You do not need to obtain a licence for Microsoft SQL Server or install a database before you install Bp Premier. The Bp Premier installer will install a version of SQL Server Express suitable for the Bp Premier server's specifications.
By default, the installer will select to install SQL Server Express 2019.
SQL Server Express Edition
SQL Server Express edition is a free database suitable for practices that do not require database storage for patient records greater than 10GB, and do not have a large number of simultaneous users.
Practices can accumulate very large numbers of documents, such as referrals, reminders, recalls, mailouts, and correspondence with other providers. If your practice accumulates document storage that exceeds 10GB, the Bp Premier database will accommodate this growth by reorganising the database internally. This process is completely transparent to Bp Premier users and requires no action.
However, if your practice accumulates more than 10GB of patient data, you will need to perform some maintenance on your SQL Server database, or purchase a licence for a 'full' version of SQL Server and perform an upgrade to allow the database to grow to larger than 10GB in size.
What if I already have a full SQL Server licence and want to use it with Bp Premier?
If your practice already has a licence for a full edition of SQL Server, install Bp Premier and select the default SQL Server Express database that matches the full edition you have a licence for.
After installing Bp Premier, follow the instructions in Upgrade SQL Server for Bp Premier to upgrade the database to your licence.
How do I find out the size of my database?
You can use database inspection tools, such as SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), to view the size of a database. Your practice's IT support or database administrator can find this information. You could also look at the size of the database files on disk.
Depending on your version of SQL Server, SQL Server Management Studio is installed when you install the database. In later versions of SQL Server, you may have to install SSMS yourself. Review the Microsoft documentation for information on installation.
Best Practice Software recommend checking the size of the database at regular intervals, and if it is likely that the 10GB limit will be reached in the next year, begin planning for a database upgrade.
What if my patient database is nearing 10GB?
If your site's Patients database grows past a certain percentage of the maximum size, Bp Premier will advise with a database size warning when users log in.
Call Best Practice Software General Products Support to discuss your practice's database requirements. You may need to purchase a licence for a 'full' edition of Microsoft SQL Server and upgrade your Bp Premier database to the full edition.
Best Practice Software Support have utilities that can carry out an edition upgrade. The database upgrade will not cause any data loss or require reinstallation of Bp Premier.
I want to upgrade my database to a newer version
If you are using an older version of Microsoft SQL Server, you may wish to upgrade to a newer version to take advantage of improvements in speed and functionality, especially if you have recently upgraded your Bp Premier server's specifications. See Upgrade SQL Server for more information.
Last updated: 08 December 2023.
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