Organizations around the world are seeing the productivity gains that are within their reach with The BlackBerry Solution and are eager to get started. While BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) is normally an easy piece of software to install, there is one major landmine that has ruined more than a few weekends for the unsuspecting IT administrator.
This article reviews that potential issue, why it's not the administrator's fault, and strategies to recover if problems do occur.
One of the best ways to avoid issues is to start your BES install with a new, clean server, or at least a server that does not have Microsoft SQL Server installed.
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) Installation Best Practices
As part of the BES install, the software sets itself up with a SQL Server database to keep track of information. If the software finds SQL Server is already installed (perhaps for another application, such as a GPS tracking software package), problems will ensue. In order to untangle these issues, you will need a resource with expertise in your flavor of mail server, SQL Server, and BES.
While many organizations have resources in these areas, very rarely do they have sufficient expertise to get the server up and running without assistance.
It's Not Always IT's Fault
Generally, organizations get in to this situation because a non-technical manager has decided the organization will use the software and forced it in to IT by fiat. While it's good for line of business managers to drive IT projects that will help them be more productive, often the unsuspecting IT resource has absolutely no training or expertise in the software packages involved.
While this is not an issue in most situations as the BES install normally is very simple, if something goes wrong, the person given the task does not have the skills or information to fix it.
How To Recover
When pushed to do something beyond his skill set, the typical IT person will grumble under his breath and take a stab at it or hire someone who claims he knows how to do it. If a technical person has been given a task beyond his skill set, he needs to admit what he doesn't know and line up an emergency back up plan.
This should be obvious, but before starting any IT project, back up the environment. Always.
BES support out of the box is one phone call. If the organization does not have Tsupport, after that, the company is on it's own. While the carrier may have technical sales people that seem knowledgable, they do not have the necessary training, expertise, or insurance coverage to touch a client's live server. The carrier's job is to make sure you have 5 bars. The client's environment is the client's responsibility.
Line up a firm who can cite examples of BES installs they've done and can intelligently address the SQL Server issue if this issue may exist in the existing environment. Just because the organization's Exchange support person says he's done a BES install before, that doesn't mean that he knows what he's doing. Look for certified resources who are members of the BlackBerry Alliance Program.
All this is great information for before the train wreck, but what should an IT person do if the crisis is happening now? If the organization has not already done so, now is the time to find an expert who can come on site to straighten out the problem.
Mobile email is not something that can go down for long without riots in the streets. And while Tsupport is something all companies should have for software assurance and bug reporting, most levels of Tsupport do not include on site support. For on site support and training, a BlackBerry Alliance Member who is certified and has experienced the exact problem the organization is having is the best chance for a swift recovery.
For additional information, see RIM's site for a list of Partner Solutions.
