Online Update System

I want to give the idea of an online update system,
which should replace the actual update system and cycle.

The idea is based on a small tool, in which the user puts in his user and password data.
The tool connects to the conitecserver and logs in into a database and validates the users data.
In the 3dgs folder would be a file, which has a version table inside, and the tool
checks this table and compares the versions with the versions given in the online database.
Maybe it could also give a few lines of short text with fixes listed, like:
-changed exit() to sys_exit()
-improved text functions
-new MED import filter
-...

Then the user clicks "Download" and the tool will download all the new files and replace the existing ones in the 3dgs folder.
With this method, it would be possible to release updates more frequently, as even small changes can be spread (like only a new acknex.dll)
without having a large expenditure on the administration side, and also bugs could be fixed much faster then acutally,
where it sometimes takes over a half year between the update releases.

And on the security side there shoulnd be more risk then with the current solution,
as only users with a valid userdata could access the database, like at the moment,
and you could easily remove or "ban" accounts.

old_bill

Good idea! I'd have it rather low-priority at the moment, though, since the final 6.4 update is much more important for now, I guess

Looks like the windows update function integrated into winXP. I think this kind of online service is very ressource taking to program and setup the server components at conitec and the client side components.

It would be nice, but if you visit frequently the forums I see no need to make something like that.

Bye
Christian

No, it should not be based on an ActiveX control, but an independent *.exe file.
The setup is not that hard, we have done this here in another circumstance, and it's
very easy to administrate, both on the server and the client side.

The advantage would be the option to spread even small updates very easy,
all the same if its just a new wdl file fróm the templates or the new ackenx.dll .

old_bill

While I'm all for faster updates and bug fixes, I can't see how it is related in any way, shape, or form with the update delivery method. It takes all of two seconds longer to click the link and enter the user/pass and I don't see how cutting this down would really help anything.

Now, if Conitec would actually release updates on a weekly or monthly basis, I could see this working, but given it's track record (especially this last year which has been a friggen joke), I just don't see it.

If Conitec have a Windows server, Conitec can develop a web service which can allow the .net Framework application to connect to the server. Written either in C# or VB.net, a webservice can talk to the database server like in SQL Server 2005, then in the client-side application (the updating program) can then give the version information to the server, which the web service can check the application's version with the version that's already in the server, then the web service will return whether the the 2 version numbers match. If it's true, then the user already have an up-to-date version of the software. If false, then start downloading the updates.

It doesn't take that much time to do this with C#/VB.net than unmanaged C++.

I use Linder SetupBuilder to handle exactly this.

The $249 price tag is way less than it would cost me to design, build and implement a system like this myself. You can make the updates silent, or notify the user of availability. Your choice.

Friedrich Linder is also extremely responsive to change requests, defects and suggestions. It's worth a look.

I like the idea of alerting users of a new update being available. Winamp does this as well as Winzip. Winzip uses a "check once a ___" method where it could be every day, every week, or every month and it checks under these conditions, but only when the program is run. I had Winzip set to check weekly and it's been 2 weeks at one time since I last used it and it didn't check for updates until I did finally use the program. Winamp uses some sort of webserver flag system so, when the program is run, it checks the availability of an update indicated by a flag of some sort and if one is available, it notifies the user. No update is downloaded or anything - the user does that manually using the username and password provided to them when they ordered the program.

Edit: for beta users, it could be done with a special flag saying that a new beta release is available. A public beta is a bit difference than that of the private beta.

this is an incredible idea, having a seperate program that downloads updates, it'd be very simple acually all conitec has to do is set up an update folder over the internet, and then have a folder for each kind of update, if u'd like to have updates to acnex.dll, sed.exe, etc... each folder could be like this

update/acnex_upd
update/sed_upd
update/wed_upd
update/med_upd
....

on and on, this way they could focus on one update at a time and when they get done with it they upload it to that folder, and we d/l a exe file that would be set to search the update folder and search for files newer than the ones currently held, that way if you have a file that is old in a dir, and another file in that dir is new, it would only update the old file...this idea is really expandible and it would not be as hard as it sounds

Would that be similar to the ClickOnce technology that came with Visual Studio 2005?
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/04/05/clickonce/default.aspx

whats so complicated about starting an exe file you downloaded??

i think online updates are good for games aso but a serious developer tool? I cant allow gs to do this all alone because i have projects and deadlines and the last thing i could use are automatic updates that change my work in the background.
So this would make it useless for me and i would have to go back to the old "want to update? yes/no" window.

i think its way too much work for a features not really needed or used.

cheers

i'd have the updater to not be automatic, but to be a program that's in the 3dgs folder (update.exe)

then u'd open that file and it would search for updates needed, and you could choose which ones you wanted, like with avg free.

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

Quote:

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New recommended program update (AVG 7.1.385) is available for download.
All current AVG Free users will be able to download the update automatically through the standard update process. Alternatively you can download this update manually by clicking on "Check for Updates" button in your AVG Free. Considering the amount of data to be downloaded it is possible that the AVG Free Edition update will not be provided by our servers immediately following your request, or that your update request will have to be repeated. Your data security is still guaranteed.

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