Setting Up a Test Server
Orginally posted by Brian Andle - Updated by me - Parts taken from the install PS Install guide
1. Download Newest PS, Oracle and Oracle Jobs (Download appropriate 32bit/64bit version) on your new test server

2. Install Java 1.5 (Don't think you have to do this anymore)

3. Install Oracle on the test server, when installing Oracle make sure to use the same passwords you did when you setup your live server as this will make it easier later.

4. Install PS (You can Install PS on Win 2000, 2003 and XP, if you install on XP make sure you select 2003 compatibility mode) or copy the application from your live server, if you copy it make sure you change the IP's in the following files:

Windows & Mac:
\PowerSchoolPremier\data\config\dalx\serverconfig.props
\PowerSchoolPremier\system\Tomcat\webapps\powerschool-sdkhttpinvoke\WEB-INF\classes\powerschool-config.properties
\PowerSchoolPremier/system/Tomcat/webapps/powerschool-sys-mgmt/WEB-INF/classes\ powerschool-config.properties
NOTE: In 6.1 the Tomcat files will be moved to \Program Files\Tomcat\...

5. Export data from your live server; make sure to do this off-peak when there aren't users accessing the database to prevent issues when testing applications that use the PSM tables. (See Oracle Backup and Restore Guide from PowerSource on how to export from your production server)
Taking a dump of your live database is easy:
Windows: [oracle drive] :\oracle\scripts\export.bat, run the "export.bat [SID] [name of dump file]" - example: E:\oracle\scripts\export.bat PSPRODDB PSPRODDB-Jan12
Mac: (see install guide)

6. Copy the data dump from the below location on your live sever to your new test server in the same location. Its is located in:
Windows: [drive]:\oradata\[SID]\data_pump_dir\PSPRODDB-Jan12 <-from out example above
Mac: /u02/oradata/[SID]/data_pump_dir/PSPRODDB-Jan12 <-from out example above

7. Start PowerSchool on the test server (Let PS install any schema updates if needed and restart according to PS app, you may restart several times. In theory running the schema updates before on no data should be faster than running them after importing the data)

8. Import the data on the test server, remember you should have copied the file over from the live server to the test server in step 7. We need to drop the old database on the test server and insert the new one on the test server.
Let's remove the old database first on the test server, run the DropSchema script:
Windows: [oracle drive] :\oracle\scripts\DropSchema.bat, run the "DropSchema.bat [SID]" - example: E:\oracle\scripts\DropSchema.bat PSPRODDB
Mac: (same theory, just different commands, see install guide)
Then let's import the data:
Windows: [oracle drive] :\oracle\scripts\export.bat, run the "export.bat [SID] [name of dump file]" - example: E:\oracle\scripts\export.bat PSPRODDB PSPRODDB-Jan12
Mac: (see install guide)

Run the oracle jobs installer

9. Lets remove the old server configuration from the test server. In an array, if you start it up you would see the all your servers in the list under server settings. We want to clear that first and the set up it up later. (From install guide) Oracle saves on exit, so make sure you actually type Exit.

Windows
1.Open a Command prompt.
2.Enter sqlplus / as sysdba
3.Press Enter/Return.
4.Press Enter/Return.
5.Enter truncate table ps.server_instance;
6.Press Enter/Return.
7.Enter truncate table ps.server_config;
8.Press Enter/Return.
9.Enter Exit
Mac
1.Open Terminal.
2.Enter sudo su – oracle
3.Press Enter/Return.
4.Enter the password for the admin account you are using.
5.Press Enter/Return.
6.Enter sqlplus / as sysdba
7.Press Enter/Return.
8.Enter truncate table ps.server_instance;
9.Press Enter/Return.
10.Enter truncate table ps.server_config;
11.Press Enter/Return.
12.Enter Exit

10. From the PowerSchool Menu select" Web Server Properties", Click "Set Default Values" and Save.

11. From the PowerSchool Menu select "Export Web Server Configuration" ( I don't know why Brian said to do this, I never have, but what the heck.)
Restart the Powerschool Application

12. From the PowerSchool hidden menu select “Turn E-mail Off” (You will also need to disable any AutoComm jobs you have if you using AutoComm)

13. Log into the Test Server.

14. System->ReportWorks Admin->ReportWorks Preferences.

15. Change Scheduler node to "Localhost" and in the Scheduler Send Report remove the production server ip and change to localhost

16. This should be set, but I always check. System->System Settings->Server Settings and set the web server address to your test server address.

17. Restart the server and re-launch PowerSchool. ( I don't usually do this, but how can it hurt)

18. Congratulations you have setup a Test Server.

IF YOU GET AN ERROR START UP THE APPLICATION NODE AND ITS SAYS TO SEE THE DALX LOGS. IT USUALLY MEANS THE DATABASE IS LOCKED. SEE THE INSTALL GUIDE ON HOW TO UNLOCK IT. ANOTHER REASON YOU MAY GET THE ERROR IS THAT THE PASSWORDS DON'T MATCH THE LIVE SERVER, SEE ALTER PERMISSIONS FROM THE INSTALL GUIDE. THE LOG FILE WILL TELL YOU WHY.