Ideas/best practices on how to AutoUpdate software?

  • Thread starter Thread starter S.Sigal
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S

S.Sigal

Hello:
Always wanted to do this -- but never knew how...

The goal is to write software that goes out to clients -- but I want to be able to auto-update them
when there is a later release available at the website....
Any articles that would be a good place to start?

One of the things I don't understand is how a program can stop itself to replace itself...



I have seen several articles by now -- that I think are in the right direction -- but frankly, I'm
just getting myself confused as to which one is the right type of technology to look at.

* BITS seems to be a possible way to go investigate -- but not on all platforms (still have lots of
customers on win98 to my chagrin).

* Remote dll paths in the assembly sounds also interesting. But does that use the remote path to the
dll to cache a copy and use the cache copy, or does it actually update/replace the local one? And
doesn't that cause it to connect to the server every time the dll's are loaded? In other words, 1000
clients = 1000 * loadassembly = 1000 connections to my server. And what happens if the server is
down? Would it hang their application for 30 seconds?


As you can see, I don't know what I am talking about -- hence this post out for help :-)
 
Google: "Background Intelligent Transfer Service API"

--
<%= Clinton Gallagher, "Twice the Results -- Half the Cost"
Architectural & e-Business Consulting -- Software Development
NET (e-mail address removed)
URL http://www.metromilwaukee.com/clintongallagher/



S.Sigal said:
Hello:
Always wanted to do this -- but never knew how...

The goal is to write software that goes out to clients -- but I want to be able to auto-update them
when there is a later release available at the website....
Any articles that would be a good place to start?

One of the things I don't understand is how a program can stop itself to replace itself...



I have seen several articles by now -- that I think are in the right direction -- but frankly, I'm
just getting myself confused as to which one is the right type of technology to look at.

* BITS seems to be a possible way to go investigate -- but not on all platforms (still have lots of
customers on win98 to my chagrin).

* Remote dll paths in the assembly sounds also interesting. But does that use the remote path to the
dll to cache a copy and use the cache copy, or does it actually
Click to expand...
update/replace the local one? And
 
Thank you Clinton.
Did come across this and held back going this direction because it is only XP -- not win98.
How is Windows AutoUpdating Win98 clients? Not BITS, since XP only, right?
 
Ok. I'm going to have to mull over that article as it's just an itsy bitsy level out of my reach
coding wise...so it will take time to ponder/figure out.

Thanks for your help!

How did they do it before BITS came out? Any links to old methods? Socket? Batch file to shut down
exe/service, replace, restart?

Thanks!
 
I have no idea how it was done before BITS. You should also
Google: "Wise Installer" as I recall the vendor may have some
features that help update installed applications.


--
<%= Clinton Gallagher, "Twice the Results -- Half the Cost"
Architectural & e-Business Consulting -- Software Development
NET (e-mail address removed)
URL http://www.metromilwaukee.com/clintongallagher/
 
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