FE Updater

[Guest]

I am trying to use your FE Updater program, but having some difficulty. I put
a frontend in a folder on my server. Then I put the all the files I got from
the AutoFEUpdater zip file into another separate folder on the server. I
changed all the paths in GettingStarted.ini file and the validate command
works. However, I do not understand this AutoFEUpdater.ini file. What does
Master mean? What I want to do is update other workstations across the
network as well, but when I run StartMDB from my folder on the server, it
only updates my computer. How do I get all the other workstations updated as
well by running that same StartMDB file? Or do I have to put the StartMDB
file on all workstations? Who is responsible of running these updates? Just
one person from the server, or does every user run their own?

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

You put the updater on each workstation. Then, when they run the
application, it checks for a new version, and then copies it. If no new
version..then a copy from the server is not made..and the application runs
as usual.

So, in effect your users don't have to do anything..but it is the "user"
action of running the AutoFE that causes the update to happen. Thus, this
update is a "pull" update as opposed to your idea of a "push".

 

[Fred Boer]

Dear Albert:

You put the updater on each workstation. Then, when they run the

Are you sure about that, Albert? I hesitate to question you, but I use the
AutoFE Updater, and I only have a shortcut on each workstation. The location
of the AutoFE Updater files is a shared folder on the server, and it seems
to work correctly. Perhaps it works both ways?

Cheers!
Fred Boer

 

[Fred Boer]

Dear Sahar:

I might be able to help a little, although Tony Toews, (the author of the
AutoFe Updater), is, of course, the real expert!

In general terms, the front end is stored on the server in a shared folder,
as you say you've done. The AutoFE files are stored in another shared folder
on the server. A shortcut pointing to StartMDB is placed on each
workstation. The user clicks on the shortcut on the workstation. When
StartMDB runs, it needs the ini file to give it the necessary paths to
files, and other settings. Then the StartMDB checks to see if the file(s) in
the front end folder is/are newer than the file(s) on the workstation. If
so, it replaces the file on the workstation with the newer front end and
launches the front end mdb.

So, whenever a user clicks on the shortcut to launch the application, the
update (if necessary) occurs. It is (as Albert has said) a "pulling" from
the workstation, rather than a "pushing" from the server. So the updates
don't happen all at once, they occur as each individual workstation's
shortcut is opened.

HTH
Fred Boer

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Dear Albert:


Are you sure about that, Albert? I hesitate to question you, but I use the
AutoFE Updater, and I only have a shortcut on each workstation. The
location
of the AutoFE Updater files is a shared folder on the server, and it seems
to work correctly. Perhaps it works both ways?

duh!....Yes..you put a shortcut on each workstation..not the autoFE......

 

[Tony Toews]

duh!....Yes..you put a shortcut on each workstation..not the autoFE......

And if you get the user to click on a shortcut on the server then you,
being the IT dept, dev, whatever, don't need to put anything on the
workstation.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

 

[Tony Toews]

I might be able to help a little, although Tony Toews, (the author of the
AutoFe Updater), is, of course, the real expert!

Yeah, but the author is frequently the worst person to create the user

A shortcut pointing to StartMDB is placed on each
workstation.

With the exception of this detail s as I've pointed out in my other
posting in this thread, your explanation is an excellent summary of
the process.

One of my near term enhancements is to allow you the dev to create the
shortcuts in a different directory, such as the root of a share, so
the user doesn't need to navigate a directory with all kinds of other
stuff to find that shortcut.

May I borrow your paragraphs for my website?

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

 

[Fred Boer]

Thanks for the compliment, Tony. If anything I've written seems useful to
you, please go ahead!

Cheers!
Fred