In-place component update for Microsoft Windows

Overview

This guide provides instructions for running an in-place update to a new release of CAST Imaging, i.e. using com.castsoftware.imaging.console installed on Microsoft Windows:

on one single machine
or via a distributed deployment (multiple machines)

This process will update the following installed components and retain all existing data (applications, results, etc.):

imaging-services
imaging-viewer
analysis-node
dashboards

In addition, the guide covers the update of your existing applications to a new Core release (the analysis engine installed on each of your analysis-node instances).

Supported update paths

Source	Target	Supported?
3.2.0-funcrel	≥ 3.3.0-funcrel	✅
3.1.0-funcrel	≥ 3.2.0-funcrel	✅
3.0.0-funcrel	≥ 3.1.0-funcrel	✅

Requirements

Local administrator privileges (ability to Run as administrator)
All existing services should be left running during the update (the update script will stop and restart them automatically)
Sufficient local disk space for the installer package
A previous CAST Imaging installation should exist on the target machines
In a distributed deployment scenario all components MUST be updated to the same new release (i.e. you cannot update just the analysis-node component or just the imaging-services component)
It is not possible to change the TCP port number of any service, nor any HOSTNAME_xxx type installation variable as part of the update process.

For Microsoft Windows, CAST recommends disabling Quick Edit mode in your command (CMD) window before running the update. This mode (if enabled) will pause the batch script if there is any interaction with the command window (e.g. a mouse click) during the process and will not re-start the script until a key is pressed:

Update process

Step 1 - Download and extract the installer

Download the latest release of the CAST Imaging installer
Extract the ZIP file to any location on your local disk. For distributed deployments, repeat this download and extraction on each machine that requires updating.

Step 2 - Configure the *.conf file

Locate the relevant *.conf file at the root of the extracted files
Open with a text editor. For example:
- single machine installation: edit config-all.conf
- distributed installation: edit config-imaging-services.conf, config-imaging-viewer.conf or config-analysis-node.conf to match the component installed on the current machine
Modify the file to ensure that all parameters EXACTLY match those that were used in the same file when installing the previous release. You can find an explanation of the parameters in Microsoft Windows installation variables.

Step 3 - Run the update

Navigate to the root of the extracted files, open a CMD window with elevated permissions (right click, Run as administrator) and run the appropriate command based on your deployment type:

For a single machine deployment

cast-imaging-update.bat package=all

For a distributed deployment

cast-imaging-update.bat package=imaging-services
cast-imaging-update.bat package=imaging-viewer
cast-imaging-update.bat package=analysis-node

Components can be updated in any order.

Step 4 - Verify update success

Check all Microsoft Windows services are up and running (the screenshot below is for a single machine installation):

Verify services in the CAST Imaging admin panel:
- Navigate to the Services settings page
- Confirm all services show green status indicators:

Step 5 - Install new Core release

CAST regularly publishes new releases to CAST Imaging Core (com.castsoftware.imaging.core ) - the analysis engine used by your analysis-node(s). These releases provide new features and updates which improve the value of the platform. In order to benefit from them, you will need to install the new release of CAST Imaging Core on your analysis-node(s) to replace the previous release.

The process is similar to a fresh installation, as described in Install CAST Imaging Core for Microsoft Windows:

on each analysis-node machine that you want to update, download and unzip the required release of com.castsoftware.imaging.core .
Execute the setup.bat file with elevated permissions (right click, Run as administrator) at the root of the unzipped files and follow the interactive installer.
the installer will detect the existing release installed on the machine - ensure that the Upgrade option is selected in the installer wizard:

restart the Microsoft Windows CAST Imaging Analysis Node service to ensure that the new release of CAST Imaging Core is taken into account:

In an update scenario, the installer will NOT install the .NET Framework even if it is not present on the target machine. In this scenario, it is the responsibility of the end-user to install the required .NET Framework.

Step 6 - Update application to new Core release

Following an update to CAST Imaging Core on your analysis-node(s) (see previous step) the next step is to perform an application update to ensure the new release of CAST Imaging Core will be used. This update process is performed in the CAST Imaging UI, using the Applications panel - see also Update.

This step is not applicable to applications whose results were originally imported into CAST Imaging from CSV - i.e. where an analysis is not possible.

All actions listed below are performed in the UI of your CAST Imaging instance:

Login to CAST Imaging with a user that has the default Admin profile or a custom profile with the Administrator role - see User Permissions.
Determine the Assessment Model upgrade strategy - in the majority of scenarios leave the setting at the default Preserve Assessment Model but enable new rules.
Browse to the Applications panel - the Core upgrade available column will indicate all applications that need to be updated (those whose results were originally imported into CAST Imaging from CSV will not be eligible). Perform the application update by selecting an application then clicking the icon highlighted below:

You can update multiple applications in one go by ticking all applications you want to update and then clicking the Update icon.

When the update is complete, check the Core version column to ensure that it is showing the new release:

Finally, run a new analysis on the freshly upgraded application - this will also generate and make available new results (structural flaws and views):

CAST recommends generating structural flaws and views so that your results are also updated. Using the Run Analysis button includes these actions.

What actions does CAST Imaging perform during an application update?

An automatic backup of the Application’s Management, Analysis and Dashboard database schemas and its Delivery folder is performed automatically - see Backups for details.
An update of the application schemas and the Delivery folder to the new CAST Imaging Core release.

What happens if the update fails?

If the update fails for any reason, an automatic roll back of the application update (schemas and delivery folder) will be performed using the backup taken automatically at the start of the update process.

What about extensions?

As a general rule, any extensions installed during the most recent analysis will NOT be automatically updated, even if a more recent version of an extension is available on CAST Extend or in Extend Local Server.

Done…

That’s it you’re done and your installation and applications are now up-to-date.