BlackBerry® Professional Software and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express

[Alan12345]

I am doing a clean install of Blackberry Express 5.0.4 on a reformatted empty Windows 2003 server SP2.

The first attempt failed with the local database button greyed out, only remote was selectable.

Eventually read in known issues, that you could install SQL server express before doing the install as a workaround for a different problem.

Installed SQL express 2008, local button available, but then could not find a connection to the database.

Doing a reformat back to base 2003 SP2 at the moment, going to try with SQL 2005 express next, as in compatibility matrix SQL 2008 has ”LS” against it.

1)      Anyone know if there is a document describing how and what you need to do to after installing SQL express before installing Blackberry software.

2)      The first problem was “local” database option greyed out/not available any advice on what the basic problem in this area is?.

Thanks

[knottyrope · Accepted solution]

install SQL Express with the BESAdmin account locally and not with TS or RDP

[Alan12345]

Hi,

Just to let anyone know that in my case it was necessary to install SQL express before installing the Blackberry Express Software. The 5.0.4 package failed to install and link to SQL, but it could link to an already installed SQL software.

[jeprue]

I'm running into the same problem.  Is the SQL Server express install included in the BES Express installer package or do I need to download it from Microsoft?  If it is included, how do I run just the SQL Server install?  I've been fighting with this all morning and I'm beyond frustrated.

Thanks!

[knottyrope]

SQL is part of BES installer, but if you have an existing version of SQL then you need to know the SA account (or apply the proper permissions to SQL) to upgrade it or to install the database.

[harpert]

Hi,

It has taken some day and nights, but..... I have found what caused my problems:

1: INSTALL ONLY USING THE BESADMIN account

my problem was that I used the most logical account, the ADMIN account

RIM in their eternal wisdom, decided that you need to make a new (exchange) user, called BESAdmin and ONLY use that account to setup BESExpres.

2: FOLLOW THE STEPS of the instruction video
you need to follow these steps to the letter.

InStead of making a proper installation procedure for the most common installations,
RIM made is very complicated to perform the simplest tasks.

YES it does give many possibilities for big corporate Admins to change nearly everything,

But sure is not contributing to the small / medium organisations with 2 - 10 phones that install BESExpress on the same machine as Exchange 2007 is running.

3: If you have made the mistake of installing using the Admin account and not BESAdmin, you will get stuck with SQL database connection.
The Solution..... Don't use the default name suggested by the installation procedure, but use a different name for the database
The old database will remain, even when uninstalling SQL 2008 and ofcourse has all the rights linked to your Admin account.
just create a new one.

4: When the installation procedure is done. the BESExpress software runs very smooth.

It's just a matter of following the manual (which nobody ever does) to the letter.

All problems arise from not doeing EXACTLY what RIM puts in the instructions
There is no  "quick and dirty" when installing BESExpress on the same machine as Exchange 2007 / 2010

It took me nearly 2 weeks between other jobs to get BESExpress working for 3 !!! users.

It turned out that if I just have followed instructions... all would have worked within 2 hours.

Personally I believe that RIM should put a VERY large warning in the SETUP procedure that says....
FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER

and

DON"T USE YOUR STANDARD ADMIN ACCOUNT FOR INSTALLATION

it's is not common that the ADMIN account can't be used for instalation.

Harpert

If installing BESEXPRESS on a DUTCH WINDOWS version..... set your country settings to UK or US!!!

otherwise SETUP will never start.

[knottyrope]

---

harpert wrote:

Hi,

It has taken some day and nights, but..... I have found what caused my problems:

1: INSTALL ONLY USING THE BESADMIN account

my problem was that I used the most logical account, the ADMIN account

RIM in their eternal wisdom, decided that you need to make a new (exchange) user, called BESAdmin and ONLY use that account to setup BESExpres.

2: FOLLOW THE STEPS of the instruction video
you need to follow these steps to the letter.

InStead of making a proper installation procedure for the most common installations,
RIM made is very complicated to perform the simplest tasks.

YES it does give many possibilities for big corporate Admins to change nearly everything,

But sure is not contributing to the small / medium organisations with 2 - 10 phones that install BESExpress on the same machine as Exchange 2007 is running.

3: If you have made the mistake of installing using the Admin account and not BESAdmin, you will get stuck with SQL database connection.
The Solution..... Don't use the default name suggested by the installation procedure, but use a different name for the database
The old database will remain, even when uninstalling SQL 2008 and ofcourse has all the rights linked to your Admin account.
just create a new one.

4: When the installation procedure is done. the BESExpress software runs very smooth.

It's just a matter of following the manual (which nobody ever does) to the letter.

All problems arise from not doeing EXACTLY what RIM puts in the instructions
There is no  "quick and dirty" when installing BESExpress on the same machine as Exchange 2007 / 2010

It took me nearly 2 weeks between other jobs to get BESExpress working for 3 !!! users.

It turned out that if I just have followed instructions... all would have worked within 2 hours.

Personally I believe that RIM should put a VERY large warning in the SETUP procedure that says....
FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER

and

DON"T USE YOUR STANDARD ADMIN ACCOUNT FOR INSTALLATION

it's is not common that the ADMIN account can't be used for instalation.

Harpert

If installing BESEXPRESS on a DUTCH WINDOWS version..... set your country settings to UK or US!!!

otherwise SETUP will never start.

---

an experienced exchange admin would know that when dealing with the sendas permissions you can not use a domain admin account. I have tried to tell you this a few times. I did this too 6 years ago and could not believe the tech fixed it in 5 minutes. Since then I have helped out 1000s of people. If you wont follow he directions, not much can be done and a hard lesson learned. Glad to see you have it running now. Even if RIM put in bold red letters some one would think "yeah right i can use my admin account" and do the same as you.

[Alan12345]

Hi,

SQL Express is inclded in the installer package, but I could not get it to work properly. I downloaded from Microsoft and installed seperately, before starting the BES package, then all worked OK. I downloaded SQL 2005 version, rather than the 2008 version included in the package.

[knottyrope]

glad to see your doing ok Alan.

[jeprue]

I am using the BESadmin account so that's not my problem.  I'm not installing on the same machine as our Exchange 2010.  I guess I could try downloading SQL 2005 Express.  I was hoping I could just use the version that came with BES Express but after wasting my whole Friday with nothing to show for it, I have to do something.   Thanks for the suggestions.