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SOL Tracker now contains a
feature to keep it up to date with the latest changes through a mechanism
named AutoUpdate that automatically downloads and installs newer versions of
the software. This process eliminates the necessity of administrators having
to install newer versions of the software on each computer every time an
update is released. This also allows Successline to propagate important
changes to the software so that all users receive them quickly.
Normally, the upgrade file and the checking mechanisms that AutoUpdate uses
are on the Successline web site, which requires an active connection to the
Internet each time SOL Tracker is started. However, it is possible to change
the AutoUpdate settings to point the software to check and download from a
location on your own network, or to disable the AutoUpdate process entirely.
The benefits of changing to a location on your own network is to eliminate
potential problems with downloading restrictions for certain computers,
control when installations get upgraded by timing its release, and to
relieve some of the bandwidth requirements on the web server in order to
speed it up for all customers (the upgrade file is generally about 20-25MB).
The settings for this feature are displayed from the Program Settings and
Maintenance utility on the Program Updates tabbed page. On
this tabbed page are several options. The Enable AutoUpdates checkbox
turns on or off the AutoUpdate process for a given installation. This is, by
default, enabled when SOL Tracker is installed.
The Use a Network Location for the Update Files option allows you to
force the software to check and download from a location that you specify.
This could be useful for users that are restricted from accessing the
Internet, or to minimize Internet bandwidth. If you check this option, you
will need to specify the location to check for the necessary files. This can
reside on a network server, or an Intranet. The browse button allows you to
browse for a file path, but you can enter a URL manually for the location.
SOL Tracker needs three files to be located in the specified location, as
described here:
|
FILES REQUIRED FOR
AUTOUPDATE PROCESS |
|
solupgrade4.exe |
This is the actual download
file that is run to install the upgrade. It is allowable to just run
this file on any computer to perform the upgrade. However, the checking
mechanisms are put in place so that users do not upgrade to a version
that they cannot use due to the absence of a legitimate license. |
|
solversion4upgrades.txt |
This is used to verify that
the current software can be upgraded. Certain versions cannot, like paid
upgrades. You should not modify this, and forcing an upgrade to an
unauthorized version will not work without a proper License Disk for the
newer version. |
|
solversion4.txt |
This file contains the
current build of the software, and it is this file that SOL Tracker
compares against to see if a newer version is available. |
SOL Tracker Administrators will be notified
by email whenever a newer version of the software is available. If you have
set up your system to use the alternate path for the AutoUpdate process,
your users will not be prompted to upgrade until you download the newer
files and place them in the specified path and they start (or restart) SOL
Tracker. You can right-click and choose Save As for each of the
links above to download the most recent versions of these files. These
links are also provided in the broadcast email that is sent when new builds
are published. You should choose to save the files in a
different location than where your copies of SOL Tracker check for
updates. The reason for this is that you (as the SOL Tracker
Administrator) should perform the steps outlined hereafter to update the
Data File prior to publishing the existence of the upgrade to your
users.
Typically, new builds contain processes that need to be run on an existing
Data File to make it compatible with the newer build. These are
usually minor field changes, but are necessary. This process is
referred to as a Data File Update, and should not be confused with a
Data File Upgrade, which is performed between major versions of the
software via the Data File Converter utility. The first user to
attach to a Data File with a newer software build will be prompted to
perform the process. In a networked environment, this only needs to be
performed once on the Data File, and again the first user to attach
will be prompted. If you are running a controlled distribution of
software updates as outlined in this FAQ question, it is also good practice
for the SOL Tracker Administrator to perform the Data File Update
process on a networked Data File prior to making the newer build of
the software available to your users. This can easily be done by following these
steps:
- Install the newer build of SOL Tracker onto one
computer.
- Copy the networked Data File to
the computer's hard drive.
- Open SOL Tracker and go to Utilities,
then Data Utilities and select the Data File tabbed page.
- Click on the button to browse to another
Data File and select the copy on the hard drive.
- After the login, you may be prompted
about performing the Data File Update process, and advised how long
it should take. The length of time varies depending on what
processes need to be performed, and if the process is short enough you may
not even be prompted but it will run automatically. If prompted,
choose to perform the update. A backup is always performed
automatically. Various messages or progress meters
may appear. The "Data File update is complete" message will appear
at the end indicating that the process is complete. If a particular
build does not change anything within the Data File for the new
build, no prompt or messages will appear, but the program will go directly
into its normal routines. If you arrive at the Main ("rainbow")
screen with no prompting, then there is no update to perform.
However, continue with the following steps even if no update occurred,
because the build designation within the Data File has been updated.
- Make a backup of the original networked
Data File
by copying and archiving it.
- Ensure all users are out of the program
and copy the updated Data File from the hard drive back to the
network.
- Re-attach your copy of the software back
to the networked Data File as described earlier.
- Close SOL Tracker on the computer, then
restart it. Verify that you are not prompted about the update.
- Make the new build available to all
users by copying the three update files into the network AutoUpdate
location.
Please note that the AutoUpdate is typically used for updating to newer
builds of the same version. It will not upgrade a copy of SOL Tracker
to another version if it is not a free upgrade. |
