlik Sense to use a dedicated PostgreSQL database
Troubleshooting Qlik Sense Upgrades 

[Sonja_Bauernfeind]

@sri_c003  As mentioned by Benoit and I, this is not the purpose of the QPI.

Please log an idea in our ideation platform explaining your need for the Qlik installer packages to upgrade PostgreSQL so that the appropriate team (product management) can review the request and provide you with the most accurate response.

All the best,
Sonja 

[jaishree_Qlik]

We are facing lot of trouble due to @ sign in passwords. Most of the existing customers have @ character in password and while upgrade - Postgre installer does not upgrade the Postgre version having @ character in password. This not only limit the secure password setting as well as risk of changing first repository passwords then upgrade. 

Any solution in future where installer will work on passwords having @ sign.

[Serkan]

@jaishree_Qlik : May I ask which version of the Installer do you use? When using the latest installer v1.3.0 you should be able to upgrade the repository without any restriction of a character in the password.

https://github.com/qlik-download/qlik-postgresql-installer/releases/

For me it worked several times.

[jaishree_Qlik]

@Serkan : Thanks for sharing . I used the same installer available in Download link . Will test the installer mentioned in your git hub link for Postgre SQL upgrade now.

[Sonja_Bauernfeind]

Hello @jaishree_Qlik and @Serkan 

Certain characters (& $ " @ ^ §) are blocked for use with QPI 1.3.0 currently and it is recommended to change the password prior to unbundling and upgrading. The password can be changed again afterwards.

We anticipate having this fixed in 1.4.0, which is currently in testing. See the Release Notes for QPI.

All the best,
Sonja 

[Narges]

Hi @Sonja_Bauernfeind 

We have been on May 2023 Patch 8, I have upgraded QS to Aug 2023 IR, then upgraded DB from 12.5 to 14.8.

I can connect to DB and see the data is available, but my QS does not run.

All QS services are running as expected.

It seems somehow QS is not bundled with DB. Do you have any recommendations?

I have also checked all Configure-Service.ps1 and path was as "[string]$postgresHome = "$senseInstallPath\Repository\PostgreSQL\12.5","   but during upgrade and installation postgres 14.8, the default path was  C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\1

[Sonja_Bauernfeind]

Hello @Narges 

If you have used the QPI, the database is unbundled from Qlik Sense. This is intended. Please review the instructions above to see what steps you may have missed.

It may be necessary to revert to a previous backup, verify that everything works on August 2023 IR without a database upgrade, and perform the upgrade following the steps in this article. I do not wish to recommend you try and manually change the connection strings at this stage, as we do not know what went wrong during the upgrade and unbundling. 

To properly investigate this, we would need more information from you, such as what issues you are seeing in Qlik Sense, what error messages you are experiencing, and so on. Though a case may be needed to assist you directly.

All the best,
Sonja 

[Sonja_Bauernfeind]

Hello again @Narges 

As you have already logged a ticket, I suggest handling the issue directly with the support engineer who will be assigned to assist you.

All the best,
Sonja 

[Luigi_Teti]

Hello Super-Sonja,

if I wanted to go back to having Qlik Sense manage the Database service, thus starting from a version that was upgraded with the Tool, do I have to follow the usual Backup procedure, manually uninstall PostgreSQL from the server and then do Restore of the Sense Site?

[jaishree_Qlik]

Dear Luigi,

Usually we will do server snapshot rollback (if available )instead Qlik installer re-running for Postgre SQL. I didn't worked for me.