Friday - The Automatic FAQ Maker
Manual: not covered
Sadly, there have never been upgrade guides for any version change, but the general 'rules' are pretty simple though do note occasional note the differences from Mac to Win OS. After the opening section discussing differences, in this article the word upgrade may be taken as applying to both upgrades and updates. Unless you are only a user of stand-alone clients you should read all sections of this article to ensure you apply any changes in the correct order. Jump to:
Upgrading of catalogue data is covered in more detail in a separate FAQ.
The two words tend to get used interchangeably but updates are normally minor revisions to the current version whereas upgrades are new - and usually pay-for - versions. Thus v7.0.4 was an update to v7.0.0 whilst v8.0.0 was an upgrade. Admittedly, the v8.1.0 update to v8.0.0 didn't quite follow this pattern but it holds true in general.
Besides updates to the programs there are occasional updates for new filters, new RAW filters being a good example. These updates are usually rolled into the next program update and/or upgrade.
Upgrades normally move the major version number up by one - v8.5 being a confusing exception. Increasingly since v7, server products and clients connecting to servers have been sold with ASAs (Annual Service Agreements). Any product with a current ASA may be upgraded free of charge, a new serial code being issued via the Extensis website. Otherwise, upgrades are normally pay-for items.
Again as a generalisation, program components with the same major version number (i.e. 7 or 8) will be incompatible. Thus v7.0.4 and v7.0.6 incompatible as v8.0.0 and v8.1.0 but v7.x and v8.x are not. There are exceptions. Any v7.0.0/7.0.1 components may not be used with v7.0.4+ components. In v8, you are advised to use v8.1.x throughout rather than mix v8.0.x and v8.1.x - though they should still work. Meanwhile, v8.5 will not work with v8.0/8.1 components. NetPublish Server has a further distinction in that it will accept publishing of catalogues from any client from v7.0.4 or later. NetPublish is also different in that it installs using the same application name in each version, whereas other components install into folders including a version number.
Updates will not require a new serial number and whether the old version has been uninstalled or installed over there should be no need to reapply existing serial code. For upgrades there will usually be a new serial number that will need to be applied to the upgraded product on first use. Most serial codes cannot be changed once applied without assistance from Extensis technical support. The only exceptions are Portfolio Server and SQLConnect; for these products serial codes may be applied and removed via the Portfolio Server Administration dialog.
Note that historically when new versions come out, the US/English version is always likely to come out before the other versions, though from v8 onwards all languages are installed together. This factor should be borne in mind working with multi-language workgroups sharing catalogues.
When updating, should you uninstall first or simply re-install over the top? This will be covered in more detail below as it varies by program component and by OS.
The primary difference between the two client types is that only ClientConnect can access Portfolio Servers. In the standalone version the latter feature is greyed out and thus unavailable. If upgrading from standalone to ClientConnect do ensure that you get the correct licence type; there is an SKU for such a (pay-four) upgrade.
To update [sic] any client, close the client and Portfolio Express. With the latter, don't just close the palette. In Windows, use the system tray icon's pop-up menu to close the app. In Mac, open your Activity Monitor (in Applications/Utilities) and find and close the app. As you will now install over the top of existing application you may wish to back up any user-created files saved there, such as Saved View files, etc. More importantly, if you have customised any default files such as some configuration plists these should definitely be backed up. Installers will normally ignore existing files that they didn't create when found in target inflation folders.
Now run the installer and install to the default location. The installation will replace and update your existing one. On the Mac you will need to log out and login again in order for the Finder context menu Portfolio addition to work correctly. You needn't do this at once if it's not a feature you use regularly as in all other respects the client is ready for use. Your existing serial code will not have been deleted and so will not require to be re-entered; the cautious user may still prefer to have it to hand at this point just in case!
For an upgrade, or some updates like v8.1, the new client will install into a different folder so you need to consider uninstalling the old one. What happens if you have two different versions installed at once? The good news is that different client versions will coexist on the same OS but there are some points to bear in mind:
For most users the process of upgrading may not involve adding the newer client, either as a demo or serialised, so that for a while to or more versions are installed. However, once you are happy with the newer version and have upgraded all your catalogues you may consider uninstalling the older version and doing a 'refresh' update over-install of the newer client. Only power users and integrators should have an ongoing requirement to run more than one version on an ongoing basis.
Demo vs. Standalone vs. ClientConnect version. It is the same installer. Any new but un-serialised client will work as a fully functioning ClientConnect client for 30 days. If no serial code has been applied, the client then functions as a Portfolio Browser. Despite this it can still be made into a fully functional clients of either licence type by simply applying the appropriate licence to the Browser.
Upgrade from Standalone to ClientConnect. This requires no installation but does require a change of serial code. This cannot be done by the user alone as the serial codes are not normally accessible. If you purchase such an upgrade licence, you should receive instructions from Extensis as to how to install the new serial code. You should be prepared to add to do a complete uninstall of your existing clients thus to think through any client files (catalogue data is unaffected) that you might wish to back up first.
Upgrading and served catalogues. For multi-seat users it is necessary to consider the upgrade in the context of the Portfolio Server software upgrade. When upgrading, as opposed to updating, the catalogue schema changes making all the clients incompatible with new catalogues. Users should not attempt to connect to a server running a different version of Portfolio.
Upgrading and NetPublish/NetPublish Server. Whilst both NetPublish versions will publish uploaded catalogues (i.e. not served) from v7.0.4+ clients you should aim to be using the same major version number for client and NetPublish. That is definitely true if using served catalogues with NetPublish Server.
Multi-seat serial codes. For Portfolio Server users it can be useful to have a multi-seat licence that allows a single code to be applied to numerous clients. These work in a compliance-checking fashion. When such a client opens it checks on the LAN for other clients with the same licence; if the licensed use account is not exceeded the client opens otherwise the user is informed that all available licences are currently in use. From v5 to v8.1.1 client codes (including standalone) were cross-platform and can be used on either Mac or Windows OS. From v8.5 client licenses are now per-OS. This will affect upgrading users who operate in a cross-platform environment. They should contact Extensis and discuss the OS split so new multi-seat per-OS licences may be issued. Apparently this change occurred because from v8.5 are additional sub-licensed components in the Windows client (only) requiring Extensis to know on which OS each client is installed.
Non-client updates - e.g. filter updates. Ensure the client is closed before running the update. Remember that from v7 onwards, Portfolio Server also contains the clients filters and so the update may need to be run twice for a computer with both the client and server applications installed. From v8.0 such updates do the latter task for you and if the server is detected both applications are updated without requiring the installer to be run a second time.
Custom filters. The Portfolio filters for cataloguing file types and allow for custom filters to be written. In such a case it is likely there will be no installer and the filter will just be added by placing it in the app's /filters/ subfolder. After doing this the client and/or server apps should be restarted.
From v7 onwards the Portfolio Server installer also installs the necessary software for SQLConnect. The latter is simply turned on by applying a second, SQLConnect, serial code to the Portfolio Server. As a general point, before doing any update or upgrade work you should always ensure that all clients are logged off and the Portfolio Server application has been stopped. Do be aware that the tasks with the Server application varying more between OSs than is the case with the client.
Updating. The task varies slightly between a the OSs due to the way they integrate into the parent OS. Normally an update will use the same folder name for install as the existing version. In a few cases, such as with v8.1 the client installed to a different folder but the server update did not. The README file for the installer should indicate whether a different folder name will be used for the install. Formal Extensis guidance is that you should uninstall the existing Server app before installing the update. The FAQ's experience has been that on Mac over-install of updates (not upgrades) is not problematic; this can be useful for small/busy teams with no IT departments as it involves less downtime. Which method you use probably depends on the importance of the data in your catalogues.
Consider catalogue data when updating. By default, catalogues are stored in the /catalogs/ subfolder of the Portfolio Server application, though there are ways to serve catalogues from external folders. If you use the default location, you should consider backing up any catalogues there before doing any updates. Updates shouldn't affect existing catalogue is but it's always good to have the safety of a backup in case of a bad install. Save a casual or test use you might not need to bother, but production server you should certainly should back up before update action.
Updating on Mac. Open the Server's Launcher applet. Stop the Portfolio Server application. Now run the installer and let it install over the existing application; if you prefer there is no reason that you can't uninstall the old version and simply do a fresh install of the update. Once the install is complete, use the Launcher applet to restart the Portfolio Server application. Use a client to administer the server and re served catalogues to check they function correctly. If you have created login start-up items for Portfolio Server you should check these still function correctly as well. The same is true if you have any scripts, e.g. a backup, that interact with Portfolio Server.
Updating on Windows. Open the OS Service dialog and stop the 'Portfolio Server' service. Uninstall the Portfolio Server application. Then do a fresh install using the update installer. This process should leave alone existing catalogues in the /catalogs/ subfolder but in a production scenario you should certainly take backups first. Once the reinstall is complete open the OS Service dialog and check the 'Portfolio Server' service is correctly configured; for instance, you may wish to attach the service to a particular user account. If you have any scripts, e.g. a backup, that interact with Portfolio Server and/or its service you should recheck these. In a non-production scenario you can try simply stopping the service and doing an over-install but this is not an endorsed technique.
Upgrading. When moving to a new version there are additional issues to consider. A single OS cannot run more than one version of Portfolio Server at a time. On top of the issue of installing software you must therefore consider continuity of service. For those with spare or new servers this isn't a problem but for smaller organisations it is. For the latter to bear in mind that the Portfolio Server app can be installed on Mac or Windows (Pro-level) desktop OSs to enable you to test and to upgrade catalogues; clearly such OSs aren't suitable for production of May enable you to check the new version out before losing the old version from the existing Server.
Consider catalogue data before upgrading. A new version means changes to the schema and so catalogues must be upgraded. Plan how to do this is the context of maintaining a service to users - it may be necessary to plan some outage. When installing a new version, you don't need to worry about existing catalogues, but you will need to move old or upgraded catalogues in to the correct locations for serving once the app is installed.
Upgrading on Mac. Open the Server's Launcher applet. Stop the Portfolio Server application. At this point Mac users have a choice. Although you can't run 2 versions of Portfolio Server at the same time, you can (only on Mac) have more than one version installed and ready for use. If you choose this path you must be diligent in ensuring that you do not have more than one version being called as a login start-up item. Having stopped the Portfolio Server app, (optionally) uninstall it. Install the new version. Although Portfolio Server (Mac) installs a login start-up item it doesn't start the app as part of the install process. You need to run the Launcher applet and do this manually the first time around. You will also need to update any backup scripts to reflect the change in version number in the app's folder name.
Upgrading on Windows. Open the OS Service dialog and stop the 'Portfolio Server' service. Uninstall the Portfolio Server application. Then do a fresh install using the update installer. Once the install is complete open the OS Service dialog and check the 'Portfolio Server' service is correctly configured; for instance, you may wish to attach the service to a particular user account. If you have any scripts, e.g. a backup, that interact with Portfolio Server and/or its service you should review and update these.
SQL Connect. The Portfolio end of upgrading/updating is catered for as part of the Server installs as described above. Note that if Portfolio Server and the SQL database on the same OS, although only one version of Portfolio Server can be run the SQL database could host SQL catalogues from a different computer running a different version of Portfolio Server. From the SQL server perspective they are 'just' SQL databases. This may help those who don't have two servers available when upgrading Portfolio Server.
Changes to support for new SQL database types tend to be linked to upgrades rather than updates. As SQLConnect throws up more unusual configurations you are well advised to the as with Extensis technical support over whether your desired configuration is possible. Upgrading Portfolio SQL catalogues is covered elsewhere.
Licences. If you don't de-licence Portfolio Server before I installing it or over-installing it you should find your Portfolio Server (and SQLConnect) licences are automatically found by the new install. Of course, there's no harm in ensuring you still have the licence codes to hand just in case. As with the client, Portfolio Server (but not SQLConnect) work as a fully functional 30 day demo without licensing. After that period, the app will still run but not serve anything. It will allow you to administer it so as to be able to apply a serial code and turn it into a fully working version. From v8.0(?) the Server app has been a bit cleverer at informing the user if it is running 'out of licence'; on older versions you could only discover this by explicitly trying to administer the server in question. To demo SQLConnect you will need to request an SQLConnect demo licence directly from Extensis.
Unlike the Portfolio Server product, all versions of NetPublish install into the same application folder using the same name. It is thus not possible to run more than one version on a single server at the same time. However it does appear that NetPublish will except publishing of catalogues from clients of v7.0.4 or greater. This is certainly true for standalone catalogue publishing; it is less clear (i.e. there's been less explicit user testing) as to whether NetPublish Server will do the same for served catalogues of an older version. However in a NetPublish Server scenario you should be planning to run the same version as Portfolio Server and so the issue should not arise.
For both OSs and for both update and upgrade, the official advice is the same; uninstall current version and reinstall with the new installer. Before doing this you must ensure that the application is stopped. On Mac, use the Launcher applet. On Windows, open the OS Service dialog and stop the 'Portfolio NetPublish' service. At this point, also consider your data. If you're NetPublish server is hosting uploaded catalogues then you should definitely backup the /WebRoot/ folder. The latter is slightly more than you actually need but is the easiest way to get everything you do need to preserve, without lots of fiddling. If you are only using NetPublish with served catalogues, i.e. as NetPublish Server, then you should consider backing up the following files in the /WebRoot/app/ folder; collection.cdb file, server.properties and any log files. You might also consider backing up /WebRoot/cache/so cashed images don't have to be rebuilt from scratch. Unless you're storing data in actual published NetPublish site files, in a NetPublish Server scenario you might just as well republish all sites wants the upgrade your update is complete.
Licences. If you don't de-licence NetPublish (Server) before I installing it or over-installing it you should find your NetPublish licence is automatically found by the new install. Of course, there's no harm in ensuring you still have the licence codes to hand just in case. As with the client, NetPublish works as a fully functional NetPublish Server [sic] 30 day demo without licensing. After that period, the app runs in a special demo mode allowing one discrete IP to access it per hour; this allows you to install NetPublish for free for local development purposes. The latter is useful as it says you doing development on your production server with the risk of bad development code crashing the app and affecting service to users. An unserialised NetPublish will allow you to administer it so as to be able to apply a serial code and turn it into a fully working version.
Keywords (to assist indexing/searching):
Question: Upgrading Portfolio program components [FAQ00393.htm]
Last Update:- 21 September 2007
Site and articles © Mark Anderson 2001-2007 - Visit my home page