Updater

The updater is a Windows service on the invoiceR server. It regularly checks whether a new version is available and installs it on its own. Frontend and backend each have their own updater, with one per environment (test, production).

How an update runs

1. Check: At a fixed interval the updater asks enio for a new version. Alternatively it checks a local folder for a provided update file.
2. Prepare: It downloads the ZIP archive, extracts it, copies your configuration files into it and, for the backend, runs the migrator. If the migration fails, the running version stays unchanged; the next attempt tries again.
3. Replace: It stops the website, moves the program folder, replaces it with the new version and starts the website again. The website is only started if it was running before.
4. Finish: It writes the file .version with the installed version to the program folder, packs the old version into a ZIP archive and deletes the oldest archives.

The updater no longer tries a version whose installation has failed several times.

Installing

The updater folder contains scripts that register and start the service: Install-BE.bat for the backend, Install-FE.bat for the frontend (run as administrator). They detect the environment from the folder name (Test or Prod) and create a service such as InvoiceR-Updater Backend Prod. Uninstall-BE.bat and Uninstall-FE.bat remove it again.

By hand:

sc.exe create "InvoiceR-Updater Backend Prod" binPath= D:\invoiceR\Prod\Updater-BE\InvoiceR_Update_Service.exe start=auto
sc.exe start "InvoiceR-Updater Backend Prod"

Configuration

The updater reads the file appsettings.json in its folder.

RemoteSettings

Key	Meaning
SecretKey	Key with which the installation identifies itself to enio. You receive it from enio.
SoftwareId	1 = frontend, 2 = backend.
BackendApiUrl	Address from which new versions are obtained. You receive it from enio.

LocalSettings

Key	Default	Meaning
CheckEveryXSeconds	60	Interval for checking for new versions.
MaxInstallationAttempts	5	Number of attempts per version.
WorkingDirectory		Working folder; relative paths start from here.
ApplicationDirectory	../App	invoiceR program folder (frontend or backend).
ConfigurationDirectory	AppConfig	Folder with your configuration files that are copied into every new version.
ArchiveDirectory	Archive	Folder for archives of old versions.
KeepArchivesMax	10	Number of archives to keep. Negative: never delete.
StartStopWebServer		true: stop and start website and application pool during the update.
WebsiteName, WebsitePoolName		Name of the website and application pool in IIS.
ForceWebServerStart		true: start the website after the update even if it was not running before.
RunMigrations		true: run the migrator during the update (backend only).
MigratorEnvironment	Production	Value for ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT during migration.
MigratorCustomAppSettings		Value for INVOICER_CUSTOM_APPSETTINGS during migration.
MigratorTimeoutSeconds	1800	Maximum duration of the migration.
TempDirectory		Folder for temporary files. Must be on the same drive as the website.
ProxyAddress, ProxyUser, ProxyPassword		Proxy server for internet access.
UpdateFromDirectory	false	true: take the update file from a local folder instead of the internet.
ApplicationUpdateDirectory		Folder with the update file if UpdateFromDirectory is set.
ApplicationUpdateFilename		File name of the update file in that folder.

Note

If the server has no internet access, place the update file in ApplicationUpdateDirectory by hand and set UpdateFromDirectory to true.