Update notification

If the Notify if new updates are available function is activated, pCon.update DataClient regularly checks for new updates at specified times. If new updates are available, you will receive a notification and can install them as usual.

Note: The notification can only be activated for one user of the system. This should be the user who is responsible for updating the system. The notification is automatically activated for the user who activates the function in the DataClient.

Activating the update notification

To be notified of new available updates, you proceed as follows:

1. Call up the settings Schedule updates.

2. Activate the option Notify if new updates are available

3. Define when and how often you want to check for new available updates:

•Enter a date for Next check on

•Select the interval for checking for updates

•Select one of the options after user logs in or at specified time and enter the desired time, if applicable.

4. Click on the Accept button to store the modified settings. If the settings are incorrect or if it is not possible to activate the update notification, an error message will be displayed.

Form of the update notification

When the specified time is reached, the DataClient is launched in the background and checks automatically whether new updates are available. You can see that the DataClient is active by an additional icon in the notification area of the system tray (beside the Windows clock). If new updates are available, a notification window is displayed. The paragraph Notification mode contains detailed information on using the DataClient in case of an update notification.

Further notes

Hibernation

If you have enabled the option Notification after user logs in and if you use hibernation, please note that no user log in takes place when reactivating the system and continuing your last session. In case you regularly use hibernation instead of shutting down your system, it is recommended to check for new updates at a specified time and not upon user log in. Otherwise, it is possible that the desired update notification is strongly delayed.

Behavior in different cases

If an update is not possible at the specified time (e.g. because the system is shut off), the DataClient will try later to execute the update. The exact behavior of the DataClient in different cases is listed in the table below:

Technical information

The update notification uses the Windows Task Scheduler system service. This service is active by default. No further settings are required on your part.

Notification mode

If you have activated the update notification, the DataClient starts at the specified time in notification mode. An additional symbol in the Notification Area of the Windows task bar (see picture) indicates the notification mode of the DataClient.

Symbols in the notification area

The DataClient symbol in the notification area of the windows task bar is only displayed when the time for a notification is reached. It is hidden again if the search found no updates available or when the new updates have been installed. The symbol in the notification area informs you on the background activities taking place:

 (rotating arrow) The availability of new updates is being checked.

An error has occurred.

The DataClient is inactive at the moment. This happens when a process has been aborted.

License could not be accessed.

Notifications

The DataClient only notifies you when new updates are available or an error has occurred.

Clicking on the icon or the displayed notification text triggers various actions:

•If new updates are available, the wizard for the installation of the updates.

•If an error has occurred, a dialog with detailed information opens.

If the hint is no longer displayed, the same action can be triggered by double-clicking on the DataClient icon in the Windows taskbar.

Context menu

By right-clicking the DataClient icon in the Windows task bar, you can call further functions:

•The first menu entry can contain different functions. Clicking on this always triggers the function indicated by the icon in the taskbar. Additionally, the first menu item allows you to abort the update check while the check is taking place.

•Settings opens the settings of the function schedule updates.

•Help opens the program help.

•About opens a dialog containing program name, program version, and copyright information.

•Quit closes the DataClient notification mode. If the program window is opened, it will also be closed.

Automatic installation

The DataClient can also install all available updates fully automatically. As in notification mode, you define a schedule according to which the DataClient checks whether updates are available. These are downloaded and installed automatically. Note: Please select a time for the check when the system is not normally used (e.g. at night or during a lunch break). Applications that are open at the time of the automatic installation cannot be updated.

The automatic installation works independently of the logged-in user and their user rights. It is sufficient that the system is switched on. The configuration of the automatic installation requires administrator rights.

Activating the automatic installation

You must be logged in via pCon.login to activate the automatic installation and have access to the license for the DataClient. Alternatively, if you have a PRO license with conventional licensing, you can activate automatic installation with this, too. Note: If the DataClient has been installed for the first time and no settings have been made so far, the automatic installation cannot be activated. In this case, a message icon will appear on the user interface. Clicking on this will display a text explaining the necessary steps. To activate the automatic installation of new updates, you proceed as follows:

1. Call up the settings Schedule updates

2. Activate the option Automatically install new updates.

3. Define when and how often you want to check for new available updates:

•Enter a date for next check on

•Select the interval for checking for updates

•Enter the time when the updates are to be checked and installed

4. Click on the Accept button to store the modified settings.

Enhanced settings

Click on the cogwheel (see marking in the following image) to open the Automatic installation area in the program settings.

Executing the automatic installation

Using a system service

The automatic installation is executed by a system service. When activating the automatic installation, that system service is automatically installed and launched. When deactivating the automatic installation, it is automatically stopped and uninstalled. The system service works independently from the user logged in.

If required, the account of a person with administrator rights can be used as an alternative. Further information: Service account.

Logging

The activities of the system service are logged at different points:

•Event log of the operating system: records the state of the installation during each update

•Installation log of the DataClient: logs each installed package with installation date and version number

•Application protocol of the pCon.update system service: contains the partial steps executed during an update. It is located by default in the directory c:\ProgramData\EasternGraphics\pCon.update\DataClient\log.

Behavior of the applications during an automatic update

While checking for new updates, downloading, and package verification, the application programs can be used as usual. As soon as the installation starts, you are asked to exit the concerned application programs.

While the installation of new updates is taking place, the application cannot be launched. An error message is displayed.

Behavior of the DataClient during an automatic update

You cannot launch the DataClient during the entire process of the automatic update (checking for updates, download, package verification, and installation). An error message is displayed. You should restart the DataClient Assistant only when the update process is finished. In case of need, you can abort the process.

Aborting the automatic installation

To cancel the automatic installation, double-click on the pCon.update icon in the Windows notification area to open the status info window. If an update is currently running, you can cancel it by clicking Cancel update.

This usually does not result in an inconsistent installation state of your system. If you abort the update process while the download or the package verification are taking place, you then have to download all updates again later. When aborting an installation, the installation of the begun package will still be finished and all other packages will be discarded. The discarded packages need to be downloaded again later. Since the updates are installed according to their dependencies (i.e. a package is only installed if all required packages have already been installed), the abortion after the ongoing package results in a consistent state. Canceling is no longer possible if data packages are already being installed. You can restart the aborted system service later either via the status bar or by activating the automatic updates in the DataClient.

Checking the state of the automatic installation

Once the automatic installation is activated, on the DataClient's Welcome page the current state of the automatic installation is displayed. Thereby you always have the opportunity the determine, when the last update was done and whether it was successful or not.

Behavior in different cases

If an update is not possible at the specified time (e.g. because the system is shut off), the DataClient will try later to execute the update. The exact behavior of the DataClient in different cases is listed in the table below: