AppLife Update Product Features
Iterate new features and publish changes. That’s the modern software development
process. Today, literally all software needs to be updateable. AppLife Update
helps by providing the tools to create and publish software updates for virtually
any Windows software.
The following is list of some of the noteworthy features of the AppLife Update
solution.
-
No source code changes required
More...
Deploy and update your applications without modifying application source code. The
AppLife client software will detect and install updates on behalf of your software
applications.
-
Deploy new applications
More...
The AppLife client software detects new applications published to AppLife Server
and will automatically download and install them.
-
Update existing applications
Integrate an AppLife Update based update process into existing deployed applications
and seamlessly start publishing updates for
them.
-
Elevate permissions during the update
Updates will succeed while limited-rights users are running your applications, without
administrative assistance.
-
Run custom code during an update
More...
Easily create customized update activity using C# or Visual Basic.Net. Your code
is automatically compiled and packaged with your published update, then executed
on your clients as the update is applied.
-
Modify SQL database schemes
SQL Server specific actions supports both transacted and non-transacted database
work. Open SQL Connections for exclusive access, Backup your database, Begin and
Commit SQL transactions, Run GO separated sql files and queries, and Close your
connection using built-in update actions.
-
Conditionally perform update actions
More...
Add true/false expressions to conditionally perform update actions during an update.
-
Install the .Net Framework during an update
This action checks for the presence of the .Net Framework, then installs the
framework during the update, if necessary.
-
Auto-include new/changed files
Compare a current application directory with a baseline application
directory and include any changed files in a new update.
-
Resume previous downloads
Downloaded update packages are cached, enabling resumes on previous downloads upon
network errors.
-
Create shortcuts during updates
Place .lnk shortcuts to new files while your update executes.
-
Modify Xml config files
Xml configuration files cannot usually be replaced during software updates. They must be edited in-place with necessary changes. AppLife Update features update actions to edit Xml config files.
-
Built-In shutdown coordination
Built-In Inter-Process communications (IPC) provides the functionality
to coordinate the shutdown of all instances of your host application, as well as
any supporting processes.
-
Maintain Asp.Net applications
Update on-premises Asp.Net applications using AppLife Update actions.
-
Maintain Windows services
Start/stop services and replace files during updates.
-
Run Windows Installer (Msi) files
Include Windows Installers with your application updates.
-
Replace Files on Restart
Replace locked files during an update by registering
them to be replaced at the next operating system restart.
-
Extensive API
The AppLife Update API provides the ability to customize the maintenance process
to fit your requirements.
-
Unattended updating
Updates can be configured for automated detection and installation, with no user
interaction required.
-
Transacted update engine
More...
AppLife Update will not leave an update half completed. The update work finishes
successfully, or all work gets rolled back, leaving the system in the
same state as when the update started.
-
Public-Private key validation
Update package integrity is validated using cryptographic signatures. Each update
package is signed with your own private key when its created and verified with
the associated public key before it is applied.
-
Access list control to updates
More...
Control distribution of individual update packages by assigning groups of client tokens to updates and applications.
-
Fine grain versioning control
AppLife Update provides fine control over the specific software versions that can
apply your updates.
-
Extensive update engine logging
A detailed log is written as an update is executed, providing extensive technical
and troubleshooting insight into the operation of your updates. View a Log
-
Update log viewer utility
AppLife Update includes a log viewer utility that lets you quickly verify your updates
are performing
as expected and helps identify the root cause of failures.
-
Create custom update actions
Perform application specific custom update activities with AppLife Update custom
actions. Create custom actions in your favorite .Net language. Patterned after the
.Net custom control architecture, building custom actions for AppLife Update is
extremely intuitive to .Net developers.
-
Expansion variables
Share information between actions with Shared Property expansion variables.
-
Controlled rollout
Avoid server and network congestion by staggering update rollout over a period of
hours with controlled rollouts.
-
Documented API
Complete and thorough documentation on all of the customizable features of AppLife
Update.
-
Write summaries with rich text
Write update summary text using rich text. All built-in user interfaces support
displaying rich text, and the Update Controller API exposes rich text to your application
as HTML.
-
Add & replace files
Files and assemblies can be added and replaced during updates.
-
File patching action
The Patch Existing File Action utilizes the Microsoft Delta Compression API to generate
a patch file, and then re-create the new file from an existing file during an update.
Using this action can significantly reduce update package sizes.
-
Add and remove GAC assemblies
Add and remove assemblies from the global assembly cache (GAC) during updates.
-
RegAsm Action
Register .Net interop assemblies during updates.
-
Command Line Action
Perform command line activity during updates.
-
Pre/Post
Build Batch Scripting
Move/Copy files and take other actions before and after an update is built. Pre
and post build scripts add additional automation options and improve the ease with
which update creation can be integrated into automatic and continuous build processes.