Network installations (notes for Network Managers)

The workstation that was used to install Renovator is called the administrative workstation. This is the machine that has the entry ‘Ferret Renovator . . .’ in the Add/Remove Programs list in Control Panel. Normally, the administrative workstation is used by someone who logs on with a privileged account (e.g. an Administrator logon) since only such an account would normally be able to create and modify files on the server.

When logged on to the administrative workstation with a suitably privileged account, run the utility called SetAutoUpdateRenovator that is located in the RENO211 folder on the server. Click its Yes button.

That done, when Renovator is run subsequently on the administrative workstation it will check automatically for the availability of an update, and if one is available will offer the option of applying it.

However, it is likely that Renovator is not run at the administrative workstation in the normal course of events. Typically that workstation is used only to apply updates and perform managerial tasks.

Rather than having to run Renovator at intervals to check for updates, identify one or more workstations to perform this role. These should be workstations the user of which runs Renovator on a regular basis.

On each such workstation (and there need normally be just one or two), ask the user to run the SetAutoUpdateRenovator utility, and click its Yes button.  Such workstations will then receive notification when a Renovator update is available – but are not enabled to download and apply the update. Instead, the user is prompted to inform an Administrator that an update is available.

Once informed of this, you can run Renovator on the administrative workstation while logged on with a privileged account and so be able to update files on the server.

When Renovator – running on the administrative workstation – notifies you that an update is available, it will offer the option of applying it now. If you click No at this you will be asked again the next time you run the program.

You should click No if there are other users running Renovator at that time. Updates should be performed when the program is not in use, because an update is unable to replace with their new version files that are open on the server.

If you click Yes, then the update will be fetched from the Ferret web site. The update executable has an associated digital signature, and this is verified as the update is received so you can be sure that it has not been tampered with or modified in transit.

If the update executable has changed since it was signed, then a dialog message "Update digital signature is invalid" will appear and it will be deleted. Should this ever occur please contact the Ferret Helpline on 029 2064 4444.

When the update has transferred successfully Renovator will terminate and the update executable will run, allowing you to complete the update in the usual way. The most recent update executable is left in place in the RENO211 folder on the server; it can be moved elsewhere or deleted if desired.

A workstation can be suspended from its role in Renovator updating by re-running the SetAutoUpdateRenovator utility at that workstation.