How to Update Program Files using the TOPS Internet Updater
Please be advised that the Modules to Check option in the TOPS Internet Updater is restricted to customers on a current maintenance support agreement. Customers who do not have a current support agreement are only eligible for the Free Updates option in the Internet Updater. If you are interested in our support plans, please go to our Support Plans page.
The following instructions apply to TOPS Professional™. Customers using TOPS versions 3.20™ or 3.10™ and users of TOPS Standard and TOPS Maintenance Manager stand-alone should refer to the steps under the Implementation section for all updates.
Keeping the TOPS program files for all of your users up-to-date in a networked environment can be challenging. TOPS provides two mechanisms to update program files, the TOPS Internet Updater, and the Update Workstation from Server feature. But when is the appropriate time to use each, and who should be doing what?
 Network Administrator - The Network administrator's responsibility is to update the server and the remote host server (if you have one and it is a different machine from the primary data server). The server should ALWAYS be the most up-to-date machine in your office. TOPS recommends that you schedule the updates to run once per month (Starting 2007 updates will be released monthly). If you are updating manually, please ensure that you are logged in locally on the system with administrative rights. If you are not certain that you have administrative rights, run the "readon.bat" file under the TOPS 2000 directory on the server. If you do not have rights, a list of files stating "Access Denied" will appear on the screen.
If the updater fails to update some or all of the files that are slated to be updated, this is most likely because the non-updated files are locked open by a user. Ask all users to end their session, close TOPS and then re-open it and run the updater again. This may resolve the problem, if it does not, reboot the server (to force Windows to release all file reservations) and then run the updater.
To Schedule the Updater to Run Automatically on Your Server(s)*:
Please Note, that the system on which the Scheduler is set to run must not be turned off, in hibernation mode or in sleep mode at the time that the job is scheduled to run. From the Calendar / Scheduler screen, click on Control Info then Scheduler Settings and make sure you have the "Use TOPS Scheduler" option checked. Refer to the "Using Calendar/Scheduler" section in the User Guide located on our User Manual Downloads page. Procedure using Calendar / Scheduler:
- Access your server where your TOPS data resides.
- In 212, click Automate > Scheduler > Schedule Tasks.
- The 212 Scheduler will open after a moment.
- Click the drop down in the upper left and select Internet Services.
- Click the blue Add button in the upper right.
- Set the Type to Internet Updater.
- Enter a name, such as "Update TOPS Program Files".
- Set the Start Date to be the first day on which you wish to run this task. (The first day of each month recommended)
- Set the Time to when you wish to have this task start. (This time should be very late or very early, when no users will be connected and logged in to the system.)
- Click Next.
- Set up Recurrences to Monthly on Day 1 of every 1 month.
- Click Finish.
* If you are unable to run the scheduler on your server, you may set up the update schedule on a single workstation. This will automatically update both the server and that workstation.
 Local Network User - Users who work in the same location as the Data Server (or use a hardware VPN) should perform passive updates. Each time the server is updated via the TOPS Internet Updater, the user will be prompted when they log into TOPS: "Server files are newer. Select Yes to Update." The user simply clicks 'Yes' to receive the newer files from the server. It is unnecessary for an individual workstation to be updated via the updater. Certain occasions may call for it however, such as receiving a beta program, or performing a major version update.
A common issue that TOPS Support encounters is unevenly distributed updates across a network, causing mismatched versions of the TOPS Program files. In all cases, it is better to have the same version of TOPS Files on the server and all workstations than it is to be completely up-to-date on a few machines.
zRemote Users - Users who connect from a location outside of the network (telecommuting, other offices, off-site, etc) should NOT run updates. Instead, it is the administrator's responsibility to make sure that each time the Primary Data Server is updated, the Remote Host Server be updated as well. If a remote user attempts to perform an update, TOPS will attempt to update the entire remote host machine. This will often be unsuccessful if the user does not have the rights to overwrite files on the server, or if other users are also connected to the remote host, and using files that need to be updated. |
