Prerequisites for upgrading eMessage

Before you upgrade eMessage, confirm that your operating system, hardware and software, and network and database resources meet the current requirements for all installed IBM® EMM applications, including the current version of eMessage.

For specific current requirements, see the Recommended Software Environments and Minimum System Requirements document. The eMessage requirements appear in a separate section and might differ from the requirements for the current version of Campaign.

Before you upgrade eMessage, make sure that you are upgrading to Campaign and eMessage 9.1.1 from version 9.1. The version of eMessage that you are using determines the upgrade path you must follow.

Upgrading to the latest version of Campaign and eMessage does not affect your hosted email account settings. You can resume mailing after you complete the upgrade.

When changes to the eMessage system tables are part of an upgrade, HCL provides the necessary schema upgrade scripts and procedures.

If you never used eMessage before, the upgrade installs the necessary eMessage files. However, eMessage is not enabled for use. After you run the IBM EMM installer in the upgrade mode, you must complete the pre-deployment configuration steps foreMessage.

To use eMessage to send email, you must contact HCL to purchase a hosted email subscription. For information about how to configure eMessage after you purchase an email subscription, see the HCL eMessage Startup and Administrator's Guide.

Scheduling an eMessage upgrade

To upgrade eMessage you must stop system components and take interfaces offline. An upgrade also interferes with uploading and downloading data from IBM EMM Hosted Services. To avoid issues, schedule the upgrade for a time when there is minimal demand on the system. Use the following guidelines when you upgrade eMessage:
  • Avoid upgrading when marketing users need to update recipient lists and recipient data.
  • Avoid upgrading when marketing users need to run standard mailings or mailings that require close monitoring.
  • Allow enough time to provide advance notice to all users about when you plan to begin the upgrade.
  • Do not upgrade your eMessage installation when scheduled mailings are configured to run.
  • Schedule the upgrade to occur immediately after you upgrade Marketing Platform.

Completing recipient list uploads

Running a Campaign flowchart that contains an eMessage process causes Campaign to automatically upload recipient list data as an Output List Table (OLT) to IBM EMM Hosted Services. However, upgrade activities can interfere with OLT uploads.

To avoid OLT upload issues, HCL recommends that you schedule the upgrade for a time when there are no requirements to upload recipient list data. Before you begin the eMessage upgrade, confirm that all Campaign flowcharts that contain an eMessage process have finished running.

To preserve in-progress recipient list configuration work, save your work and back up all local files and databases before starting the upgrade.
Note: Mailing configurations are saved in IBM EMM Hosted Services and are unaffected by the upgrade.