BorlandTalk.com Borland discussion newsgroups   Archives   FAQ   Search   Memberlist   Usergroups   Register   Profile   Log in to check your private messages   Log in  Giving users a new version of my program          BorlandTalk.com Forum Index -> Delphi Deployment View previous topic :: View next topic   Author Message Doug Stephens Guest Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:03 pm    Post subject: Giving users a new version of my program I am about to deploy a D7 app to about 20 users, LAN connected. On the off chance that bugs are found, I am thinking about how to replace the EXE with a new fixed version. The current approach has been to copy the EXE to the local drive from a network location, then give the users a BAT file which will copy a new EXE to the local drive. They run this based on an email which tells them a new version is available. Of course they often forget and continue to run the wrong version and we get calls. So I'm seeking something more reliable. I was considering having users run the EXE directly from network drive via a shortcut. When I need to update the version, I would rename the old EXE and copy the new one there. Then users would just have to exit and restart the program from their shortcut. I thought this would not be possible if people were still using the EXE, which would render this approach pretty useless, but I just tested it and to my surprise I was able to rename the EXE file even though people were running it. Then I could even delete it and the running instances still ran. This seems weird to me. I guess XP must load the entire EXE at startup then never refers to the disk copy again. Speed was almost identical except for initial load time, which is understandable. Oddly, you cannot delete it without renaming it first if it is in use. Was I just lucky in my limited testing and sometimes the EXE would need to re-read the disk copy? Any comments on this approach? Or other suggestions? Thanks - Doug Back to top Doug Stephens Guest Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Giving users a new version of my program Doug Stephens wrote: Quote: I am about to deploy a D7 app to about 20 users, LAN connected. On the off chance that bugs are found, I am thinking about how to replace the EXE with a new fixed version. The current approach has been to copy the EXE to the local drive from a network location, then give the users a BAT file which will copy a new EXE to the local drive. They run this based on an email which tells them a new version is available. Of course they often forget and continue to run the wrong version and we get calls. So I'm seeking something more reliable. I was considering having users run the EXE directly from network drive via a shortcut. When I need to update the version, I would rename the old EXE and copy the new one there. Then users would just have to exit and restart the program from their shortcut. I thought this would not be possible if people were still using the EXE, which would render this approach pretty useless, but I just tested it and to my surprise I was able to rename the EXE file even though people were running it. Then I could even delete it and the running instances still ran. This seems weird to me. I guess XP must load the entire EXE at startup then never refers to the disk copy again. Speed was almost identical except for initial load time, which is understandable. Oddly, you cannot delete it without renaming it first if it is in use. Was I just lucky in my limited testing and sometimes the EXE would need to re-read the disk copy? Any comments on this approach? Or other suggestions? Thanks - Doug Just saw Rick Anderson's post below. Sorry for the duplication. Some good ideas there. Back to top Bill Todd Guest Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Giving users a new version of my program Doug Stephens wrote: Quote: Was I just lucky in my limited testing and sometimes the EXE would need to re-read the disk copy? Any comments on this approach? Or other suggestions? You were lucky. More often you cannot rename or delete the EXE when it is in use. Never the less, this is still the easiest way to deploy. If necessary create a batch file that copies the new EXE into place and run it in the middle of the night with Windows Scheduler. -- Bill Todd (TeamB) Back to top Mike Williams (TeamB) Guest Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Giving users a new version of my program Doug Stephens wrote: Quote: Is it preferable to run off a network drive or local? I've always thought that local was faster, but seems only so for initial load time. I think local is typically better. One approach to this problem that I took years ago is to write a "launcher" application. I called it "NetRun". The idea is to have a configuration file that lists a network source directory, a local directory, and the command line to run. This configuration file has an extension that is associated with the launcher application such that double-clicking the config file or launching it from a shortcut calls the launcher application. The launcher first looks to see if the local version does not exist or is older than the network version. If so, it copies down the new files and then executes the appropriate command line. If the local executable is already the current version it simply runs it. This approach gives you the ability to simply copy an update into place on the shared drive. Users will get the new version the next time they attempt to launch it. -- -Mike (TeamB) Back to top Doug Stephens Guest Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Giving users a new version of my program Bill Todd wrote: Quote: Doug Stephens wrote: Was I just lucky in my limited testing and sometimes the EXE would need to re-read the disk copy? Any comments on this approach? Or other suggestions? You were lucky. More often you cannot rename or delete the EXE when it is in use. Never the less, this is still the easiest way to deploy. If necessary create a batch file that copies the new EXE into place and run it in the middle of the night with Windows Scheduler. Is it preferable to run off a network drive or local? I've always thought that local was faster, but seems only so for initial load time. The exe is 8mb. - Doug Back to top Bill Todd Guest Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 11:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Giving users a new version of my program Doug Stephens wrote: Quote: Is it preferable to run off a network drive or local? I've always thought that local was faster, but seems only so for initial load time. The exe is 8mb. It is up to you. I prefer running from a network drive because maintenance and setup of new PCs is much easier. When someone gets a new PC all they have to do is create a shortcut to the EXE on the server and they are done. -- Bill Todd (TeamB) Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         BorlandTalk.com Forum Index -> Delphi Deployment All times are GMT Page 1 of 1   Jump to: Select a forum C++ Builder Newsgroups----------------C++ BuilderC++ Builder (ActiveX)C++ Builder (Announcements)C++ Builder (Command Line Tools)C++ Builder DatabasesC++ Builder Databases (ADO)C++ Builder Databases (Desktop)C++ Builder Databases (InterBase Express)C++ Builder Databases (Multi-Tier)C++ Builder Databases (SQL Servers)C++ Builder (Graphics)C++ Builder (IDE)C++ Builder (Internet)C++ Builder (Internet Socket)C++ Builder (Internet Web)C++ Builder (Jobs)C++ Builder (Language)C++ Builder (Language C++)C++ Builder (Compatibility with MFC)C++ Builder (Native API)C++ Builder (Non-Technical)C++ Builder (Students)C++ Builder (Third Party Tools)C++ Builder (Upgrade)C++ Builder (VCL)C++ Builder (VCL Components Usage)C++ Builder (VCL Components Development)C++ Builder (VCL Usage)C++ Builder (WinAPI)C++ Builder Installation Delphi Newsgroups----------------Delphi (General)Delphi ActiveX Controls UsageDelphi ActiveX Controls DevelopmentDelphi As400Delphi DatabasesDelphi Databases (ADO)Delphi Databases (dbExpress)Delphi Databases (Desktop)Delphi Databases (InterBase Express)Delphi Databases (Multi-Tier)Delphi Databases (SQL Servers)Delphi DeploymentDelphi GraphicsDelphi IDEDelphi InternationalizationDelphi InternetDelphi Internet Isapi-WebBrokerDelphi Internet WebSnapDelphi Internet WinsockDelphi JobsDelphi Language BASMDelphi Language ObjectPascalDelphi Model Driven Architecture (General)Delphi Model Driven Architecture (Third Party)Delphi MultimediaDelphi Native APIDelphi Non-TechnicalDelphi ObjectPascalDelphi OLE AutomationDelphi OO designDelphi OpenToolsAPIDelphi Reporting-ChartingDelphi RTLDelphi StudentsDelphi TeamSourceDelphi Thirdparty ToolsDelphi Thirdparty Tools (General)Delphi Thirdparty Tools (IntraWeb)Delphi Thirdparty Tools (RaveReports)Delphi UpgradeDelphi VCLDelphi VCL ComponentsDelphi VCL Components UsingDelphi VCL Components WritingDelphi WebServices SOAPDelphi WinAPIDelphi XMLDelphi Installationcomp.lang.pascal.delphi.components.misccomp.lang.pascal.delphi.components.usagecomp.lang.pascal.delphi.components.writingcomp.lang.pascal.delphi.databasescomp.lang.pascal.delphi.misccomp.sources.delphi JBuilder Newsgroups----------------JBuilderJBuilder AnnouncementsJBuilder Applet IssuesJBuilder As400JBuilder CompilerJBuilder CORBA/RMIJBuilder DatabasesJBuilder DB SwingJBuilder DebuggerJBuilder DeploymentJBuilder DocumentationJBuilder EnterpriseJBuilder HandheldJBuilder IDEJBuilder JavaJBuilder JavaAPIJBuilder Java LanguageJBuilder Java SwingJBuilder Java BeansJBuilder Java Beans UsageJBuilder Java Beans DevelopmentJBuilder JBCLJBuilder JDataStoreJBuilder JobsJBuilder LinuxJBuilder MacintoshJBuilder & MobileSetJBuilder MultiLingual AppsJBuilder Non-TechnicalJBuilder OpenToolsJBuilder Servlets (JSP)JBuilder StudentsJBuilder Team DevelopmentJBuilder Thirdparty ToolsJBuilder UpgradeJBuilder Installation InterBase Newsgroups----------------InterBaseInterBase Bug DiscussionInterBase GeneralInterBase IBConsoleInterBase OpenSourceInterBase ReplicationInterBase SQLInterBase ThirdpartyInterBase Installation Miscellaneous Borland Newsgroups----------------AppCenterAppServerEnteraVisiBroker  You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2006 phpBB Group SEO toolkit © 2004-2006 webmedic.