The database autoupgrade attribute

You use the autoupgrade attribute on the <database> element in file database-config.xml to manage PolicyCenter configuration and database upgrades. The autoupgrade attribute has the following syntax:

• <database ... autoupgrade="full|manual" .../>

The attribute value has the following meaning. The default value is manual if the attribute is missing.

autoupgrade attribute	Description
full	Whenever the application server starts, if it determines the need for a full upgrade, the presence of this attribute set to full is sufficient permission to perform the upgrade. With this setting: If a rolling (configuration) upgrade is already in progress as the server starts, the server throws an exception, to force the choice of an upgrade type. If a full upgrade is already in progress by other means as the server starts, there is no issue as this setting is consistent with the a full upgrade.
manual	This setting requires that you explicitly set the permission to upgrade through one of the following means: Setting the database upgrade type in the Server Tools Upgrade and Versions screen and initiating the upgrade from that screen. Setting the following Java system property to the current date as the application server starts: -Dgw.pc.full.upgrade.intended.date See Unexpected upgrades for a discussion of the use of this Java system property. You must set the value of autoupgrade to manual if performing a rolling (configuration) upgrade.

The behavior of this attribute depends on the following:

• Whether you are working with a single PolicyCenter server or with multiple PolicyCenter servers in a clustered server environment.
• Whether you are attempting a full PolicyCenter database upgrade or using a rolling upgrade to implement application configuration changes.

Start Full Upgrade	autoupgrade	Result
Set	Not set or full	The server starts, the upgrade completes, and PolicyCenter updates the Upgrade and Versions screen.
Not set	Not set or manual	The server does not start, the upgrade fails, and PolicyCenter logs an error message.

The following table describes the interactions between setting Start Full Upgrade on the Upgrade and Versions screen and the value of the autoupgrade attribute during deployment of non-data model changes to a production mode server.

Start Full Upgrade	autoupgrade	Result
Set	Not set or full	The server starts, the upgrade completes, and PolicyCenter updates the Upgrade and Versions screen.
Not set	Not set or manual	The PolicyCenter server starts.

autoupgrade	Result
full	If you set the value of autoupgrade attribute to full, any attempt to start a rolling upgrade fails. In addition, you must always set the upgrade type (full) using the Server Tools Upgrade and Versions screen, or, by using the system_tools -startfullupgrade command option, for example.
manual	If you set the value of autoupgrade attribute to manual, you must always set the upgrade type (full or rolling) or the upgrade fails. You can set the upgrade type in the Server Tools Upgrade and Versions screen or by setting a JVM parameter at server startup. For a rolling upgrade, the new configuration (database-config.xml) must set this value to manual. This new value overrides any value set in the old configuration.
Not set	If you do not set the value of autoupgrade attribute, PolicyCenter assumes a default value of manual and behaves accordingly.