A Dentrix server migration, or a move of Eaglesoft or Open Dental to a new server, is one of the riskiest jobs in a dental office. We plan it, build the new server ahead of time, move the data after hours with your software vendor, and keep the old server ready as a rollback. Practices in Buffalo and Rochester open Monday on new hardware without losing a day.
We document what the old server actually does.
No downtime during the schedule.
The old server stays ready until the new one proves itself.
The best time to replace a server is before it fails, when you can pick the date. These are the signs we look for:
Once Microsoft stops releasing security updates for a Windows version, a server holding patient records becomes a HIPAA risk.
Dentrix, Eaglesoft and Open Dental all raise their requirements over time, and an upgrade can force a hardware change.
Without it, a failed part can mean days waiting for a replacement.
In the storage array, even if the server is still running on the remaining drives.
Usually because of images and scanned documents.
Across every workstation, at the same times of day.
With no redundancy if its single drive fails.
If two or more of these apply, it is worth planning a move now. A migration done on your schedule costs far less, in money and in stress, than an emergency rebuild after the server dies on a Monday morning.
The practice software is rarely the only thing on a dental server. Over the years it picks up imaging databases, shared folders, a printer queue, a fax program, a label printer, a scanner destination, maybe a backup agent nobody remembers installing. Miss one and someone finds out on Monday morning.
Before we quote hardware, we go through the existing server and write down:
This list becomes the migration checklist and the test plan.
We specify the new server against the current requirements from Henry Schein One, Patterson or Open Dental for the version you will run, plus room for growth. As a Dell and HP partner, we source business-class hardware with proper warranties. Our hardware page has more on how we choose equipment.
The server is built and running for days before the move, not unboxed on the night. That gives drive or memory faults time to show up while the old server is still in charge. Before cutover, the new server has:
Moving a practice database is not a file copy. Each vendor has its own process for moving the database to a new server, and some prefer to do that step themselves or be on the call while it happens. We book that time with Henry Schein One, Patterson or Open Dental well ahead, and we handle everything around it: images, documents, shared folders, imaging software and all the other services on the checklist.
Where possible we do a trial run first. We restore a copy of the data onto the new server, connect one test workstation, and check it the way staff would use it. That catches permission problems, missing folders and imaging paths before the real night.
Our test plan for each workstation covers:
Open the practice software and pull up a recent patient.
Check the schedule, chart, ledger and a printed document.
Click through to imaging and confirm existing X-rays open.
Take a test capture where there is a sensor.
Scan a document and print a claim or statement.
The real move happens when the office is closed, usually starting on a Friday evening or Saturday. The order matters:
Everyone logs out. We confirm nobody is connected to the old server.
We take a final full backup of the old server and confirm it completed.
The database is moved to the new server using the vendor’s process, followed by images, documents and shared folders.
Every workstation is pointed at the new server: software settings, mapped drives, imaging paths, scanners and printers.
We run the test plan on every workstation, not a sample.
The old server is shut down but left untouched.
On the first morning, we check in with the front desk early, either onsite or remotely, so any small issue is fixed before the first patient sits down.
Every migration we run has a written rollback plan. If the new server fails testing and the problem cannot be fixed that night, we switch the workstations back to the old server, which has not been changed, and the practice opens as normal. We then fix the problem and reschedule.
For that to work, the old server stays in place and powered off, with its data intact, for an agreed period after the move. Only once the new server has run cleanly, backups have completed and a test restore has worked do we wipe and dispose of the old drives securely, with a record you can keep for HIPAA purposes.
Server migrations are part of our dental IT support. For software-specific detail, see our Dentrix IT support and Eaglesoft IT support pages.
The cutover happens after hours, usually over a weekend, so the practice should not lose scheduled time. The first morning, we check in early to fix anything small before patients arrive.
Usually, yes. Each vendor has its own process for moving the database, and some handle that step themselves. We book their time in advance and handle everything else around it.
It depends on hardware lead times and vendor scheduling. We start with an assessment of your current server, then agree a date once the new hardware is built and tested.
We follow the written rollback plan: workstations are pointed back at the old server, which has not been changed, and the practice opens as normal while we fix the problem.
It stays powered off with its data intact until the new server has proven itself. After that, the drives are securely wiped or destroyed and documented.
Schedule a free remote or on-site IT consult. Tell us about your business and the services you need – response times are typically under three hours.
