When a new release of Deltek Cobra comes out, it can be challenging to just simply try it out without a test machine. As with any version of software, bugs can be an issue. So far in my early use of Deltek Cobra 8.0, I have not run into any bugs, however, it’s always a good idea to protect yourself against any unforeseen issues. This blog will walk you through a quick way of installing Deltek Cobra 8.0 to run along side Cobra 5 to ensure that there will not be any gap in coverage as you or your organization test Cobra 8.0s cool new features.
I performed this process on my stand-alone laptop using Microsoft SQL server:
- On a standalone laptop install Deltek Cobra 8.0 (there is an alternative I will discuss if you don’t have an alternative machine later)
- On your machine do the following:
a. Create a new database on Microsoft SQL Server (or equivalent server), be sure to name something other than what the Deltek Cobra 5 database is:
b. Under the Deltek Folder on you C: drive, create a Cobra 8 folder. This will be the same place the Cobra 5 folder is listed
c. Copy the contents of the Cobra 5 folder into the new folder you created for Cobra 8
d. Then using portable drive to transfer the contents of the Cobra 8 folder generated on the alternative machine and also copy into new generated Cobra 8 folder. *Choose to overwrite similar files*
e. In the Cobra 8 folder, open the datatool.exe to connect Cobra 8 to the new database that was set up earlier:
The following are screen shots represent the steps for connecting to your new database:
- Open up the Data Tool as described above, typically “password” is the password unless its been changed by you in the past
- Select “Add”
- Choose the server provider, in this case we’re using SQL Server, select “next”
- Plug in your server information. You can easily get this by launching SQL and in putting the information found there
- Provide a name or the database (Can be any name you choose) and the owner of the database owner, this should be reference to the owner from SQL
- Hit next
- Use the EPMSecadmin.exe to update the license and create user logins and security
- You can then launch Deltek Cobra 8.0 from the Cobra 8 folder (Cobra.WinUI.exe)
- If you are using Windows 8, you can easily pin a shortcut to Cobra 8 on to the task bar by right clicking on the .exe in the Cobra 8 folder and select pin to task bar. Similar process for creating a short cut on earlier versions of windows
In the absence of a spare machine you can follow these steps:
- Create a new Database on Microsoft Server SQL
- Under the Deltek Folder on you C: drive, create a cobra 8 folder
- Copy the contents of the Cobra 5 folder into the new folder
- Upgrade Cobra 5 to Cobra 8 on your machine
- Copy the contents of the new Cobra 8 folder created by the install into the one that was previously set up
- Uninstall Cobra 8
- Re-install Cobra 5 (make sure you are using the latest upgrade). Point Cobra 5 to the new database created in step 1
- Using the Datatool.exe you can set up a new database as shown above and point both Cobra 5 and Cobra 8 to the appropriate database