Application Update

• Mar 02, 2021
• 7 minutes to read

This topic describes how to update an application deployed on an end-user machine.

Update a Windows Forms Application

Update a Database (DBUpdater Tool)

1. Install the DBUpdater tool to a workstation or the server you wish to update. For more information, refer to the following help topic: Set Up the Database Connection.

   IMPORTANT

   The DBUpdater tool does not support a scenario when an application uses multiple Object Space Providers. The following help topic describes the workarounds for this scenario: Updating the database when multiple persistent Object Space Providers are used.

2. Launch the Command Prompt and run the DBUpdater:

   • Console (.NET Framework)
   • Console (.NET Core 3+ and .NET 5)

   cd %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\DevExpress 21.1\Components\Tools\eXpressAppFramework\DBUpdater
   DBUpdater.v21.1.exe ..\MySolution\MySolution.Win.exe.config
   

   You can also use the following DBUpdater parameters:

   • -silent (the first parameter)
     Initiates a silent update. Does not require direct end-user interaction.
   • -forceUpdate (the last parameter)
     Forces an update even if version information (between app and database) does not match.
   • Console (.NET Framework)
   • Console (.NET Core 3+ and .NET 5)

   cd %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\DevExpress 21.1\Components\Tools\eXpressAppFramework\DBUpdater
   DBUpdater.v21.1.exe -silent ..\MySolution\MySolution.Win.exe.config -forceUpdate
   

   The DBUpdater connects to the Database Server and first compares version information (determines whether the application database is older than the application). Press ENTER to force DBUpdater to update the database.

   

3. Optional: To obtain DBUpdater logs, edit its configuration file (DBUpdater.v21.1.exe.config in the .NET Framework projects or DBUpdater.v21.1.dll.config in .NET Core 3 & .NET 5 projects) and set the eXpressAppFramework switch value to 3 (Info):

   • DBUpdater.v21.1.exe.config (.NET Framework)
   • DBUpdater.v21.1.dll.config (.NET Core 3 & .NET 5)

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <configuration>
     <startup>
       <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.0" />
     </startup>
     <system.diagnostics>
       <switches>
         <!-- Use one of the following predefined values: 0-Off, 1-Errors, 2-Warnings, 3-Info, 4-Verbose. The default value is 0. -->
         <add name="eXpressAppFramework" value="3" />
       </switches>
     </system.diagnostics>
   </configuration>
   

   Logs are written to the eXpressAppFramework.log file.

4. Run the WinForms application to ensure that the update was successful.

Update Application Files

To update an application, you can use the same technique as when you deployed it:

• Xcopy Method
• Setup Project Method
• Update ClickOnce applications

Update Application Files Automatically (Application Updater Utility)

Use this technique to automate the update process at multiple workstations.

Prerequisites

Ensure that applications on end-user workstations and the new application you want to deploy meet the following conditions:

1. The XafApplication.CheckCompatibilityType property is set to ModulesInfo.
2. NonPersistentObjectSpaceProvider is not the first registered Provider in your application. XAF uses the first registered Object Space Provider while an application updates.

Enable Auto Update

1. Choose a file server in the end-user network. On this server, create a shared folder that stores newer application versions (for example, the MySolutionUpdateSource folder).
2. Ensure that all end users have read permission to this folder and do not have write permission.

3. On all end-user workstations, open the MySolution.Win.exe.config (for the .NET Framework projects) or MySolution.Win.dll.config (for the .NET Core 3 & .NET 5 projects) file and set the NewVersionServer key to the UNC path to this folder:

   • XML

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <configuration>
     <!-- ... -->
     <appSettings>
       <!-- ... -->
       <add key="NewVersionServer" value="\\FILESERVER\MySolutionUpdateSource\" />
     </appSettings>
   </configuration>  
   

4. Copy the WinForms application folder contents from the end-user workstation to the MySolutionUpdateSource shared folder.
   The UNC path to the application executable should be “\FILESERVER\MySolutionUpdateSource\MySolition.Win.exe“.

5. Copy the %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\DevExpress 21.1\Components\%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\DevExpress 21.1\.NET Core Desktop Libraries\Tools\eXpressAppFramework\Application Updater\DevExpress.ExpressApp.Updater.exe file from the developer workstation to the MySolutionUpdateSource shared folder.
   The UNC path to this file should be “\FILESERVER\MySolutionUpdateSource\DevExpress.ExpressApp.Updater.exe“.

6. When you run the WinForms application at an end-user workstation that was not updated, the following Updater progress bar is shown:

   

   If one of the error messages below is displayed instead, ensure the following:

   • the UNC path in the configuration file is correct;
   • the shared folder is readable;
   • the shared folder contains the DevExpress.ExpressApp.Updater.exe file.

   

   The application restarts automatically after updating.

To deploy a new application version, follow the steps below:

1. Replace the files located in the MySolutionUpdateSource shared folder with new application files.
2. Update the database version as described in the Update Database (DBUpdater Tool) section.

When an end user launches the WinForms application, it is instantly updated. The update process takes as much time as required to copy the MySolutionUpdateSource shared folder contents to the end-user workstation. Note that the update process will not be initiated if the database is not updated, even if the MySolutionUpdateSource folder contains a new version of the application.

Update an ASP.NET Application

Update Application Files

To update an application, you can use the same technique as when you deployed it:

• Xcopy Method
• Publish Web Method
• Setup Project Method

Update a Database (DBUpdater Tool)

1. Install the DBUpdater tool to a workstation or the server you wish to update. For more information, refer to the following help topic: Set Up the Database Connection.

2. Launch the Command Prompt and run the DbUpdater:

   • Console

   cd %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\DevExpress 21.1\Components\Tools\eXpressAppFramework\DBUpdater
   DBUpdater.v21.1.exe ..\MySolution\Web.config
   

   You can also use the following DBUpdater parameters:

   • -silent (the first parameter)
     Initiates a silent update. Does not require direct end-user interaction.
   • -forceUpdate (the last parameter)
     Forces an update even if version information (between app and database) does not match.
   • Console

   cd %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\DevExpress 21.1\Components\Tools\eXpressAppFramework\DBUpdater
   DBUpdater.v21.1.exe -silent ..\MySolution\Web.config -forceUpdate
   

   

3. Run the ASP.NET application to ensure that the update was successful.

If you encounter issues with your ASP.NET application update, do the following:

1. Create a new folder and place all built application assemblies into it.
2. Ensure that the assembly that contains your WebApplication descendant is in this folder. The default name of this assembly is the name of your application with the .Web postfix (for example, MySolution.Web).
3. Place the Web.config file into this folder.
4. Run the DBUpdater.v21.1.exe tool with the fully-qualified path to the Web.config file.

Update a Blazor Application

Update Application Files

To update an application, you can use the same technique as when you deployed it: Deploy ASP.NET Core Blazor Server Apps to Azure, Linux with Nginx or Windows with IIS.

Update a Database

1. Launch the Command Prompt. Type “cd PathToMyBlazorApplication“, where “PathToMyBlazorApplication” is the path to an application on a workstation, and press ENTER. Type “MySolution.Blazor.ServerSide.exe -updateDatabase“, press ENTER, and follow the instructions on the screen.

   • Console

   cd D:\Projects\MySolution\MySolution.Blazor.Server\bin\Debug\MySolution.Blazor.Server.exe -updateDatabase
   

   You can also use the following -updateDatabase parameters:

   • -silent (the first parameter)
     Initiates a silent update. Does not require direct end-user interaction.
   • -forceUpdate (the last parameter)
     Forces an update even if version information (between app and database) does not match.
   • Console

   cd D:\Projects\MySolution\MySolution.Blazor.Server\bin\Debug\MySolution.Blazor.Server.exe -updateDatabase -silent -forceUpdate
   

   

2. Run the Blazor application to ensure that the update was successful.

Important Notes

• If you encounter issues with your Blazor application update, refer to the following help topic: Deployment Troubleshooting Guide.

• To prevent a specific module from updating the database, specify a fixed version of this module assembly (for example, 1.0.0.0). It can be required to force version synchronization of your WinForms, Blazor and ASP.NET modules. The default build and revision numbers are specified with the asterisk (*), and Visual Studio auto-increments these numbers (see AssemblyVersionAttribute). This leads to a database version mismatch on each module update.