[SimonKoppel]

It's a long shot, but I don't suppose there's anyone out there using RE 7.80 on SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2?

Our IS department want to upgrade our server (from SP1) but Blackbaud don't guarantee compatibility between 7.80 and SP2. I've been told by the Blackbaud service desk that "it's unlikely to cause a problem, but we haven't tested it". Fair enough - they can't test every possible configuration of servers and RE versions - but it doesn't help us much.

By the way, before anyone suggests it, for reasons too numerous to go into upgrading to a later version of RE is not currently a possibility.

[Peter Gulka]

I think you should go into them. I see a gap between someone wanting to
upgrade SQL but intentionally NOT wanting to upgrade RE. Something doesn't
click there.


Short of doing it and seeing what happens I don't think there's much you can
do.

[SimonKoppel]

The driver for the SQL upgrade is our IS department, and we're still trying to establish from them quite why they feel it has to be done at this point.

Frankly I'd love to upgrade RE - there are some changes particularly in 7.81 and 7.85 which look excellent - but:

• We have over two hundred users and would need to train them on any changes.
• We use the system in a number of unusual ways (particularly around Gift Aid - for UK users) and so can't just rely on Blackbaud documentation on what we need to do differently with new functionality.
• We have a large number of complex VBA and API enhancements, some of which would definitely need to be rewritten if we upgraded and and all of which will need extensive testing.
• Most importantly of all, we're in the middle of implementing a huge overhaul of all of our fundraising (especially around the use of databases) which means we don't have the time, money or staff available for any of the above, especially since we might not be using RE at all in a couple of years time.