SQl Server 2016 anyone?

[Ian Mitchell]

I'm just setting up a new server, and I'm seeing a REALLY strange error: the 'Notes' field won't update.
This is an all-new machine, with Microsoft server 2012, and SQL Server 2016 - first time I have used this.
Setup is otherwise the same on an existing machine - which works - and the new one - which has the above error.
- both have EA 12.1 Ultimate
- both use SQL server
- both using the same repository content.

So I can create new elements/diagrams/packages on the new server, and I can update the simple fields : name, phase, difficulty etc, but not the Notes. If the Notes pane is open (the one which is separate from the Properties page) then I can see my update to the Notes. but as soon as I switch to another element, then back again, the update is lost.
I even tried updating the database directly, and those updates don't show up back in EA. It's as if EA just can't process Notes fields. Same thing happens with Notes on Attributes & Operations: updates just don't work, so it's not specific to t_object: t_atribute and t_method show the same effect.

This may not be relevant, but I notice that, between SQL Server 2014 and 2016, the datatype of all the Note fields has changed from nText (SQL 2014) to nvarchar(Max) (SQL 2016), but Mr. Google says that they are backwards compatible. And the EA setup script specifies [Note] nvarchar(max), so it seems that SQl Server 2014 makes this into nText datatype.

Has anyone else seen anything like this? I really need this server for a customer demo, and it's driving me crazy...

[Geert Bellekens]

That is weird indeed. In my SQL server I too see all notes as ntext.
I have the idea they (silently) updated the SQL Server setup schema.

Have you tried creating a database on SQL Server 2016 with the old setup sql?
(I'll send you a copy if you don't have one handy)

Geert

PS. In general I'm all for switching ntext to varchar, makes a lot of queries a lot simpler, but it does have to keep working of course.

[Geert Bellekens]

I just checked and the date for the SQL Server creation script is 20-jun-2016, so awfully recent...
Maybe this script is only compatible with v13?

And indeed, all ntext fields have been replaced by varchar(max)

Geert

[Ian Mitchell]

I just re-tried installing SQL Server 2014, and adding a new EA rep using the NEW rep script - same error.
Do you have a copy of the old setup script - I hadn't noticed that the latest one is SO new...

[Ian Mitchell]

I edited the current SQL Server install script to globally replace nvarchar(max) with ntext, re-installed it , re-populated it, and the problem seems to have gone away.
2 days of my life I'll never get back  - thanks Sparx...