Whats your strategy for updating your mobile app?

[Salo]

Hi there.

I was wondering if anyone had thoughts / experience they could share on this
:

Once you've developed your (killer) application, and deployed it, how do you
manage upgrades / hot fixes to field users?

I know MS has a solution coming in .Net Framework 2, but unfortunately thats
only for desktop smartclient apps.

My initial feel is to develop a baseline bootstrapper type application
launcher that could handle checking for updates, and downloading them if
need be. It in turn then applies those updates (probably just replacing old
application) and then launches said app.

But this can bring a whole raft of other issues...how often to check, how to
manage critical vs optional updates, possibly managing different versions of
the app for different users / varieties of PPC, and, critically, what about
updates for the bootstrapper app itself?

Have you managed to make this process seamless (read: dummy proof) to the
end user?

Would appreciate any feedback / war stories you have!

Kind regards.

Salo

 

[Arvind]

il share what i know.


MS has the solution for this

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetcomp/h
tml/AutoUpdater.asp

this is for automatic updating of applications for the pocket pc
application from server

if u found out any solution good than this..please share with me..

as im also looking forward for the samesort of solution in my application

--
Thanks
Arvind

--
"eRiva Systems" - Where Technology Meets Life, Every Minute.

(e-mail address removed)

www.erivasystems.com

 

[Mike]

I have the app check for a new version on every sync with the server. If
there is an update available, it downloads it and installs it. (cab file)

 

[Arvind]

can u share ur technical knowledge with us?on how to do?

or a sample source code
???


--
"eRiva Systems" - Where Technology Meets Life, Every Minute.

(e-mail address removed)

www.erivasystems.com

 

[r_z_aret]

Hi there.

I was wondering if anyone had thoughts / experience they could share on this
:

Once you've developed your (killer) application, and deployed it, how do you
manage upgrades / hot fixes to field users?

I know MS has a solution coming in .Net Framework 2, but unfortunately thats
only for desktop smartclient apps.

My initial feel is to develop a baseline bootstrapper type application
launcher that could handle checking for updates, and downloading them if
need be. It in turn then applies those updates (probably just replacing old
application) and then launches said app.

Basically the approach I use.

But this can bring a whole raft of other issues...how often to check, how to
manage critical vs optional updates, possibly managing different versions of
the app for different users / varieties of PPC, and, critically, what about
updates for the bootstrapper app itself?

As with an earlier poster, I check whenever the user requests a
synchronization. My apps actually communicate with a server controlled
by the customer. So the customer can determine whether an update is
appropriate, and put a copy of it on the server. The mobile users have
no choice; if an update is on the server, their copy will be replaced.

Have you managed to make this process seamless (read: dummy proof) to the
end user?

By being very careful about how my applications communicate. Nothing
very deep. Just many little pieces of code added after "aha" moments
that came while debugging problems over several years. We're still
encountering about 1 or 2 new problems a year (customers are
remarkably creative). Sorry, but I can't share. My company really
thinks they provide a competitive advantage.

Would appreciate any feedback / war stories you have!

Kind regards.

Salo

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Robert E. Zaret, eMVP
PenFact, Inc.
500 Harrison Ave., Suite 3R
Boston, MA 02118
www.penfact.com